After the murder weapon is found in his backyard, Cole Barker's taken away to be tried. Pia, Brian and I celebrate at Artie's, staying out the night, and when I get home, I find someone waiting for me. It's not Maggie, but Wes.
"Hey," he greets me, as I shut the front door. "Did you hear that they caught the guy who killed Gerringer? It wasn't your friend. It was this other kid."
"Yeah, I heard. Was it on the news?"
"No, Maggie told me."
"Really?" I look around. "Where is she?"
"She said she was tired, so she already turned in. She just got back from somewhere too."
"Kind of late."
"She does that sometimes, when she wants to meet the girls."
The girls. I shrug out of my coat, crossing to my bedroom and turning on the lights. As I knew he would, Wes trails me like a puppy. I can't help noticing that he shuts the door gently behind him. "So did you have anything to do with this?" he asks me.
"No."
"Come on, Nor. You can do better than that."
I sit on the bed, shrugging. "I don't like to lie to you, Wes. If I hold something back, it's probably for good reason."
"OK. Just tell me something. Why this Barker kid?"
"He deserves it."
"He does?"
"From a certain perspective, yes."
He frowns at this, but decides to let it go. His gaze relaxes slowly, warming. "When I met you," he murmurs. "You were, what, twelve? Thirteen? And now you're ... all this."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. You're you. And I'm OK with it, Nor."
I nod. I don't know why, but those words seem like they mean much more than they sound.
He shifts his feet. "So is everything OK with you and your dad?"
"Yeah. It's safe again, at least. I guess that's the most I can hope for."
"School?"
"Last year, like you said. I just have to hang on."
He doesn't answer, but walks up, joining me on the bed, sitting close. He grasps my neck, kissing me on the side of my head. I don't realize that I lean into him as he does it, my hand crossing his thigh. His fingers find mine, holding them firmly. His lips are still at my temple. I dip my head back, and suddenly we're kissing. There is no pulling back, no uncertainty about it, whether on my part or his. It's not my first time obviously, and I can't help comparing him to Glenn. Wes is more … full. Strong. He's a little faster, a little more intense. But I don't mind. I kind of like it that way.
We stay entangled for a long time before he suddenly leans back, looking at his watch. "I can't stay here. Somebody might find us."
He jumps up, smoothing down his shirt in fast strokes. I get up and try to pat his hair back to neatness. Outside, the living room is dark, a belly murmuring sleepily with short creaks and stiff groans. Wes holds my hand and takes me all the way to the front door, where we pause to kiss again. "When are you going to to come over?" he puts to me.
"Soon."
He nods, nosing my cheek. "Let me know, OK?"
"OK."
He slips out, but I leave the door open to watch him go. He waves sweetly at me before the elevator doors shut on him, making me smile. The numbers glow and blink, and die at one. Already, I can't wait to see him again.