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21 - Tuesday Morning

 Then she looked up at me.

 “Luke, please tell me you didn’t understand that.”

 I chuckled. “I didn’t understand that.”

 Her face was beet red as she rested it on my chest again. “Good.”

 I rolled my eyes.

 “My Hindi is really bad, you guys. I can’t understand when you guys speak it.”

 Sam shrugged. “You’ll pick it up, you’ve only been here a month.”

 I tried to alleviate the dry feeling in my mouth.

 “Yeah.”

 Maya was quiet but then the doorbell rang and she sprang up, her warmth disappearing from around me.

 “I’ll get it.”

 But then Sam got up rapidly and pushed her back down on the couch.

 “Not dressed like that, you won’t.”

 Maya scowled at his retreating back, crossing her arms as she plopped back down on the edge of the couch, hair bouncing. I reached out, taking advantage of our momentary solitude, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her against me.

 “I don’t mind you dressed like this,” I informed her, taking her in as she wrapped her arms around my neck and giggled. We were all in our pyjamas even though it was only eight at night, and Maya’s pyjamas consisted of a skimpy camisole and tiny boxer shorts – I wasn’t complaining, though I couldn’t blame Sam for not letting her answer the door like that.

 “Of course you don’t, I’m half naked.”

 “I’ve seen you in less,” I reminded her, smirking.

 She swiftly poked me in the ribs, blushing.

 “Shut up!”

 We just laughed, looking at each other. I took in the perfect planes of her face, her eyes shining with laughter, cheeks flushed, teeth pulling at her lip, both our chests rising and falling in sync as our laughs left us slowly.

 The corner of her mouth rose up as I stared at her, eyes daring me to come closer and I couldn’t resist.

 I was just about to lean in to kiss her – I’d been aching to all afternoon but couldn’t – when Sam hollered out to me from the entrance lobby.

 “Luke! Can you take the pizzas while I pay the guy?”

 I let out a breath and Maya chuckled, loosening her arms from around my neck.

 “Someone frustrated?” she teased.

 “Don’t even start,” I muttered.

 She grinned at me widely, and I found myself grinning back, as was my customary reaction to the sight of her smile. Before I knew it, she pecked me on the lips swiftly, too swiftly.

 “Go, go, get the pizza.”

 I was about to protest when she laughed and started pushing me.

 “Go. We can...I dunno, make out at night or something.”

 I fixed her with a look as I got up.

 “I’m holding you to that.”

 She waved me off, grinning.

 I made my way to the entrance lobby and took the pizzas – the delivery guy had the Indian flag pinned to the front of his shirt and he and Sam were conversing enthusiastically in Hindi. Smiling, I picked up the warm cardboard boxes and carried them to the kitchen. I heard the TV also switch off, and Maya’s quick footsteps. She knocked on her parents’ study and then in the next ten minutes we were all gathered in the dining room, eating pizza out of the box. I drifted in and out of the conversation, trying not to stare at Maya too much but when I did it was kind of hard to believe that only four days had passed since Teagan’s party, since she came to my room and I took that risk and kissed her.