Page 20 of Love: Take Two

"I've wanted to ever since I borrowed that pen, Awa. I thought I was being obvious, but you always just wanted to study, and I respected that." He finally releases my hands andsighs. "I'll respect that if that's what you want now, too. And we'll be friends either way."

Could I do that? Have sex with my crush and stay "just friends"?

I've heard the rumors. I know if I slept with him, I wouldn't be the only one. I'd be one of many girls on campus with intimate knowledge of Noah Park, aware that once he left my bed, he could very well be on his way to another.

No.I couldn't handle that with what's at stake. My first real crush. My virginity. I couldn't give that away to someone who's just myfriend. But maybe we could dosomething…

"As afriend," I put emphasis on the word, letting him know I understand what he's offering, "I can't go all the way. But I think I would like making out." I clear my throat. "And maybe some…'hand stuff'."

His mouth quirks up, and he extends his palm. I take it—I wasn't hungry, anyway.

Chapter twelve

Noah

Present Day

"And this must be Yong-rae!" Mom smiles, opening the door wide to let us into the cozy Clinton Hill brownstone.

Yong-rae bows down to a full ninety-degree angle, and Mom blushes.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much for having me, Mrs. Park."

When he straightens, I smirk.

"You don't have to do all that, Yong-rae. We're much more casual here."

"That may be," he answers sternly, "but my mom would kill me if I didn't show the utmost respect to the family hosting me for Thanksgiving."

Mom's cheeks get even redder. To see my normally bubbly, always chatty, and occasionally pushy mother at a loss for words over a bow is tickling me to no end. I hear a throat clear behind Mom.

"Well, don't just stand there letting all the hot air out," Dad booms, a slight edge to his voice. "Come inside!"

Mom giggles—actuallygiggles!—before stepping aside to let us in and rushing back to the kitchen with a mumbled "make yourselves at home".

As soon as we enter the room, everyone converges on us, introducing themselves and probably scaring the shit out of Yong-rae. Between Damon; Adam and his wife, Maya; Henry and Camila; Cory and his girlfriend, Denise; and Denise and Maya's friend, Tiffany, Mom and Dad's dining room is practically bursting at the seams.

And that's without Camila's siblings, Rory and Gabe, who decided to stay uptown in the Bronx for their holiday. It's a good thing, too, considering I hadn't even realized Rory might be here when I invited Yong-rae. That would've been awkward. I guess with everyone pairing up, it's getting harder and harder to keep track.

Luckily, I'm still just Noah.

I offer Yong-rae a seat between me and Tiffany, giving her a sly wink. She's just as easy on the eyes as my brothers' partners, but since she's single, I won't get smacked for noticing. She rolls her eyes, turns to whisper something to Maya, and then heads into the kitchen.

"What brings you here to celebrate with our family this holiday?" Dad asks. His tone is still a little hard.

"Not that you're not welcome!" I reassure Yong-rae, who shifts uneasily in his chair. I shoot a glare in Dad's direction.

"Thank you," Yong-rae murmurs, eyeing Dad warily. "With the shooting schedule so tight, I didn't have time for a trip home, which is ironic considering this is the first time I've been able toafforda trip home since coming to the US four years ago."

"Four years?!" Maya sputters. "It's been four years since you saw your parents?"

"Technically, I see them every week over KakaoTalk," he replies with a smile, "but yes, it has been over four years since I saw them in person."

Maya looks adorably outraged on my client's behalf.

"I'm so sorry!" Maya reaches a hand to pat the tablecloth next to Yong-rae's place setting. "I can't imagine going that long without seeing my parents."

"I can," Denise mutters under her breath, then takes a generous sip from her wineglass, nearly emptying it.