"Hey," Grace said from the doorway as she came into the room. "What are you doing?"

Joan looked up from the duffel bag she was packing. "I'm going to New York."

"Why?"

"I need to see Adam." She stuffed some underwear in the bag.

Grace shoved a pile of shirts aside and sat on Joan's bed. "You just saw him."

"Yeah, a month ago," Joan retorted. "Things have gotten worse since then."

"So what's going to New York going to do?"

Joan's hand fluttered in a vague, uncertain motion. "I don't know. Maybe we can figure out whatever's wrong with us."

Grace nodded as she considered her friend's words. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow after class."

"What about Friday?"

"I'm skipping." At Grace's disapproving look, Joan huffed, "It's one time. I haven't skipped the whole semester and I've already arranged to get the notes when I get back. And since when do you care about school and going to class anyway?"

"Since I realized how much classes cost."

Laughing, Joan sank on the bed beside her roommate before sobering. "I'm losing him, Grace."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Rove is madly in love with you," Grace stated.

"And I'm madly in love with him but that doesn't change what I feel."

"And that would be?"

"Distance," Joan said softly. "When we talk, it's like each word has to drag itself over every single mile between us. Then there are the silences—the loud, echoing silences that are there even when we're talking. I know you think I'm overreacting, but I am losing him and I don't want that."

Gazing unseeingly at the scenery flashing by her window, Joan blinked back the tears trying to flood her eyes. She willfully shoved the memory to the back of her mind. It wasn't helping and she didn't want her eyes to be red and puffy when she saw him. Leaning back in her seat, Joan closed her eyes and focused on thinking positive thoughts. It was going to be all right. She and Adam were salvageable. They had to be.

Adam checked his watch against the large clock on the wall. Joan's train should be pulling into Penn Station any minute now. It had been just over a month since he'd last seen her. He considered her unprompted visit to be something of a treat. Their long-distance arrangement was beginning to wear on him. He didn't like being away from her for so long.

Leaning back against the bench, he rested his head and closed his eyes. This was partly the result of pulling an all-nighter and going to classes earlier in the day, but mostly it was an attempt to keep from looking at the time every five seconds. Besides, he needed to mentally prepare himself for Joan's visit. As eager as he was to see her, their relationship was still shaky and he didn't want to disturb it unnecessarily.

When she'd called late Tuesday night to ask if he'd mind her coming to visit, he'd immediately told her to come. They'd talked a little more, just soaking in the sound of each other's voice. It wasn't until they'd hung up that Adam realized they hadn't actually told each other anything. It was a trend that had grown between them: talk more often without actually saying anything important. He hoped they could get past that with this visit.

A shadow settled before him, forcing him to open his eyes. Joan stood there, smiling down at him. "I didn't mean to wake you," she said sheepishly.

"Are you kidding?" he asked as he got to his feet. He took her in his arms and sighed with the pleasure of holding her again. "I'm sorry I didn't meet you."

Joan's arms tightened around his neck and she snuggled deeper into his embrace. "It's amazing that I found you. This place is huge."

With a vague noise of agreement, Adam pulled her closer and buried his nose in the curve of her neck. He inhaled deeply, drawing her scent into his lungs, refreshing his memory with her warm, fresh aroma. He grazed her neck with his lips, reacquainting himself with her silken skin. A fine shiver slithered through her into him. Adam felt like a man dying of thirst that had suddenly been dumped in a pool of fresh water—he was drowning in the relief of having Joan with him again. "I missed you," he whispered into her shoulder.

She smiled against his ear and combed her fingers through his hair. Pressing closer, her arm tightened around him as her hand made its way to the small of his back. "Me, too," she murmured. "I missed you, too."
Adam didn't know how long they stood like that, appreciating the feel, the closeness of each other. Finally, he pulled back. "Tired?"

"A little."

"Let's go, then," he said, picking up her duffel bag and leading her through the station toward the subway.

Joan smiled at him and squeezed his arm. "Sounds good to me."

The ride to Washington Square was quiet. Joan rested against Adam much as she had every other time they'd ridden on the subway. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear lulled her into a sense of peacefulness. On the short five-stop ride, she forgot that this trip was a rescue mission and not a friendly, uncomplicated visit between lovers.

The warm, serene feeling stayed with Joan until she realized Adam was taking her to Hayden Hall. They had almost reached the doors when she balked.

"Jane?"

"Where am I staying?" she asked. The image of Corey standing in the doorway watching as her orgasm rippled through her flashed before her eyes and she suppressed a shudder at the thought of running into him.

Adam guided her to the side of the stairs and loosely draped his arms around her waist. "I talked to Corey and he agreed to stay away while you're here. It won't be that big a deal for him since he's hardly around anyway."

Joan was shaking her head before Adam finished. "He was supposed to be gone for the night the last time. We all know how that turned out."

"Trust me, Jane," he said softly, resting his forehead against hers. "You won't see him."

