But fornow,at least?
I squeezed her tighter, wishing this moment could last forever.
A little while later, she woke with a startled gasp. “Mmm?” She rolled over and blinked at me, surprise on her sleepy face. “Oh, wow, I passed out. How long was I out for?”
“Not long. Twenty minutes or so.”
“And you spooned me the whole time?” she asked, her smile reaching her eyes.
I nodded bashfully. “Ha … yeah, I guess I did.”
“Aw. No wonder I got so comfy.” She traced her fingers along my jawline, her touch delicately grazing my stubble. “You’re a sweetie, Dakota.”
Our eyes remained locked, in a deep and unbroken connection, and I felt the intricacies of our souls beginning to unravel. An air of vulnerability settled between us, the air pregnant with unspoken truths.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Ottavia?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you wait so long?” The question slipped from my lips with a genuine curiosity and desire to better understand her.
“Well, first of all, I never intended to wait,” she began, a wistful note in her voice. “Growing up, I always thought Leo would be my first … andonly, honestly. But you already know that story.”
“Hold up.” I had some new information since she told me her backstory with Leo—information that didn’t exactly fit what Inow knew. “You and Leo started dating when you were fourteen, right?”
“Yup.”
“And you dated until you were how old?”
“Seventeen.”
“Seventeen,” I repeated, surprised. “But nothing physical ever happened?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say nothing,” she demurred.
“But no oral and no sex?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Were you two waiting for marriage, then?”
“No …” she hesitated. “Obviously, we talked about marriage, but we never had any discussions about waiting to have sex, no.”
My eyes narrowed. Something seemed off.
“Ottavia?” I asked innocently.
“Yes?”
“Do you know what your life would’ve been like ifI’dmet you when we were teens?”
Before she could answer, I attached myself to her hip, growling like a wild dog as I playfully humped her thigh. “Hngh! Hnggh! Hngh!”
“Oh my goodness! Bad! Naughty dog! Stop it!” Squealing with laughter, she shoved me off and bopped the top of my head.
“My point is,” I began, grinning, “at that age, I wouldnothave left you alone, Ottavia.”
“Don’t worry. I fully believe it.”
