Helanie:
We arrived home, and while Emmet went to the room, I spent some time with Vani. We ate pizza, and I asked her about school. She was a good student, always working hard. She told me a boy in her class had a crush on her. Since she was fifteen, I decided to tell her a little bit about boys.
I even reminded her of my own story of how I became desperate when Altan started paying attention to me as more than just a friend.
She promised she would wait until her eighteenth birthday, and even then, she would never settle for less or put anyone's desires above her own safety and comfort. I liked that about her. Still, it saddened me that she now slept on a mattress in her parents' room, afraid of being snatched away.
When I returned to the room, I found Emmet resting. I took the shower first and let him go after.
"Thank you for coming here with me," I said when he stepped out of the bathroom, his long hair damp and open, scattered across his shoulders.
