The Inmate

by Freida McFadden

“I lope you, Brooke,” he says. I shiver slightly, nervous but also incredibly turned on. “I lope you too.” A smile plays on his lips. “Good.” “I, uh…” I clear my throat. “I’m sorry, Shane. I’m just super nervous because… well, you know, I’ve never…” “Yeah,” he says. “Me neither.” I look at him in absolute astonishment. Is he really telling me that he…? “You’ve never had sex before?” I blurt out. “No…” He frowns. “I haven’t.” “But you…” I am utterly confused. Shane has dated other girls before. Maybe he hasn’t been with anyone for very long, but he’s gone out with a lot of girls who aren’t exactly picky, if you know what I mean. And Shane is hot. His best friend Brandon—according to Chelsea—has slept with at least five or six girls in the time the two of them were dating. “I don’t know.” His face is suddenly filled with uncertainty. “I didn’t want some stupid one-night stand. I want to be with someone I actually like. Is that so crazy?” “No.” I squeeze his knee. I’m still nervous, but I feel a lot better after his confession. This is scary, but we’re going to figure it out together. “Not crazy at all.”