"I'm not sleeping with you."

He nodded. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"I meant I'm not having sex with you," she clarified.

"Fair enough," he whispered before straightening and taking her hand. Reluctantly, she followed him into the building.

Corey was nowhere to be seen when she and Adam got to his room. Though she'd believed Adam when he said he'd arranged for his roommate to be elsewhere, she'd been afraid that Corey would be around anyway. If she knew anything, it was that things didn't always go according to plan.

Silence descended on the room as Adam put away her bag and made sure she was comfortable. Neither spoke until they were both sitting on his bed staring awkwardly at each other.

"Are you hungry?" Adam asked in the resounding quiet.

"Yeah."

"What are you in the mood for?"

"I don't care. Whatever you want is fine."

He stared unblinkingly at Corey's cluttered side of the room. Suddenly, he blurted, "Pizza? It's hard to go wrong with pizza."

"Sure. Okay."

"Good." He got up and grabbed their jackets.

"Um, what are you doing?"

He paused, one arm stuck in his hoodie, and met her puzzled gaze. "There's a pizzeria on University Place I think you might like. I thought we could walk there—get out of the dorm and get some air. Unless you're tired . . ."

"No," Joan said quickly, getting off the bed and reaching for her jacket. "That sounds good."

Minutes later, they were walking hand in hand through the park. It was a perfect spring night—cool enough for one of Joan's beloved scarves but warm enough to wear only a light jacket. They made small talk the whole way—catching up on what her parents were doing, how his father was, whether or not Grace was still avoiding her feelings for Ben.

By the time they reached the restaurant, the tight knot of discomfort Joan had been feeling since arriving at his dorm began to loosen. Adam seemed to be more relaxed as well as he opened the door for her and followed her in. The pizza place had a strong "college hangout" vibe—students filled the tables and booths creating a steady, comfortable din.

"There aren't any seats," she said, searching the place for a glimpse of an empty table.

"Not a problem," he said. He led her to the counter and helped her onto the only empty stool.

Just as she about to ask him where he was going to sit, she felt his arms slide around her waist from behind and he set his chin on her shoulder. Smiling, she turned toward him and asked, "Comfy?"

"For now." He grabbed a menu and flattened it on the counter. "The menu's pretty big. We should decide what we want."

They spent the next five minutes debating pizza toppings and whether they should get a pitcher of soda while Adam kept a vigilant eye on the tables. They'd just placed their order complete with breadsticks when Adam grabbed Joan's hand and tugged her toward a cozy little booth in the corner. They beat the waiter who'd come to wipe the table who greet Adam by name.

"Who don't you know?" she asked as they settled in the booth.

Shrugging, Adam took one of Joan's hands in his and laced their fingers together. "I don't know most of the people in here," he answered.

"Funny."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" she asked, puzzled.

"We couldn't go anywhere in College Park without running into twenty different acquaintances of yours," he reminded her.

"That's different."

"How?"

She grinned and brushed a kiss on his lips. "I'm much more outgoing than you are," she teased.

They were still bantering lightheartedly when the food arrived. Adam poured the soda (they'd decided on a pitcher, after all) while Joan served the pizza. As they ate, Joan felt the last of her reserve melt away. Sitting in the snug back corner of the noisy restaurant, Joan felt like she and Adam were finally recapturing that familiar ease they'd used to have with each other. She scooted across the booth's seat and settled closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "This is nice," she said as she picked at her crust.

"Yeah," he agreed, wrapping an arm around her. "It's been a long time since we've been like this."

"You mean this comfortable with each other?"

He nodded and handed her a breadstick. "It was awkward over break. I'm glad you're here." She smiled as she chewed but stopped when he stroked her cheek. "Why are you here, Jane?" he asked when she looked up at him.

Her eyes clouded a little and she looked away as she contemplated her answer. Finally, she swallowed and stared into his eyes. "I've been feeling like we're disconnected and I just needed to spend some time with you."

"I feel it, too," he admitted, sadness seeping into his eyes. "It's like we aren't Adam and Jane anymore."

"Yeah. I don't want us to be like that."

"Me either," he said, cupping her cheek. Joan pressed her cheek into his hand as he stroked it with his thumb. Adam's eyes roamed over her face before settling on her mouth. Her lips parted under his gaze and he took a deep, steadying breath and exhaled slowly. "Jane."

She smiled up at him. "I love you," she said softly. "You know that?"

"I love you, too," he whispered, nodding. He brushed a quick kiss on her lips.

A tiny sound of protest escaped her as he pulled back. Joan knew that Adam wasn't one for passionate PDAs, but that too-brief kiss wasn't enough for her. She wanted, needed to feel his mouth pressed firmly against hers. She wanted to drown in the heady sensation of him claiming her mouth. While she didn't expect him to push her back on the booth's seat and ravage her, she did want to see the self-control he always kept determinedly in place when they were in public slip just a little. She wanted him to find her so irresistible in that moment that nothing else mattered but kissing her.

