Page 8 of Take My Love

“No.” Taking a step back, I swallow hard and try to settle my racing heart. “It was nothin’.”

“You wanna talk about it finally?” He mimics my stance, folding his arms across his broad chest.

My guard lowers slightly. “About what?”

“Us havin’ sex.”

My stomach bottoms out and the pot roast I had for dinner threatens to come back up.

He remembers?

“I-I thought you had no memory of our night together,” I say, too timid for my liking, but I’m thrown by his words.

“No…” His brows furrow in confusion. “I thought you regretted it.”

“Why’d you think that?”

“’Cause you wouldn’t look at me, purposely avoided me, walked away anytime I was with Warren…” He rambles off. “I figured you were embarrassed and wanted to pretend it didn’t happen, so I didn’t say anythin’.”

“No…” I shake my head. “I was behind y’all in line when you told Warren your memory was fuzzy after the cake. And that you were too drunk to remember most of the night. I was also enlightened to learn you only hung with me ’cause he asked you tobabysitme…”

“You heard that?”

“Yes. Were you lyin’?”

“Jesus Christ, Posey.” He runs a palm through his hair, pacing in front of me before stopping to face me. “Yes, he asked me earlier that day to keep an eye on you, but I wanted to be with you anyway. And of course, I lied! I wasn’t about to tell your brother I slept with his sister, especially before talkin’ to you about it. Figured if I acted like I couldn’t remember most of the night, he’d stop askin’ me questions. I hoped we’d talk after, but when you avoided me for weeks, I got the memo. Assumed you wanted to forget it happened.”

“So wait…” I hold up my hand. “You remembered everythin’?”

“Yes. I still do.”

“Wow…” I blink a few times, trying to steady my breathing. “You were quite convincin’, I guess. We drank quite a bit, so I thought you were tellin’ the truth.”

“I wasn’t…and perhaps I should’ve tried harder to get you to talk to me, but I thought maybe you were avoidin’ me ’cause…” He looks away, licking his lips. “’Cause it was bad.”

“You thought it was bad?” I panic, replaying those memories I’ve tried hard to suppress.

“No! I thoughtyouthought I was bad and that’s why you wanted to pretend it didn’t happen.”

“Why would you assume that?”

“’Cause it was my first time…”

My brows pinch in confusion. “First time what?”

His expression flattens. “I was a virgin, Posey. You were my first.”

I balk, scoffing. “Now I knowyou’re lyin’.”

“I’m serious. We were drunk, and I stumbled a lot. I figured you wanted nothin’ to do with me ’cause I was bad at sex or I left you unsatisfied.”

He couldn’t possibly think that after how vocal I was the entire time.

“Not that I had anythin’ to compare it to, but it wasn’t bad. I didn’t wanna bring it up and you think?—”

“Wait, whaddya mean nothin’ to compare it to?”

I stare at him in disbelief because I assumed he knew. “It was my first time too.”