to the floor. Finally she said, "Why did you do that? We swore we wouldn't be one of those horrible couples who make other people feel like they're in the way."
He reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I just want to be with you."
"You're with me all the time!"
He shook his head. "I want to be
alone
with you, Leen." His thumb traced feather-light circles inside the palm of her hand. "Don't you want to be alone with me?"
She melted a little. Her hands were sensitive, and easily won over. "Of course. But why did you have to make Pem feel bad?"
"Leen. Come on. I said I was sorry. Don't make me beg." He lowered his voice. "Although I will if you want me to."
She laughed. There was that voice. "Uh, no. That won't be necessary."
"Please." He moved his hand up her arm. "Baby, please."
"Shh! Don't call me baby," she said.
"Let's do something after school, just the two of us. In fact..." He pretended to remember something, although Lena could tell he'd known it all along. "No one will be home at my house. Ani's staying on campus, and my parents will be at work until five." He cocked his head appealingly at her. "We could watch a movie. Or listen to some music, or something."
Right,
thought Lena.
Or something.
***
Pem opened her front door and looked at Lena in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"Can a sistah come in, or are you going to make me apologize on your doorstep?" said Lena.
Pem stepped back. "I thought you and Kai were goingt oâ"
Lena entered the house, shrugging off her jacket. "I never said that. He was being presumptuous."
After a moment, Pem grinned and said, "And impertinent?"
"And exclusionary."
"Andâ" Pem paused. "Wow, that's a tough word. Uh ... separatist!"
"Nice," said Lena. "Anyway, I'm sorry we made you feel like a third wheel."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not. Things have been weird, Pem, and I ... I want them to go back to the way they were."
Pem gave a wry smile. "Too late for that."
Lena's lower lip trembled. "It's too late?"
Pem grabbed her arm. "Oh! Don't look like that! Sorry. I just meant that we
can't
go back to the way things were. Everything's changed. You know, you're in love with Kai, and I'm in love with Max, andâ"
Lena didn't know which tidbit to pounce on first. She settled for the latter. "You're in love with Max?"
Pem shifted her weight. "Well, yeah. I think I am. Yes."
"Really?!"
"Maybe you didn't notice because you're so swoony over Kai," teased Pem.
"But I'm not," said Lena. "Am I? I don't feel swoony. In fact, I'm not even ... don't tell him, okay? But I don't feel like I'm actually
in love
with Kai."
Pem's eyes widened. "You're not?" She pulled on Lena's arm. "Come on. Let's go talk in my room. Mama Mia is lurking around here, wanting me to help her fix dinner. We'll go say hi to her, and she won't bother me once she sees you're here."
Lena confided to Pem that the whole being-with-Kai thing felt almost like watching a movie. She could see how they had ended up together, and she cared about him a lotâof course she did!âand she liked the making-out part, but she didn't get all weak-kneed and palpitating when he was around.
"Maybe that's how it is for some people," she said. "They hang out together for years, and suddenly one day they're madly in love and can't get enough of each other. But, um, that's not how it is with Kai and me. Or at least, that's not how it is for me."
Pem listened. Then she said, "Leen, the guy called you his
pearl
in front of a roomful of people. In front of your parents! I hate to break it to you, but he's totally smitten. So don't ... you know,
hurt
him."
"I'm not going to hurt him," protested Lena. "He's my boyfriend. And also? If I hurt him, I'm afraid Ani will beat the crap out of me."
Pem laughed. "She is a force of nature, isn't she?"
"But if Kai expects me to turn into Kissy McSwoonypants, he's going to be disappointed." She twiddled the braided yarn anklet on her leg. Hers was black
He reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I just want to be with you."
"You're with me all the time!"
He shook his head. "I want to be
alone
with you, Leen." His thumb traced feather-light circles inside the palm of her hand. "Don't you want to be alone with me?"
She melted a little. Her hands were sensitive, and easily won over. "Of course. But why did you have to make Pem feel bad?"
"Leen. Come on. I said I was sorry. Don't make me beg." He lowered his voice. "Although I will if you want me to."
She laughed. There was that voice. "Uh, no. That won't be necessary."
"Please." He moved his hand up her arm. "Baby, please."
"Shh! Don't call me baby," she said.
"Let's do something after school, just the two of us. In fact..." He pretended to remember something, although Lena could tell he'd known it all along. "No one will be home at my house. Ani's staying on campus, and my parents will be at work until five." He cocked his head appealingly at her. "We could watch a movie. Or listen to some music, or something."
Right,
thought Lena.
Or something.
***
Pem opened her front door and looked at Lena in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"Can a sistah come in, or are you going to make me apologize on your doorstep?" said Lena.
Pem stepped back. "I thought you and Kai were goingt oâ"
Lena entered the house, shrugging off her jacket. "I never said that. He was being presumptuous."
After a moment, Pem grinned and said, "And impertinent?"
"And exclusionary."
"Andâ" Pem paused. "Wow, that's a tough word. Uh ... separatist!"
"Nice," said Lena. "Anyway, I'm sorry we made you feel like a third wheel."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not. Things have been weird, Pem, and I ... I want them to go back to the way they were."
Pem gave a wry smile. "Too late for that."
Lena's lower lip trembled. "It's too late?"
Pem grabbed her arm. "Oh! Don't look like that! Sorry. I just meant that we
can't
go back to the way things were. Everything's changed. You know, you're in love with Kai, and I'm in love with Max, andâ"
Lena didn't know which tidbit to pounce on first. She settled for the latter. "You're in love with Max?"
Pem shifted her weight. "Well, yeah. I think I am. Yes."
"Really?!"
"Maybe you didn't notice because you're so swoony over Kai," teased Pem.
"But I'm not," said Lena. "Am I? I don't feel swoony. In fact, I'm not even ... don't tell him, okay? But I don't feel like I'm actually
in love
with Kai."
Pem's eyes widened. "You're not?" She pulled on Lena's arm. "Come on. Let's go talk in my room. Mama Mia is lurking around here, wanting me to help her fix dinner. We'll go say hi to her, and she won't bother me once she sees you're here."
Lena confided to Pem that the whole being-with-Kai thing felt almost like watching a movie. She could see how they had ended up together, and she cared about him a lotâof course she did!âand she liked the making-out part, but she didn't get all weak-kneed and palpitating when he was around.
"Maybe that's how it is for some people," she said. "They hang out together for years, and suddenly one day they're madly in love and can't get enough of each other. But, um, that's not how it is with Kai and me. Or at least, that's not how it is for me."
Pem listened. Then she said, "Leen, the guy called you his
pearl
in front of a roomful of people. In front of your parents! I hate to break it to you, but he's totally smitten. So don't ... you know,
hurt
him."
"I'm not going to hurt him," protested Lena. "He's my boyfriend. And also? If I hurt him, I'm afraid Ani will beat the crap out of me."
Pem laughed. "She is a force of nature, isn't she?"
"But if Kai expects me to turn into Kissy McSwoonypants, he's going to be disappointed." She twiddled the braided yarn anklet on her leg. Hers was black
Similar Books
