Lizzie woke up the next morning feeling terrible. She pulled herself out of bed and got into the shower. As she massaged the conditioner into her hair, she thought back to yesterday. You didn’t want him top be tempted by anybody. You can’t do that. You’re a Christian. You can’t go around having sex with everyone!  She told herself firmly as she shaved her legs. Lord, help me. I need You now desperately. Should I move out or what? You know I love him, but I don’t know what to do about it. She quieted as she tried to hear Him. Trust me. It started out soft, and then it got louder and louder.  For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, Plans to give you a hope and a future. Lizzie smiled feeling better. 

♠

            Jonathon stretched when he woke up. Then he cringed remembering yesterday. What had happened to them? They had been getting along great. He still didn’t know why she’d been crying. He rolled over and punched his pillow. Hard. This was not how he’d thought it’d go.  He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but he couldn’t unless he got a faint feeling that she felt the same.

            He sighed, hearing the shower turn off. This was going every way but right. Why couldn’t this one thing go right?

♠

            Elizabeth rushed to her room with only a towel around her torso. She panicked when she heard a door opening. She dove for her room and shut the door, breathing hard. What do you think he’s gonna do?  Attack you? Lizzie sighed. When had life got so complicated? She pulled on a green halter top and a pair of jean shorts, as she debated in her mind. There was a knock on her door, and she opened it slowly.

            “Hi,” a blond haired man said.

            “H-Hi?” Lizzie said confused.

            “Hey, Lizzie…wow! You haven’t changed a bit.”

            “Uh-do I know you?”

            “It’s Justin Jackson…I’m J.T.’s best friend and this is my old room.”

            “Oh! Justin, wow! You’ve changed…in a good way.”

            “Thanks, I just wanted to get the rest of my stuff…I’ve been busy.”

            “Really, why’d you move out?”

            Justin held up his left hand. “I got hitched to Jonathon’s twin…Do you remember Vi?” he asked as she came through the door.

            “Yeah,” Lizzie said refraining from smiling. “I remember Vi.”

            “Hey, Lizzie,” Virginia said throwing things into a bag.

            Jonathon came through the door next and sent Lizzie an apologetic look. “Sorry, Lizzie. My twin and brother-in-law have no sense of time. Normal people aren’t even up yet,” he told his twin.

            “Hey, normal people should be up. It’s eight in the morning.” Virginia glanced at her twin and his pajamas. “Seriously, how do you live with him? He’s not even up yet,” Virginia said throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.

            Lizzie smiled shyly and looked at Jonathon. “It’s pretty easy. I get the apartment all day most of the time…I don’t mind letting him sleep in once a week.”

Virginia sent her brother a look that Lizzie couldn’t decipher. Jonathon shook his head at his sister and said, “I’m going to get changed. Be nice to my roomie.”

            After he left, Lizzie felt like she was being judged, like a dog. Before she could say anything, Virginia thrust a bag into Justin’s arms and sent him out of the room. Virginia turned and faced her with a determined look on her face. “SO…how long have you and my brother been together?” she asked innocently.

            “We’re not together,” Lizzie said, hoping her disappointment didn’t show.

            “Ahh…” was all Virginia said.

            “What’s that mean?” Lizzie asked tying not to get defensive.

            “Nothing…I just thought…” she trailed off.

            “What did you think?” Lizzie asked against her own will.

            “Well…” Virginia paused seeming to contemplate telling Lizzie. “You’re living in the same apartment as my brother…so I guess you wouldn’t be ‘together’. That’d just be a compromising situation all around…” Virginia really paused this time, searching for words. “You…don’t…like my brother…do you?” Virginia asked hesitantly.

            Lizzie sat wondering if it was obvious. “N-No,” she got out.

            “Oh,” Virginia’s face fell. 

            “Why?”

            “Well, you were just really, really, I mean really, good for him in high school and I figured you’d be good for him now…Too bad you don’t like him…”

            “Does he like me?” Lizzie asked not being able to restrain herself.

            A look passed over Virginia’s face and her eyes shut off intruders. “I don’t know,” Virginia lied like a pro. 

            “Oh,” Lizzie’s face fell.

            “You do like him,” Virginia said gleefully.

            “What?! No, I only like him as a—” The argument died on Lizzie’s lips. “Don’t tell him, OK? We have a good thing going…and I don’t want anything—anything to mess this up.”

            Virginia frowned then conceded, “All right. If that’s what you want, I won’t tell him.”

            “Tell him what?” Jonathon asked coming in drying his hair.

            “Nothing,” Virginia and Lizzie said together. Lizzie blushed guiltily, but Virginia looked perfectly normal. Jonathon seemed to not believe them, but then he shrugged it off. “So, Vi…?”

            “Huh?” she asked nonchalant.

            “Were you nice to my roomie?” Jonathon asked putting his arm around Lizzie.

            Virginia winked at Lizzie then turned to her brother. “Am I ever anything but an angel?” she asked innocently.

            “No, but sometimes your horns stick out.”

            Lizzie put up a hand to cover her smile at Virginia’s facial expression. “I can’t believe you said that!” Virginia said.

            Justin happened to walk in on this. Poor, Justin, Lizzie thought. But he seemed to take it in stride, like it was normal. “Guys,” Justin said trying to sound authorative.

            “Look, Vi, I’m sorry. It wasn’t called for.”

            Virginia grudgingly accepted his apology. “Be nice to this one,” she whispered on her way out to her brother. “She’s a keeper.”

            “Goodbye, Vi,” Lizzie said.

            “Bye, Liz,” Virginia said a secret smile on her face.

            Jonathon just shook his head once they were gone. “Sorry about that….My twin can be a little eccentric sometimes.”

            “No, I love your sister…She was really nice.”

            “Seriously?” Jonathon asked.

            “Yeah, she asked a few questions, but then she was a blast.” Lizzie giggled at Jonathon’s expression. 

            “So you think it’s funny?” he asked running towards her.

            Lizzie flipped over to the other side of the bed and giggled when he couldn’t reach her. Then he stopped playing and looked at her. Lizzie couldn’t look away as his gaze held hers. What’s going on? she wondered as his face neared hers. Ohmigosh! He’s gonna kiss me!  She tried to act normal, calm, anything but what she was feeling. His lips almost touched hers when the phone rang. They both jumped guiltily. 

            Lizzie’s face felt like it was on fire. She grabbed her pillow and buried her face. When Jonathon came back in, he said, “Guess who that was?”

            “Who?” she asked, face still in the pillow.

            “Vi.”

            “What’d she want?”

            “To check up on me, but she said to make sure that they hadn’t forgotten anything. 

            “Oh,” Lizzie said raising her head a smidge. Then she lowered it again when she saw he was looking at her.

            “Liz?” he asked softly, too close to her ear.

            “Huh?” she asked, not being able to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine. 

            “Look at me, please?”

            She raised her head and was inches away from his face. “Huh?”

            Jonathon stared into her eyes then shook his head. “Never mind,” he said pushing himself off of her bed and leaving the room.

            Lizzie clutched the pillow harder and cried. I was so close…why didn’t he kiss me?