I bit my lips. We zoomed along the highway. He presented at our gates, twice with perfectly controlled confidence, waving us through like the rich celebrity that he was, barely looking at our gate keeper when he came out to say hi. He simply swiped the card and zoomed through the gates.

            So, I thought, talking about his tattoos had been a breeze, talking about work and people for both of us was easy and light. Talking about our experiences was happy and fun and brought us close together, even talking about ADHD. But talking about morality and all that went with it was taboo.

            He stopped the car in Kell's driveway, jumped out and came around to open my door before I could even think. I hesitated, hoping he wouldn't go for the apology and the hug. I didn't want it right now. He felt closed off to me. But he held the door, and held his silence. I got out, and he slid it closed behind me, I felt a palm brush against my lower back, like guys do, guiding girls toward the front door. I did the combination pad and walked in. We hadn't said anything. Were we just going to shower and pretend like nothing had happened?

            Basically, from here on, anything we said or did would be a farce till this discussion had a conclusion, or we decided we'd made a mistake about each other.

            I walked past him, stiff and annoyed, and he held the door for me and then followed me up the few steps into the living area.

            "So---."  He said bleakly, rubbing his hands all over his head and stepping out of his hiking/ biking shoes.

            I looked up, having bent to undo my own laces.

            "Do you want me to leave?"

            I blinked. "I thought you said it was talk-able."

            He sighed and leaned against the wall, one socked foot up. "That was before I bit your head off."

            I nodded, and went back to loosening my laces, slipping out of the shoes and placing them together by the door. I adjusted my spandex and then marched myself into Kell's room. Rafe sighed again loudly, letting me know he felt resigned, or put out, or something else uncomfortable. Then he followed me.

            "I'm going to shower, and then we have dinner at my mom and dad's, with your friends."

            "I just want to be with you." He said from the doorway. Now when I glanced, his eyes were intense again, and his lips quirked in a smile.

            I dropped my day pack on the bed and shrugged. "I want to be with you too." I said simply.

            "I want to believe it's possible." He crossed his arms over his chest and spread his legs.

            I looked up at him as I passed on my way to the bathroom. "I believe it is."

            He turned and went into the kid's bathroom and flipped the shower.

*******