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I take off running down the hall only to slam into Journi.
“Dude, I’m leaving. You don’t have to bulldoze me.”
“Don’t go,” I grab her hands and stare into her eyes. I probably sound deranged and desperate. Quickly, I try to ease over my breathless and crazy statement. “Jan invited you. She wants you here. And you came all this way, so that tells me you wanted to be here, too.”
“I didn’t know this was a multiple family trip.”
“Jan said you’re family.” A flash of emotion crosses her face, but she quickly recovers. Was that pain? Sadness? Longing? Love for friendship? Appreciation?
“That was sweet of Jan, but I think she’s the only one who wants me here.” She tries to walk past me with her suitcase, but I hold firmly to her shoulders.
“Not true. I want you here.”
“Why?”
Now I do release her. I shove my hands into my scrub pockets and feel a little heat creep to my cheeks. “I’ve known you less than twenty-four hours. In that time I’ve had my fingers inside you, been attacked by you—naked—and been thoroughly kissed by you. Can’t blame a guy for being excited to see what’s to come next. In fact, the suspense of what could happen tomorrow is killing me.”
“Yeah, no. This is not going to happen. But I appreciate the effort you’re applying here, especially with the whole guilt thing going on.”
I’m not one hundred percent positive if she’s talking about her staying, or what could happen between us. Either way, I don’t like it. Surprising myself, I really do want her to stay. I wasn’t lying about being curious with what adventure tomorrow could bring with this woman. “Why not?”
“Listen, Jan is my best and only friend. Me kissing you was an in-the-moment thing where my pettiness got the best of me. You’re off-limits. And we’ve already crossed some lines before you even walked through the front door.”
I scoff. “We’re all adults here—”
“And don’t you dare tell her you had your fingers anywhere near my danger zone.”
“Your danger zone?”
“I wasn’t at the hospital. You never saw me naked.”
“I didn’t pull a cucumber out?”
“There were no cucumbers involved. No cucumber entered my danger zone.”
“What is it with you and calling your vagina the danger zone.”
“Despite having been stripped of all my dignity, allow there to be some mystery to me.”
Journi pushes her shoulder past me and heads for the living room. As soon as she enters, Jan pounces on her.
“You have your suitcase! Why?” Jan is fussing all over Journi. Her mother comes to join them and insists upon her staying. Only Larissa and my mother are not intervening. I step in and take her suitcase.
“I think it’s settled.” I begin walking back down the hallway, rolling the suitcase behind me.
“Where are you putting her?” my mother calls out.
“In the guest room,” I answer while continuing down the hall.
“But that’s your room, isn’t it?” She sounds outraged.
“No. I was staying in yours and Dad’s. I’ll take my old room.”
I hear footfalls catching up behind me. The suitcase is jerked from my hand before I can roll it into the bedroom. Journi whispers, “This is your room?”
“It was. But I’ll take my old room from when Joshua and I were kids.”
“The bunk beds?”
