I didn’t know what to say. His raw honesty touched me in ways I couldn’t explain. It’s not like he’d ever tried to hide that he wanted me in a physical sense because he hadn’t. But he’d never been quite that blunt about it either. I had bounced back and forth between being ready and being scared to take the next step. At that moment, I was not ready to lay down with him for a couple different reasons, but I didn’t want him on the other side of the room either.
“Well, I can’t help that you are constantly thinking about sex, I guess that is probably just the way guys are hardwired, but what I can tell you is that I don’t like you so far away from me. I can also tell you that I think about sex a little less than half the time, but the telling part is that when I do think about it, it’s with you. I also know that tonight is more than likely not going to be our first time. I can’t tell you when that time will be. All I know is that right now, I need you to just hold me and help me believe that I don’t have some crazed psychopath trying to finish what they started 17 years ago. I need you to be my caring, comforting, protective boyfriend.”
He stood in his little box for a short while just looking at me—or through me, I couldn’t be for sure which it was, but it was evident that he was digesting what I’d said. He put his hands back in his pockets, looked down at the floor, and crossed the room. When he was standing right in front of me, he dropped his gaze to mine and said, “Okay, Eden, I can do that for you. I would do anything for you, all you ever have to do is ask.”
I could tell he wanted to say more, but it was like there was a frog stuck in his throat, and I could see the fear skitter across his face as he tried to get the nerve to say what he wanted to say. I could have waited and watched him wiggle until he finally got it out, but it just seemed cruel, and so I stepped onto the floor in between him and the bed and rose up on my tippy toes until I was just a breath away from him. My heart was pounding so hard I wondered if my chest could hold it in. I took a deep breath and brushed a quick kiss across his lips.
“I know Drew, me too.”
He leaned forward and rested his forehead on mine.
“I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you, Eden, and with all this craziness lately, it just makes me worry that much more. I’m glad you’re here because if you’re here and I can see you, I don’t have to worry.”
Sara opened the bedroom door the rest of the way without knocking and let herself in. Drew looked over his shoulder at her, hands still in his pockets.
“Mom, can you please knock, I’m seventeen for the love of God.”
She gave a girlish giggle and said, “I know you are honey, I was there when you were born, but it doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re still, and always will be my baby. Anyway, I was coming to let you know that dinner is ready. So please wash up and come down to eat. Oh, and if you two decide to do anything, Drew, you need to make sure you wrap it up, okay! I love you, Eden, but I am not ready for a grandbaby just yet. Oh, and Drew you remember where they are, right?”
Drew’s face turned crimson. “MOM! Oh my—we aren’t going to—we’re coming down, please stop!”
She gave an amused chuckle and left the room. I was trying not to laugh myself, Sara Graves was something else. I was pretty sure she and my dad would not see eye to eye where Drew and me possibly hooking up was concerned. Drew turned those green eyes on me once more, and I didn’t wait for him to register that I wanted to kiss him. He was cute when he was flustered. I ran my tongue over his lips, and he didn’t hesitate to open up to me. When we finally came back up for air, his face was flushed for a different reason. He grabbed my hand and led me down to the kitchen.
Things were done a little differently at dinner time in the Graves house. We all sat in the living room in front of the TV and ate instead of sitting at the table.
“Well, I have an early start tomorrow Daryl, so I am going to go ahead and get to bed. You two can figure out which rooms you want. There is the guest room downstairs, and my reading room has a pull out bed upstairs.”
With that, Sara left for her room, leaving Dad to stare at me and Drew while he tried to figure out the sleeping arrangements.
“Can I trust you?”
I was shocked he’d ask me something like that.
“Dad, really? Do you need to ask me that?”
He looked at me squarely, without a trace of mirth on his face and said. “I wasn’t asking you, Eden.” He looked directly at Drew and repeated himself, “Can—I trust you?”
I
