Chase coughed.
“Mom,” I groaned, prepared to spill my milk. Anything except have this discussion with my boyfriend present, especially since I had just recently told him I wanted to have sex with him.
She barreled on as if we all weren’t squirming in our chairs. “Chase, first let me just say how much safer I feel knowing that when I am at work, she has you here. Particularly after the disappearance of that man right here in Spring Valley and the police have no leads or suspects. It makes me nervous knowing that Angel is alone, but…”
Here it comes.
“I still worry,” she finished. “Except now I am worried about babies.”
Dead silence.
I didn’t even know what to say. My cheeks burned red, and I wanted to find the smallest hole to crawl into.
Chase cleared his throat. “You don’t have to worry. Angel and I aren’t having…sex.” The word seemed to get stuck in his throat. Poor guy.
Mom twirled a fork of pasta, a staple at all our dinners. “Is there something wrong with my daughter? You two are dating, right? And you are here late almost every night.”
Chase choked.
I dropped my head on the table. God kill me now.
Only my mom would think because Chase and I had not gotten our freak on, that there was something wrong with us. Or that he found something lacking in her daughter. There really was no understanding her reasoning. Some days I was damned if I do and damned if I don’t.
“No. Umm.” Mr. Smooth was sweating it now. If this had been any other situation, I would have enjoyed seeing him writhe. “Just the opposite. It’s not that I don’t—I mean, I do. It’s just we’ve only been dating a few months. I don’t want to rush anything. I won’t pressure her.”
Wow.
How the heck did he pull that off and manage to look like a saint in Mom’s eyes? If she didn’t already love him, she would be sunk now. “Well, good. I am glad that you two are being responsible.”
I twiddled with my fork, pushing the green beans around on my plate. My cheeks were still the color of ripe tomatoes, and I had completely lost my appetite. I couldn’t have been happier and more relieved when dinner was finally over. Chase and I did the dishes, which was like taking a bath. I ended up soaked with bubbles in my hair, and it took longer than it should have. Afterwards we snuck upstairs while Mom snuggled on the couch, catching up on her reality shows.
I grabbed a towel to dry off my hair and changed my clothes. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Chase was lounging on my bed. “Are you as confused as I am about what just happened?” he asked, running his fingers through his hair.
I belly flopped on my bed. “I’m officially scarred for life.”
“Is that normal?” He rolled to his side.
With my feet swinging in the air, I answered, “Very.”
His eyes glanced at the closed door. “Do you think she thinks we are—?”
“Don’t even say it. I have had all the talk I can handle about doing the nasty with you, unless of course you are down?” I turned, curling into him.
“Don’t tempt me.”
That was just it. I did want to tempt him. Every bone. Every muscle. Every fiber of my being wanted to be with him. Only him. “I don’t get why you’ve suddenly grown a conscience. If I was any other girl—”
He cut me off. “Angel. You aren’t just some girl.”
When he said things like that, I lost the ability to breathe.
His fingers were combing through my hair. “It’s because I do care,” he continued. “The stakes are higher for us. That one act changes both our lives—forever.”
“Don’t you want to be with me?” I was showing a vulnerable side I hated.
“You know I do. This isn’t about me, and actually this is the most selfless decision I’ve ever made. If I wasn’t thinking about you, we would have ended up in bed months ago. I am a selfish person, but I can’t tie you to me without giving you the chance to leave before it’s too late.”
The thought of leaving Chase gave me a panic attack. My breathing became short, my chest felt tight, and I thought I might pass out. “I don’t ever want to leave.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “You say that now.”
I took his face in my hands, staring hard into his eyes. “Not ever.
“Angel.”
I silenced him with my lips and climbed into his lap, straddling him. “Ever,” I murmured into his mouth and kissed him again just to make sure he got the point.
His lips grinned under mine. “Okay, I got it.”
I dropped another light kiss on him and another, because one, heck two was never enough. “Good.”
Both his hands spanned at my waist. As usual, he never gave me any warning before hoisting me off him. I landed on my butt, my mattress springs squeaking under the impact. Blowing pieces of my hair out of my face, I stared at the ceiling.