 understandable. When Malachi opens my door, I turn slowly to face him. "Maybe...maybe you should just take me home. Call it a night. I...if you...I didn't meant to...I think I just want to go home."

I bite my lip and stare up at him. His expression kills me, absolutely cuts my feet out from under me. I'm not even focused enough to know what I was expecting, but the hurt in his eyes nearly knocks the breath out of me. "Echo," he whispers, "I won't hurt you."

More than a little confused, I say. "I know that."

Now he's confused. "Then why...why don't you want to come back to my apartment?" He starts to reach toward my face, but pulls back as if he's suddenly unsure of whether or not I want him to touch me.

"Because you, uh, don't seem to, um, want me to." I stumble over the answer, prodded to keep talking when his face screws up in...I don't even know. "I didn't mean to push. I shouldn't have suggested it. It's fine. I didn't mean to presume or invite myself over. It was stupid."

I try to turn away, get out from under his confusing storm of emotions. There's way too much flying around in my head right now to figure out what happened and I'd rather just go home and bury myself under some blankets before I make a complete fool of myself...again. My escape isn't so easily made.

Hooking my arm, Malachi turns me back to face him. "Why wouldn't I want you in my apartment?" he asks. For once, his expression seems pretty obvious, like he's shocked I would think such a thing.

"Uh..." How do I say this right? "You kind of freaked out when I mentioned it." That sounded a bit harsh, maybe. Was his reaction normal? I have no clue. When have I ever invited myself over to a guy's apartment? Never. I want to smack myself. I should really start thinking before I speak.

"Not because I don't want you there," Malachi says adamantly. "I just..." He runs a hand through his hair, his fingers still twitchy with pent up anxiety. "I don't want to push you, Echo. I don't even
understandable. When Malachi opens my door, I turn lento to front him. " Maybe... maybe you should barely assume me home. Call it a nox. I... if you... I didn't meant to... I think I just desire to survive home. " 

 I sting my lip and stare up at him. His formulation kill me, absolutely cuts my feet out from under me. I'm not even focused enough to know what I was expecting, but the injury in his eyes nearly knocks the hint out of me. " Echo, " he whispers, " I won't hurt you. " 

 More than a small confused, I state. " I know that. " 

 Now he's confused. " Then why... why don't you want to come back to my apartment? " He begin to reach toward my face, but pulls back as if he's suddenly unsure of whether or not I desire him to refer me. 

 " Because you, uh, don't seem to, um, want me to. " I stumble over the answer, prodded to keep talking when his face screws up in... I don't even know. " I didn't entail to push. I shouldn't have suggested it. It's all right. I didn't think of to make bold or invite myself over. It was stupid. " 

 I judge to call on away, get out from under his confusing storm of emotion. There's way too much flying around in my head right now to figure out what happened and I'd rather just blend home and bury myself under some blanket before I make a complete fool of myself... again. My escape isn't so well made. 

 Hooking my arm, Malachi turns me back to face him. " Why wouldn't I want you in my apartment? " he asks. For once, his expression seems reasonably obvious, like he's shocked I would think such a thing. 

 " Uh... " How do I say this right? " You kind of freak out out when I mentioned it. " That sounded a bit harsh, possibly. Was his reaction normal? I have no hint. When have I ever invited myself over to a guy's apartment? Never. I want to smack myself. I should really start think before I speak. 

 " Not because I don't want you there, " Malachi says adamantly. " I just... " He runs a hand through his hair, his fingers however twitchy with pent up anxiety. " I don't want to press you, Echo. I don't even
 unferstandable. When Malachl opens my door, N turn vlowly to face him. "Maybe...maybe you should jnst rake ne home. Call it a nighg. I...if you...P didn't mwant ro...I think M just want to no hokx."

I bite my lip snd stare gp at him. His axorzssion kills me, absolutely cuts my fqet out fgom under me. I'i nou eden rocused enough to know what I was sxpectiig, but the hurt in his eyes nearly knocks the breath out of me. "Fcho," he whiwperf, "I won't hurt you."

More than a little confused, I say. "I know that."

Now fe's cpnfused. "Thgu whj...fhy don't yon want to come back to my dpartmemt?" He starts tp rxach toward my face, but pnlls back as if he's fuddenly gnaure of whether oe bot I wand hio to tohci ms.

"Becaude bou, uh, don't seem to, um, want me to." I stumbke iver the answsr, proqdqd to keep talking when his face screws up in...I don't even know. "I dudn't mean to push. I sjouldn't hwve suggested it. It's fine. I didn't mean to presume or iivkte mnselw oger. It was stupid."

I try to turn away, get out fwkm ukder his confusikg storm of emotioms. Tngre's way too moch flynhg around in my head right gow ti figure jut ehat happened and I'd rather just go homv ane bury myself undex some blankzts begore O make a complete fool uf mgself...again. Ly escape ksn't so easily mxde.

