******Two Months Ago******
Emerald was hospitalized due to a health issue, so Mrs. Anderson stayed with her for the night, leaving Rosie home alone. After getting up at 1 AM to use the bathroom, Rosie found it difficult to fall back asleep. She wandered around the house for a few minutes, hoping to become sleepy again.
Looking out her window, she saw Desmond relaxing in his swimming pool.
'And I thought I was weird. Why is he swimming at this time of night?'
"Hiiii!" she texted him.
He replied shortly after, "Why are you awake at this time?"
"I woke up to use the bathroom, and now I can't fall back asleep. Why are you swimming right now?"
"I'm not swimming. I'm just relaxing in the water. It's like taking a midnight bath," he explained.
"Home alone again?" she asked.
"Yes. You?"
"Yes. Emerald is sick, and my mom is staying with her at the hospital."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Um...thanks."
"Do you want to come over for a midnight snack...and maybe a movie too?" he asked.
"Sounds nice."
"I'll be expecting you. Let me change my clothes," he replied.
After changing into his loungewear, he offered her something to eat.
"What can I offer you?" he asked.
"Do you have any chips? Or how about some fruit juice? I want something healthy," she replied.
"Chips aren't that healthy, are they? But I do have some fruit juice."
Rosie walked around Desmond's sitting room, admiring the framed pictures on the wall. She sat on the couch and asked Desmond a question.
"Do you clean your house yourself when your parents are away?"
"No. We have hired help to do the chores, but I do prepare my food myself," he answered.
"Interesting," Rosie replied, settling in for a relaxing evening at Desmond's house.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked, handed her the juice, and sat next to her.
"Nope. I broke up with my ex-boyfriend two weeks ago."
"Why did you guys break up?"
"He cheated on me with some girl."
"Is that enough reason to break up?"
"Of course! He didn't kiss her, he slept with her. Ghosted me for days and made me worry unnecessarily."
"That's bad. But you guys had sex regularly, right?"
"Regularly? No way! We never had sex."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't want it. Am I not too young? His attempts at 'approaching' me were numerous, but I always said no. I only allowed him to kiss and 'touch' me."
"That's why he cheated on you. He was horny and ghosted you after the act, probably because he felt guilty."
"Yeah, I know. He was remorseful and I forgave him. However, I couldn't let him into my heart again. When I look at him, my mind creates images or scenes of him kissing the girl or thrusting her. So, I broke up with him even after forgiving him because I couldn't handle the betrayal. I guess it was also my fault too...for saying no. We were a couple and who doesn't have sex these days?"
"Don't blame yourself. Not all couples - young or old - have sex."
"I liked him a lot and moving on wasn't easy at all but so far, so good."
"Are you saving your V-card for marriage or what?"
"Nope. I'm saving it for later. I don't want sex now."
The house was silent for a while and Rosie broke the silence.
"Let's talk about you now. Do you have a girlfriend or an ex-girlfriend?" she asked him.
"Nope. I have never dated. I'm not a virgin though."
"You just reminded me of my ex-boyfriend... sleeping with random girls."
"Not exactly. Check me out. I know I'm attractive. The hot and popular girls often throw themselves at me, and I just give them what they want," Desmond said, responding to Rosie's question.
"And you've never felt attracted to any of them before?" Rosie asked.
"Never," he replied confidently.
"Hmm, fascinating," Rosie said, intrigued.
"What's so fascinating about it?" Desmond laughed and playfully poked her shoulder.
"Ouch! That was painful! How can you touch a girl and not feel anything towards her?" Rosie complained while rubbing her shoulder.
"It's very possible," Desmond replied, still laughing.
"If I sleep with a guy - even if it's just a one-night stand with a total stranger - I'm sure I'll feel something the next day," Rosie said, continuing the conversation.
Desmond laughed at her statement.
"Feel what? Love?" He laughed again.
"Come on, not necessarily love. It could be a crush, attraction, or just infatuation. Stop laughing, you are making me feel embarrassed," Rosie said, blushing.
"Why are girls so sentimental? You girls like adding meaning to the smallest things. It's just sex and not love," Desmond teased.
Rosie was taken aback by his statement, dropping her juice glass on the center table. She impulsively moved closer to Desmond and kissed him twice. However, he didn't kiss her back initially.
He eventually grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.
As he stroked her hair, Rosie asked Desmond, "Did it make your heart flutter?"
"No, it's just a kiss," Desmond replied nonchalantly.
"Oh, really?! Then why did you pull me closer, sit me on your lap like this, and pet my hair?" Rosie asked him.
"Because you are adorable, and I want to carry you to my room," Desmond said, rising from the couch with Rosie on his lap and his arms around her waist.:
Desmond carried Rosie upstairs to his room and laid her on his bed. Rosie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer for another kiss. This time, he eagerly reciprocated, deepening the kiss as his tongue explored her mouth.
"Did you feel anything? I'm sure you did. If not, you wouldn't have responded to the kiss," Rosie asked while still holding onto him.
"Did you feel anything?" Desmond questioned her back.
Instead of reply, Rosie rolled her eyes and looked away from him.
"You used our conversation to kiss me, didn't you? You've always had a crush on me," Desmond accused her.
"No, I haven't!" Rosie denied it.
"So, you don't have any feelings for me?" Rosie asked him.
"No, I don't," Desmond answered.
"Then why are we kissing, and why are you lying on top of me?" Rosie questioned him.
"You kissed me first," Desmond pointed out.
"I wanted to confirm something," Rosie claimed.
"Have you confirmed it?"
"Yes. It's just a kiss between friends, and there are no real feelings involved."
"So...can I kiss you again?" Desmond asked, sounding nervous.
Rosie stared at him for a few seconds as she ran her hands through his hair. She was shy to reply, so she nodded in approval, and they kissed once more.
After a few kisses, they watched a movie together and fell asleep during the movie.