Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It(86)

“You’re home!” Jonathan pushes his chair back from the table and stands up.

I pull Matthew deeper into the room. “Matthew, this is Jonathan, Alex, and Meg.” I point to each of them respectively, even though I know he already knows who’s who. “Everyone, this is Matthew.” I pause. “My invited guest.”

Matthew takes a step forward. “Hey, guys,” he says while waving. “It’s great to finally meet everyone. I’ve heard so much about you all.”

Jonathan walks over and sticks out his hand. “It really is so nice to officially meet you,” he says earnestly while giving Matthew one of those bro-hug pats on the back.

Alex gives him a hug that goes on for a second too long.

Meg asks routine questions about his trip and his jet lag until I cut her off.

“We’re going to go upstairs to put Matthew’s stuff down. Enjoy your cards.” I turn back to them as we make our way up the steps. “Who’s winning, by the way?”

“It’s not a winning sort of game,” Alex says.

“Jonathan,” Meg answers at the same time.

Jonathan shrugs guiltily.

I smile back at him and pull Matthew up the stairs by his hand.

“Nice meeting everyone!” he calls down the stairs one last time for good measure.

I close my bedroom door behind us and lock it just in case.

“Your friends are great,” Matthew tells me while doing a quick scan of my room. “And I can tell how much they love you.”

That makes me smile.

So does the sight of Matthew in my room.

“This is my room,” I tell him.

“So it is.” Matthew raises an eyebrow. “The room where it happens.”

“Was that a Hamilton reference?”

“It was.” He nods, looking smug.

“You’ve been listening to my playlists.”

“Of course I have.”

We begin walking toward each other, cautiously. The air between us feels more charged than it did in the car or on the pier. For the first time, I notice that my bed takes up most of my room. I sit down on the edge of it. I motion for Matthew to do the same.

“I can’t believe you flew across the country for our first date.” I shake my head in disbelief. “And I repaid you by stuffing you with the grossest food imaginable and forcing you on a ride that basically went upside down.”

“Don’t remind me,” he says, chuckling. “Actually, do. It was the best first date I’ve ever been on.”

“You’re lying.”

He raises his hand. “I swear on it.”

I frown. “I can’t believe I wasted so much time not kissing you when I could have been kissing you.”

“Well”—he takes my hand and begins tracing small circles around my thumb—“we’re here now. And we’ll just have to make up for lost time.”

I raise my eyebrows invitingly. “How are we going to do th—”

His lips are on mine before I can finish my question.





27


Nora:

I need an update Please Jonathan:

They went upstairs to put Matthew’s stuff down and never came back down That was two hours ago Nora:

Can you hear anything?

Alex:

I tried pressing my ear against the door Jonathan dragged me down the steps by the back of my shirt Meg:

Lots of giggling

Jonathan:

There is definite giggling and possible bed creaking Alex:

Someone just moaned

Nora:

A girl moan or a boy moan Jonathan:

It was a very low moan Meg:

Very guttural

Alex:

We think it may have come from Phoebe Nora:

AHHHHH!!

It’s torture not being there Tell me more What’s Matthew like Meg:

Adorable

Alex:

I think I’m in love with him Jonathan:

Unfortunately for Alex I think he’s in love with Phoebe He couldn’t take his eyes off her Meg:

He really is so smitten And so is she

Nora:

It’s about damn time



* * *



— Three hours later…

Phoebe:

:)





28


Sunday

(Three Days Left)

“I don’t want you to go.” I turn my face toward the wall so Matthew can’t see me cry, which is pointless because I spent our entire afternoon at the farmers market weeping very openly on his shoulder.

“I don’t want to go, either,” he says, sighing and throwing a sweatshirt into his bag haphazardly.

This weekend has been one of the best of my life. We spent all of Friday night and most of Saturday making up for lost time. My lips are swollen and my cheeks are permanently flushed from kissing him and touching him and being touched by him. There is no inch of my skin that his fingers haven’t traced and no part of my body that he hasn’t pressed his mouth to. When I look at myself in the mirror, all I can see are the places he’s been. Even in the rare moments I’ve been alone, I can still feel him all over me.

I never want this feeling to go away, and I don’t see how it ever could.

And we haven’t even had sex yet.