Given Time

?28?

I bump him with my shoulder and weakly laugh back. "You know what I mean."

"Honestly, threesomes are overrated. I don't miss it in the slightest."

"Really?" I ask, unsure.

"Really," he tells me before kissing me lightly on the lips.

I release a long breath that I didn't even know I was holding in. I've always felt slightly insecure about what Tanner may feel he's missing out on by being with me, and after what Chloe said downstairs, it put me more on edge. But hearing him tell me that he only wants me puts my mind at rest.

"I... I do want sex, by the way."

He gives a small smile and caresses my cheek. "Me too. I want you to feel ready to do that with me, not just because you feel obligated to."

I raise my left shoulder. "I don't know how long that will be."

"I'll wait for as long as I have to, Leah."

My cheeks go red as he looks at me. I feel naked under his stare, and I feel like I need to be completely honest with him.

"Tanner?"

"Yeah?"

I take a deep breath, preparing to say the words that I have never said to anyone before. I can feel my palms sweat, and it takes me a few tries to get it out. "I'm a virgin."

He gapes at me in utter shock. His mouth is hanging open like a goldfish, and his breathing stops altogether. His stillness reminds me of the episode from Friends where Rachel tells Ross that she's pregnant.

"Say something!"

He runs his hands through his hair. "I, er, how... how is that possible. Weren't you with that prick Shawn for two years or something?"

"Yeah. He wanted me to, but I didn't feel ready to."

His eyes soften, and he kisses me on the side of my cheek. "Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin?"

"I didn't want it to be a big deal."

"...So all the things we've been doing. You've never done them before?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Some, not everything."

He runs his hands down his face. "If I'd have known, I would have... I dunno, gone slower with you." He takes hold of my hand and stares at it. "I hope I didn't make you do anything you didn't want to."

I instantly jump on his lap and squeeze his face between my hands. "You didn't make me do anything I didn't want to. I like what you and I get up to, and I hope there's more to come."

He gives a deep laugh and runs his hands up and down my dress. "You are quite a woman, Leah."

I lean forward and tenderly kiss him. As I pull back, I hear a bunch of girls laugh as they walk past Tanner's door. I still feel like going after Chloe, but I also don't want to show my face downstairs.

"What do we do now?" I ask.

Tanner looks around the room and shrugs.

"We could have sex," he jokes.

I hit him on the arm, and he pretends to wince.

"My purse is still downstairs, but I don't want to get it."

He pushes me off of him and kisses my nose before getting up off the bed.

"I'll go get it. Wait here."

I do as he says and lay back, looking up at the ceiling. I count the seconds as I wait for him to come back. After one hundred and ninety-three seconds, Tanner opens his door, and has Ben, Zara, and Jake trail in after him. Zara instantly comes over to the bed and hugs me.