“When she wraps her arms around my neck, all I want to do is protect this girl for the rest of my life.”

“I turn around and wrap my arms around his neck."Whoa, girl," he says taken aback. "I thought we were keepin' this thing between us a secret. I hate to tell you, but a bunch of north siders from Fairfield are right over there. And they're starin' at us""I don't care. Not anymore""Why""You only live once”

“It'll be impossible to protect Brittany for the rest of her life from all the other guys who want to be near her, to see her as I've seen her. Touch her as I've touch her. Man, I never want to let her go.”

“Man, my girl is one tough chick when she wants to be. I wonder if it has something to do with thosebig, comfy granny panties she’s got on.”

“I look down at our knees, slightly touching. Jeans against jeans. Does she notice the heat transferring from her body to mine? Does she even realize what she's doing to me? I know, I know. I'm not a virgin and the slightest touch of a girl's knee is driving me insane. I don't even know what I'm feeling for Maggie, I just know that I'm feeling It's something I've tried to avoid and deny until yesterday, when I held her in my arms while her tears spilled onto my shirt. God, our knees touching isn't enough. I need more. She's knotting her fingers together on her lap as if she doesn't know what to do with them. I want to touch her, but what if she pulls away like before?”

“I start to walk out of the room, but I hear him start to panic and his breathing gets labored. He reaches out to me. “Don’t go. Please.”I sit next to him on the bed, wondering if he’s afraid of being abandoned. He slings his arm around my thigh and rests his forehead against my knee. “I have to protect you,” he says softly.“From who?”“El Diablo.”“El Diablo? Who’s that?” I ask.“It’s complicated.”What does that mean? “Try to rest,” I tell him.“I can’t. My entire body hurts.”“I know.” I gently rub the arm that’s slung around me until his breathing slows. “I wish I could help you,” I whisper.“You are,” he murmurs against my knee. “Just don’t leave me, okay? Everyone leaves me.”

“I brought a condom," I tell her when I slide her panties down. We're both hot and sweaty, and I can't resist hr anymore."I did, too," she whispers against my neck. "But we might not be able to use it.""Why not?" I expect her to tell em this was all a mistake, that she really didn't mean to get me all hot and bothered just to tell me I'm not worthy enough to take her virginity, but it's the truth.She clears her throat. "It all d-d-depends on whether or not you're allergic to l-l-latex.”