Chapter Fourteen:
The Next Move

Luca decided to go about this rationally, a new concept for her. When Greg crawled into bed next to her, she knew exactly how she was going to react, but was afraid by how he was going to.

"Hey, Greg," she said.

"Hmm?"

"I've got a question for you…."

He turned onto his side, facing her. "Okay, go ahead."

She turned her face toward him, still on her back, covered by Greg's comforter. Her mouth went dry for a second, until she realized he was at fault, not her.

"When did you lose your virginity?"

Greg looked away for a second, silent. "It sounds like you already know."

"Well, I'd kind of like to hear it from you," she said, obviously pissed.

"It was completely impulsive," he justified.

"I want to hear exactly what you did, from you."

"I had sex with Morgan on prom night. We were drunk and--"

Luca shook her head. "I don't want your excuses, Greg."

"Then I don't know what to tell you," he said. "I regret it but I can't change the past."

"Well you could have told me. No," Luca said, getting more upset. "No. You should have told me."

"I just figured it didn't matter," Greg said. "It's the past," he stressed again.

Luca shot up. "Of course it matters, it's my sister! I thought you always liked me!" She slammed her fists onto the bed.

"I did. I do. It was an accident," Greg said.

So much for the rational idea. "Fuck! Accident? An accident is Natalee ramming into a car. This is not an accident. It's a travesty!"

"You're overreacting, Lu."

"Overreacting? I think you're under-reacting." Luca jumped out of the bed and threw on her clothes. "Sex isn't just something that doesn't matter. Sex matters! Especially with my sister! Not saying anything about is a zillion times worse!"

Greg got out of bed, too, grabbing Luca so she couldn't leave.

"Get off me, Greg."

"I'm not on you. Just listen to me, okay?" Greg asked. "Then, then you can leave."

Luca retreated to the head of the bed and sat by the pillow.

"Can I sit next to you?"

She took a deep breath and shook her head, looking out the window.

"Okay, I'll stay here," he said. "We all went to prom and then someone was having a party so our whole group decided to go. We got bombed and one thing led to another. It was an accident and we talked about it the next day." He inched closer to Luca. "We promised we'd never tell anyone. I love you more than anything and I wouldn't have kept it from you but…"

"What?"

"Would this have changed--you and me--if you know that?" Greg asked.

"I don't think so, no. I just wish you could be honest with me, Greg."

"Well, I'm honestly sorry."

Nick stood in the hallway, not sure what was going to happen, but knowing he had to make the first move. He knocked on Natalee and Luca's door, hoping Natalee wasn't going to be the one to open it for fear that she was just going to close it in his face.

After a few awful seconds of waiting, Natalee opened the door.

"I--"

Natalee looked at him and he stopped trying to squeeze the words out of his swelling throat.

"I'm sorry," Natalee said.

They stood in the hallway in silence for another few seconds before she jumped on him, wrapping her legs around him, and kissing him long and hard.

"Frank," Mrs. Knox said, carrying groceries behind her husband. "Why don't you kiss me like that anymore?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

Greg looked across the McDonald's table at Luca. He paused a while before answering. "Is this going to be a scary question that ruins my life?"

"…Maybe," she answered honestly.

He looked at her uneasily, putting down his Big Mac.

"Can I ask?"

"In McDonald's?"

"Why not?" Luca shrugged.

"This isn't going to be about sex then, right?"

She shook her head.

"Ask away then," he said, still unsure.

"We're serious about each other, right?"

He nodded.

"Then why don't you make the next move?" Luca asked, her eyes begging. "I feel like we're stuck in a rut, Greg."

"What's the next move?"

She shrugged and shook her head, sorry she said anything. "I-I don't know."

"Marriage?"

"Not necessarily, but we can't just live like this forever, can we?"

"Why not?" Greg asked, obviously satisfied with his life.

Luca held her head in her hands. "Don't you want kids some day?"

"I guess."

"With me?"

"Yes."

She was happy to hear that answer. "Well, are we going to switch the kids from my apartment to yours?"

"Oh," Greg said. "You want to move in to my place. Why didn't you just ask?"

"Ask if I could move into your place?"

"Yeah."

Luca laughed and shook her head. "You're supposed to ask me."

Greg got up from the plastic seat and knelt on one knee in front of her.

"Luca, will you move in with me?"

She laughed and kissed him while the counter help and few customers in the restaurant just stared.