Adam swept his fingertips over her cheek, his eyes fixed on her mouth. "Jane," he breathed, his tone asking her to explain the suddenly charged atmosphere between them. His tongue darted out to lick his lips and she gasped. His eyes darkened and he leaned into her. Joan closed her eyes and offered her mouth.

His lips moved lightly on hers, brushing back and forth as if he were familiarizing himself with their contours. The barely-there kiss was driving her crazy; she wanted to grab his shirt and pull him closer, crush her mouth against his and thrust her tongue in. Instead, she settled on gripping his shoulders and leaning into him. Adam, however, would not be rushed. He continued his unhurried exploration of her lips until she began to tremble. Then he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, his thumb caressing the sensitive spot below her ear, and ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth.

Joan opened for him without further prompting. Adam eased his tongue past her lips and teeth to leisurely dance with hers. Groaning, she relaxed into his kiss as her fingers burrowed into his hair. He gradually deepened the kiss, expertly delving into the warm, secret recesses of her mouth. Time felt like it was speeding and crawling by simultaneously. The only thing Joan was sure of was Adam anchoring her with his mind-boggling kiss.

At last, Adam ended the kiss, resting his forehead on hers and staring at her through heavy-lidded eyes. He smiled; she assumed the undoubtedly dazed expression on her face was comical at best. As she tried to catch her breath, he brushed his thumb across her lower back. When she finally managed to breathe at a somewhat normal rate, she returned his smile. "That was amazing," she told him softly.

"Yeah, it was," he replied. She was pleased to hear he was still breathy, too.

"We should kiss like that more often."

"I think that's doable, don't you?" he asked as he leaned toward her again.

"Most definitely," she whispered as his lips met hers.

"Joan!" a voice exclaimed. "You're back."

She raised her head to find Adam's trio of friends coming toward them. "Hey," she sighed, due as much to her lingering breathlessness as to her disappointment at the interruption.

"Didn't expect to see you back in town so soon," Tyler said.

With a weak smile, she muttered, "Yeah, well . . ."

"Mind if we join you?" Ashley asked as she began to sit on Adam's other side.

Joan scooted away from him, resigning herself to an evening with New York Adam and his friends when he said, "Actually, Jane and I are kind of on a date." He slipped his arm around her waist and tugged her back against his side. "It's been awhile since we had one. We didn't get a chance to when she was here last month."

Ashley blinked and her mouth fell open a bit. "Oh," she said as if the idea of Adam turning down their company was inconceivable. "Sorry."

Adam smiled and shook his head. "It's okay. I'll see you guys later."

"Enjoy your date," Tyler said, pulling Ashley along behind him and Joe.

Joan watched in amazement as the three made their way to the counter. So entranced was she that she jumped when Adam nuzzled her neck. She turned toward him and melted at the amorous expression on his face. "Where were we?" he asked softly.

With a happy grin lighting her face, Joan cupped his jaw in her hands and gave him an enthusiastic kiss. Adam laughed as he plunged his free hand into her hair and held her even closer. Eventually needing air, Joan pulled back and cuddled against him. "Thank you," she breathed.

"We somehow managed to spend two weeks together and still be separated," he said as he kissed her forehead. "I think we deserve a weekend to ourselves. Don't you?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you still hungry?"

Food was the farthest thing from her mind. They packed the remaining food, paid the bill, said goodbye to his friends and left.

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?" Adam asked as they walked back.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

"I was thinking we could go uptown and work our way back to the Village. Make a day of it. What do you think?" he asked, giving her hand a little squeeze.

"You have class tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"We can't 'make a day of it,'" she told him.

"Yes, we can."

"But . . ."

"Jane," he interrupted, "you have class tomorrow, too, but you're here with me, two hundred miles away from school. I think that merits skipping class just this once."

"Are you sure?"

Adam nodded. "It's not like I get to spend all the time I want with my girlfriend."

Even though she loved the idea of spending the day prowling the city with him, Joan wasn't sure she should let him blow off class.

"Jane, it's okay. It's not like I make a habit of skipping."

"I know but we have all day Saturday to sightsee."

Adam maneuvered Joan to the side of the sidewalk and faced her. His eyes twinkled in the golden glow of the streetlight as he smiled down at her. "I want to spend tomorrow with you and not in my classes listening to my professors going on and on about whatever. Now we can go sightseeing or we can play video games all day. We can even go to every secondhand clothing store in a five-mile radius. I don't care as long as we do it together, okay?"

Feeling herself melt for the second time that night, Joan nodded and returned his smile. "Okay."

"Good," he said as he reclaimed her hand and started walking again.

They'd almost reached the park when she said, "I think we should go sightseeing tomorrow since we're both skipping. At least, we'll be doing something cultural."

"Okay," he laughed.

"That way we won't feel guilty about spending all day Saturday at the secondhand stores."