After Summer by Hailey Abbott Page B

seen your own sister’s room?’”
    “You haven’t?” Kelsi asked, glancing up in surprise.
    “Nope,” Bennett said, shaking his head as his eyes sparkled. “Sad, huh? Taryn and I are both so busy being busy we barely have time for sibling-support visits.”
    “Speaking of which,” Kelsi said, pushing open her door to let Bennett in. “My sister Ella’s visiting for the weekend.”
    The minute the words were out of her mouth, and the minute she and Bennett walked in to see Ella draped across the bed in her thigh-hugging jeans and pink tube top, her lips pouty with gloss, Kelsi regretted her decision. What was she thinking, letting a perfectly nice guy into her sister’s path of destruction?
    And then she reminded herself that she shouldn’t care if Bennett fell for Ella, as most boys seemed to. After all, it wasn’t like she was interested in Bennett.
    Right?
    But Bennett only gave the preening Ella a friendly smile, shook her hand as Kelsi haltingly introduced them, and set to fiddling with Kelsi’s CD player, putting in the mix and hitting play. As the music filled the room, Kelsi plopped down beside Ella, who was watching Bennett with curiosity—but not necessarily I-want-to-make-out interest. And Bennett sat on Taryn’s bed, across from the girls.
    “So. My sister’s room. And Kelsi’s room,” he mused aloud, looking at the brightly colored walls. “Not bad.” Then his eyes fell on Kelsi, and he smiled. “Very pleasant, in fact.”
    “Thanks,” Kelsi murmured, wishing she wasn’t blushing, while she felt Ella’s eyes on her.
    “So, you girls off for a night on the town?” Bennett asked.
    “We sure are,” Ella trilled, standing and taking in her reflection in the closet mirror. “Hopefully we won’t have to fend off too many suitors. Guys love to play the whole sister card, pretending to want to hear all about how close we are as sisters, all the while just wanting to take us both home. Slimeballs.”
    Kelsi audibly gulped. Ella was just being Ella, but to an outsider, she could be really shocking.
    “Um, speaking as a straight male, can I interject?” Bennett asked, raising his hand, with that same bemused, intelligent smile on his face.
    “Sure,” Ella said coolly, rolling her eyes.
    “For the record,” Bennett said, clearing his throat and readjusting his glasses in a totally adorable way. “Not all guys want to get to know girls only to sleep with them. That’s not the end goal for everyone. Sure, I’d imagine it’s an awesome bonus, but when I’m interested in a girl, I’m interestedin, well, her. Her imagination, her laugh…” He trailed off, and Kelsi could have sworn he was looking at her.
    And then it hit her, what Bennett had said: I’d imagine it’s an awesome bonus. Meaning…what?
    “Wait,” Ella said, clearly on the same wavelength as Kelsi. She whirled around to Bennett. “Are you saying you’re…a virgin?”
    Kelsi tensed up at the word, but Bennett, looking chill, only shrugged. “Uh-huh. Not that I haven’t wanted to—duh—but I guess I’m an idealist. I want it to be…right. And so far there just hasn’t been, well, the right opportunity. Or the right girl.” He was looking down as he spoke, but Kelsi could feel a deep connection to him. Her heart was pounding.
    “I know what you mean.” The words were out before she could stop them. “I’m—I’m one, too. I mean, I haven’t ever, you know, done it with a boy. And even though I have a boyfriend, I…”
    “Just don’t feel ready,” Bennett offered, his eyes understanding. “That’s totally cool.”
    Kelsi nodded, feeling her throat close with emotion. So there were guys out there who understood. Guys who were in the same place as her, and who wouldn’t feel the need to prove otherwise in front of their buddies. She wanted to leap up and fling her arms around Bennett, but held back.
    “Anyway, I should go,” Bennett said, getting to his feet. “Tell Taryn to call me, ’kay?