Page 77 of Drawn Together

“I may capture people’s attention, briefly, Gabi, but they get bored of me quickly. You, on the other hand, are pretty andfun—no one’s getting bored of you. Anyone would be crazy not to fall madly in love with you.”

Suddenly something in her expression made me think she had something to tell me.

“I met a boy,” she said a few seconds later, confirming I’d read her correctly. “Dad would never approve. His father owns the candy shop in the town near school. He’s older than me, and so cute,” she said with dreamy eyes.

I tensed at her comment. “Gabi, you have to be very careful; you can’t sneak out of school like you used to. If someone—”

“Yeah, yeah…” she cut in, frowning. “That’s easy to say when you live alone in New York City and can go wherever you want.”

I opened my eyes in surprise. “Gabi, I’m five years older than you, and in case you forgot, I went through boarding school, just like you… without any boyfriend in town, I should mention.”

“But that was different. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be a fifteen-year-old who’s still never kissed a boy?”

“My first kiss was at eighteen, so, yes, I know what it’s like.”

My sister opened her eyes wide in surprise. “Took you long enough… Girls lose their virginity at sixteen these days, and I…”

My heart started beating faster as I heard her say that. I leaned over and gripped her hands tightly. “Don’t even think about it, Gabriella,” I said, a little too intense. “Don’t even think about sleeping with anyone. You’re a baby!”

My sister leaned back, pulling out of my grasp and looking at me angrily. “Don’t talk to me like the nuns or like Dad. It’s not like you’re still a virgin.”

I remained silent, trying to erase a certain recent memory from my mind.

When I didn’t answer, my sister opened her eyes wider and laughed. “You’re joking, right?! You’re a virgin?”

“Shhh!” I said. “Yes, I am. And you better stay a virgin, too, or Father will kill you.”

“You’re so dramatic. As if he would know.”

“There are ways of checking, don’t you know that?”

My sister lay back on the bed and looked at the ceiling, smiling. “No one’s going to check anything. And if Timmy and I decide to do it…”

“Gabriella, don’t even think about it. You’re fifteen years old. You haven’t even had your first kiss!”

My sister sat up. “I haven’t had my first kiss with a boy, you mean,” she corrected, raising her eyebrows. “I asked Laura to teach me. I have to have some idea of what to do when Timmy finally kisses me. It was pretty gross, though, so much spit and tongues touching, all slimy.”

Oh my God!

“You should only kiss someone who’s important to you, someone you feel something for, not your best friend at school.”

My sister shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

I looked at her worriedly. The only thing that had given me some peace of mind in this whole situation was knowing that my sister was safe miles away and would be responsible enough not to sneak out while the threat still loomed.

That night, Gabriella and I watched our favorite movie in my room. As I lay in bed looking up at the dark ceiling, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss Marcus Kozel, and especially if he could make me feel anything anywhere as intense as the way Sebastian made me feel.

The next morning passed without incident. Well, except for the fact that, when I went down for breakfast, I found a gigantic bouquet of red roses. Gabriella and Lupe jumped up and down, insisting that I show them the card, and before opening it, my gaze shifted unwittingly to Sebastian, who was having breakfast at the other end of the table across from Wilson. Our eyes met, and I felt a tingling sensation inside.

Sebastian quickly looked back to his newspaper.

I let out a scoff before opening the envelope and reading the note Marcus had included with the roses.

From the moment I met you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I’m counting down the hours until I see you tonight, Marfil. Don’t forget to get yourself all dolled up for me.

Marcus Kozel

I handed the card to Gabriella so she would stop asking what it said, and I sat down at the breakfast table. Sebastian didn’t even blink.