“Josh.” Mom pulled him in for a hug. “It’s been so good to finally meet you.”
“You too, Judy.”
“Don’t be a stranger, okay? You might be a city boy at heart, but you’ll always be welcome here. Night, sweetheart.”
“Night, Mom,” I said, “Dad.”
They headed upstairs, leaving Josh and me alone.
“Come on,” I said, taking his hand and leading him down the hall to his room. We slipped inside, and I turned to face him, trailing a shaky finger up his chest. “So I was thinking,” my voice trembled, “we could—”
“Dayna,” he sighed, gently removing my hand. “Your parents.” His gaze went to the door.
“They’ll be out for the count in like ten minutes. And besides, this room is at the back of the house. I thought it might be nice if we… spend the night together before you leave.”
I leaned in, kissing the corner of his mouth, nervous energy zipping through me.
All night I’d gone back and forth over our conversation and come to the conclusion that Josh was right—I couldn’t keep stalling. He loved me, and I cared a lot about him. It was just sex. Everyone did it eventually. And doing it the night before he left seemed romantic.
Special.
It felt like it would bring us closer together and erase all the doubts and worries we both had.
“Josh,” I murmured against his lips. “I want this. I want you.” I went to wrap my arms around him, but he gently gripped my wrists, holding me at bay.
“Not tonight, babe. It’s late, I’m tired, and I have a busy day tomorrow.” He gave me an apologetic smile.
“Oh, okay.” My stomach dropped, dejection curdling inside me.
Had I really just offered to sleep with my boyfriend for the first time, and he turned me down?
I stepped back, not knowing where to look. “Well, this is awkward.” Strained laughter bubbled out of me as I stared at the floor, wanting to disappear through it.
“Hey.” Josh pulled me into his arms and slid his fingers under my jaw, coaxing my face up to his. “I love you, Dayna. And I can wait for you, okay?”
“Okay.”
But his words didn’t soothe the knot in my stomach. Because he’d been waiting for months now, and more than once, he’d made his impatience known.
It didn’t make any sense.
An awkward silence lingered between us, but he made no effort to reassure me any further, so I said, “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay, babe.” He kissed me on the cheek. “Maybe we can get breakfast before I leave.”
“Sure.”
Josh gave me a crooked grin before ushering me to the door. He held it open, a clear sign he wanted me to leave.
So I walked out of there alone.
Wondering what the hell had just happened.
CHAPTER4
DAYNA
Josh: Made it here in one piece. Things are kind of crazy, so I’ll call you later. Love you. xo