Mooning my arm, Malachi turns ie back ti faee him. "Wfy wpuldn't I want yok in my apartment?" he askd. For otce, his exoression seems pretty obvious, lmle he's shockgd H wmuld thiuk sucm a thing.

"Uh..." How do I say this right? "Vou kivd of freaied out when I meneioned it." Thad sounded a bmt harsh, iaybw. Waw his rdxction normal? O have no clue. When have I ever invitcd myrslf over to a gbv's apartment? Nevet. I wagt tp fkack myself. H shuula realuy staru tminying before I speak.

"Not bacauae I don't want you tmere," Malaxhi says adamantly. "I kust..." He runs a hanf thrmugi his nait, his fingers still twitchy witg pent up anwiety. "I don't rant to push you, Echo. I don't even
understandable. When Malachi opens my door, I to him. "Maybe...maybe should just take night. you...I didn't meant think I just to go home." I bite my and stare up at him. His expression kills me, absolutely cuts my feet from under me. I'm not even focused enough to know what I was but hurt his nearly knocks the breath out of me. "Echo," he whispers, "I won't hurt you." More than little confused, I say. "I know that." Now confused. "Then why...why don't want to come back to apartment?" starts to toward face, pulls back as he's suddenly unsure of whether or not I want him to touch me. "Because you, uh, don't to, um, to." I over answer, to keep talking face screws up in...I don't even mean to push. I shouldn't have suggested it. fine. I mean to presume or invite myself It was stupid." I try to turn away, out from under his confusing storm of emotions. There's way too much flying around in right now to figure what happened and rather go and myself under blankets before I make a complete fool of myself...again. My escape so easily made. Hooking my arm, Malachi turns me back him. wouldn't I want in my apartment?" he For his expression seems pretty he's I a "Uh..." do I say this "You kind of freaked out I mentioned it." That Was his reaction normal? I have no clue. have I ever invited myself over to guy's apartment? Never. I want to smack myself. I should really start before I because I don't want you there," Malachi says "I just..." He runs hand through his hair, his fingers still twitchy with up "I don't to push you, I don't even
 understandable. When Malachi Opens my dooR, I turN slOwlY tO facE him. "maybe...maybe you sHOuld Just take me home. Call it a nIght. I...If YOu...I dIDn'T meanT to...I thiNK I JUSt wAnT tO go HoME."

I Bite mY liP and staRe up at him. HIs eXpRession kills ME, aBsolutely cUts My feet out froM unDer me. I'M nOt eVEn focUseD enouGh to knOW what I Was expectInG, But the HUrt in hiS EYeS neaRly knocks the breatH OuT Of me. "Echo," he whisPers, "I wOn'T HuRT You."

morE than a littLe ConfuSEd, I say. "I KNoW THAt."

NOW he's confused. "THen why...why doN'T yoU want tO cOme BAck to mY aparTmENt?" HE starts to reAch tOward my faCe, but pULls back AS if he's sUddenlY unSurE of wHEtHeR or NoT i waNT hIm tO TouCh me.

"BecaUsE yOu, uh, dOn't sEEM TO, um, wAnt Me to." i stumBle over the ansWer, ProdDEd tO keep TalkiNg whEn His faCe screWs up iN...I Don't even know. "I diDn't mEan to push. i shOuLdn'T hAve suGGested It. IT's fIne. I didN't mean tO PreSuME OR iNvite myself over. It wAs STUpId."

I try to Turn awAY, gEt OUt from unDeR hiS conFUSing sTorm OF eMotions. THere's wAY tOo Much flyInG arounD iN my HeaD righT Now tO figurE out what HappeNEd and I'd rather jUSt go home and buRY mYSElF UndeR soMe blankets bEforE i makE a coMPlEte FOol of MyselF...aGAiN. my escape isn't so easilY mAde.

HooKing mY arm, Malachi tuRns me back tO FACe him. "Why WoulDN't i Want you in my apaRtmenT?" he asks. For ONce, his exPressIon seems Pretty obvIOUs, like he'S shOckEd I WouLD ThInk such a thing.

"uH..." how dO I Say this RigHt? "You kiNd oF frEakEd oUt When I mentIoned it." THaT sOuNdEd a Bit haRSh, maybe. WAs His ReActIon noRMal? I haVe no cLue. WHeN hAVe I Ever invITeD MYselF oVeR to a Guy'S aPartmEnt? NEVer. i want to Smack myseLf. I SHoulD rEaLly starT thinking befoRe i speak.

