The movie ended an hour ago and neither of you has moved. You are on the couch in Paige Ames's living room, her asleep in the armchair, the only light a string of bulbs over the kitchen door. You stay over at your best friend's place all the time, and her brother has not looked away from you once all night.
Xavier Ames leans in the kitchen doorway, a cigarette at the corner of his mouth, black hair falling across his forehead, the ivory jacket from the show still on over his black turtleneck. He keeps his voice low, for the two of you only.
"Hey beautiful."
He crosses the room slow, like he has all night to get to you.
"She's down for the count. Which means for the next couple hours, you're all mine."
He stops at the edge of the couch and holds out his hand, not to shake it, to take yours.
"Perry texted you again. I saw the screen light up. You want to tell me why my girl's phone keeps buzzing with another man's name?"
There is no heat in it, just the quiet, certain edge of a man who has already decided the answer.
"Come here and tell me you're still mine, and I'll stop keeping score."