Page 30 of Tasting Innocence
Chapter Eleven
It’s eerilyquiet with everyone off doing their own thing. Me and Dex go into the parlor, choosing to sit in the wingback chairs that are on opposite ends of a small round table with a deck of cards on it.
“What’s up, Vi?” he asks, already sounding defeated.
I reach for the deck of cards, shuffling through them just so I have something to do with my hands. “It’s not easy to say.”
He waits a few seconds. “You change your mind?”
I finally look up and meet his gaze. “What?”
“You don’t want to do...whatever this is?” he asks, gesturing between us.
“No, no. That’s not…” I sigh and put the cards down, bringing my hands to my lap where I nervously squeeze one hand with the other. “Okay. You want me to be honest?”
“Of course.”
“Like, all the way honest? About everything?”
He grins. “Do you normally lie to me?”
I twist my mouth, fighting off a smile. “I withhold information sometimes.”
“I see. Well, tell me whatever you need to tell me.”
“I really like you.” I start off with what seems easiest, but as soon as the words are out of my mouth, my cheeks heat up and I can’t hold eye contact anymore. “I’ve had a crush on you for the past year and a half or so. Just, you know, noticing how, umm, attractive you are.”
I allow my eyes to flicker up to his face and when I notice him starting to grin, I grab the cards and start shuffling them just so I have somewhere else to look.
“Anyway, not a big deal.”
“Right,” he says with amusement in his tone.
“So, whatever we’ve possibly started here, with the kissing and whatnot, I would like to continue, but…”
“But?”
I look into his eyes and go through all the different ways he might react when I tell him I’m a virgin.
“I, um, may not be as experienced as you, and I worry that maybe you won’t be as interested since I—”
“Wait,” he says, holding up a hand and cutting me off. “What are you saying?”
I let out a breath, hating that I need to be so specific, but for some reason not wanting to say the v word.
“I know you’ve been having sex since you were like fifteen, and it’s not like that for everyone, so I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
“Okay,” he says, putting his hands on mine to keep me from fidgeting. His eyes are wide, his face painted in confusion. “I think I know what you’re saying. You haven’t had…” He lifts his brows. “Ever?”
I shake my head.
“And you think I wouldn’t be interested because you’ve never been with another guy?”
I shrug, tilting my head side to side. “When you say it like that, it sounds stupid, but it made complete sense to me before.”
He squeezes my hands and drops his head to his forearms before he lifts back up and looks at me. “Oh, Violet. So innocent.”
“I just don’t want you to expect a lot...right away, because—”