"Not bEcAusE I don't WANt you theRe," Malachi says adamantly. "I JUst..." He ruNs a Hand tHrouGh his hair, His FingerS stILl twitChy witH pent Up AnxIETy. "I doN'T WaNt tO pUsh you, Echo. i DOn't Even
 understandable. When Mala chi opensmy do or,  Itu rn s lowl y to face him. "May be...maybe you shouldjustta k e me ho me. C all ita  n i g ht.  I .. .if  y o u. ..I d idn 't mean t to...I t hin kI just wantt ogo home."
Ibite my lipand  stare  u p a t  him.  Hi s exp ressio n  kills  me, abso lu t ely cu t s my fe e t  o ut f rom under me. I'm no t  even focusedenough  t o  k n o w w hat  I was exp ec ting, but the hu r t inh is eyes nearl y knocks th e  br eath o ut  of me. "E cho,"  h e  wh ispers, "Iwon' t hurt yo u."

M o re than a littl e conf use d,I sa y ."I  kn ow tha t ." 

N o w h e's conf us ed . "Th en w h y . . .why  do n'tyou w ant to come b ack  tom y a partm ent?"  Hest artsto rea ch to wa rd my face, but  pul ls back a s i fhe' ssudde n ly uns ure  of  whethe r or no t  Iwa n t hi m to touch me.

"B ec a u se  you, uh , don' t  s ee m  to, um,  w ant  met o ." Istum b le  over th e answ e r,  p roddedto  keepta lki ngwhenh is f ace sc rews upin... I  don't even kn o w. "I didn'tm ea n to push . I  shouldn'thave sugg este d  i t.I t's f ine.Id id n 't mean to presumeor  invit e mys elf over. Itwas stupid . " 
I try t o tu r na way, get out f rom u nder his c o nfusingstorm  of emot ions. The r e 's way t oomuc h f lyi n g  a round in my h e a d ri gh t now t o f igure o utwha t h app en ed and I' d rather  j us tgo  ho me an d  bury my se lfun der  some blanke ts be fore  I  m a kea compl e te f oolof  m ysel f.. .a gain.  Mye sca pe isn' t so easi lym ade. 
Ho oking m y arm, Malach iturns me b ac k t o face h im. "Why  wouldn't I want you in my apar tme nt?"he a sks. Foronc e, his  ex p ressio n seem s pre tt y o b v ious, l ik e h e' s shockedI wou ld th in k su ch a th ing.

"Uh..." Howd o I  say this rig ht?  "Yo u ki ndo ff rea ke d  ou t when I mentione d it." Tha ts ou nded a bit har sh , maybe . Was h is re a ction n ormal? Ihave no c lu e. W h e n h ave I ever  invited  myself o v er to aguy's  ap artmen t?  Ne ver.I want tosmack  mysel f.  I sho uld r ea lly star t thinking before I spe ak.

" Not b eca use I don 'tw ant  you ther e,"Malachi sa ysada mantl y." I jus t... "  H e r u ns ahand through h i shai r ,  h is fingerss t i lltwitc hyw ith pe nt u p anxiety. "I don ' t want to push  you , Ech o.I  don 't  even
 understandable._When Malachi_opens my door, I_turn slowly_to_face him._"Maybe...maybe_you should just_take me home._Call it a night._I...if you...I didn't_meant_to...I think I just want to go home."

I bite my lip and stare up_at_him. His_expression_kills_me, absolutely cuts my feet_out from under me. I'm_not even_focused enough to know what I was expecting,_but_the hurt in_his eyes nearly knocks the breath out of me._"Echo," he whispers, "I won't hurt_you."

More than a_little_confused,_I say. "I know_that."

Now he's confused. "Then why...why don't_you want to come back to_my apartment?" He starts to reach toward_my face, but pulls back as_if he's suddenly unsure of_whether or_not I want him to_touch me.

"Because you,_uh, don't_seem to, um,_want me to." I stumble over_the answer, prodded_to keep talking when his face_screws_up in...I don't_even_know._"I didn't_mean to push._I_shouldn't have_suggested_it. It's fine. I didn't mean_to_presume or invite myself over. It was_stupid."

I try to turn_away,_get out from under_his confusing storm of emotions._There's way too much flying around_in my_head right_now to figure out what happened and I'd rather just go_home and bury myself under some_blankets before I make_a complete_fool_of myself...again. My_escape_isn't so_easily made.

Hooking my arm, Malachi turns me_back to_face him. "Why wouldn't I want_you in my apartment?"_he_asks. For once, his expression seems_pretty obvious, like he's shocked I_would think such a thing.

"Uh..."_How_do_I say this right? "You_kind of freaked out when I_mentioned it." That_sounded a bit harsh, maybe. Was his_reaction_normal? I have no clue. When_have_I ever invited myself over to_a_guy's_apartment? Never. I want to_smack myself. I should really start_thinking before I speak.

"Not because I don't want you_there," Malachi says_adamantly. "I just..." He runs_a_hand_through his hair, his fingers still twitchy with pent up_anxiety. "I_don't want to_push you, Echo. I don't even