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time.  I didn’t want my first sexual experience to be in my bedroom while my parents slept down the hall. 
       “Cory,” I whispered.  He stopped immediately and slowly removed his mouth from me, only to rest his forehead right between my breasts and let out a groan.  “You should go.”
       He took in a deep breath, but then lifted his head and his eyes found mine in the dark.  “I love you,” he said.  His voice didn’t sound loving, it sounded exasperated, and I heard a “but” coming.  “Why don’t you trust me?”  Ah, the “but” came in the form of a question.
       “I do trust you.  I’m just not ready.”  I tried to keep my words calm, but I was tired of always having to tell him to stop.  I wished he’d stop himself sometimes.  “You know I’m not ready.” 
       He let out another breath, but this time it was louder and he pushed off me.  I pulled a blanket up to cover myself and sat up, readying myself for the argument we’d had a few times already.  It always came back to me.  He didn’t understand my mixed signals.  And I would be the first to admit I sent them.  There were times, like two minutes ago, when I was totally into it.  Times when I wanted to feel something, to know what that level of connection felt like.  But I also wondered, in the back of my mind, why I didn’t feel more connected with Cory to begin with.  I didn’t long to feel connected to him , I just wanted to feel.  And it was those doubts that stopped me.
       Regardless of all that, I stood firm in my belief that if I wasn’t comfortable, for whatever reason, it was my right to be so and to stop him.  I didn’t like that he sometimes got angry with me for putting the brakes on.
       He stared at me for a moment and then flopped on his back, making the mattress shake.  He raked his palms down his face and then rested his hands above his head.  After a quiet minute he rolled toward me.
       “I’m sorry.  You’re right.  I’ll try to keep myself under control in the future.”  Another but was coming.  “But, sometimes McKenzie, it really feels like it’s not sex you’re unsure about.”
       Panicking a little on the inside, wondering if I were truly that transparent, I had to steel myself on the outside because the last thing I wanted to do was hurt Cory.  Swinging my legs around, I lined my body up next to his, propping myself up on one elbow to look down at him.  I brought my other hand to his chest, then ran it up over his neck to cup his cheek.
       “This is normal, losing-my-virginity jitters.  I’ll try harder not to get too swept up in the moment.  I’m not trying to lead you on or make you angry.  I just, quite honestly, don’t feel ready.  I need you to respect that.”  My eyes darted back and forth between his, watching as he took in my words.
       He closed the small distance between us, bringing his mouth up to mine in a very sweet and chaste kiss.  He pulled away after a moment, and we stared at each other.  Until he spoke.
       “But, if you had to guess a timeframe, when do you think you will be ready?”
       My mouth opened, jaw dropping, and I scoffed at him.  He was smiling, but obviously a little serious.  I playfully slapped his arm.  “Cory, my God….”
       “I’m just kidding.  Sort of.”
       I looked down at my boyfriend, my best friend, and knew he was only being a normal seventeen-year-old boy.
       “Tell you what.  One year from today, your eighteenth birthday.  I’ll be ready.”
       “A whole year?” he practically shouted, a shocked expression on his face.
       “Shhhhh,” I whisper-yelled, eyes darting to my bedroom door, listening for any sounds of my parents stirring.  Hearing nothing from the hallway, I turned back to Cory.  “You’re ridiculous.  You can wait a year.  Until then, just assume it’s not going to happen.  Look at it this way,” I said with a smile.  “If I change my