The Key to Love

　　It was only eight thirty when I got back to Jen's place， but I was tired. I lugged1 armloads of wood inside the one room cabin2， stoked up3 the fire， and put on my Field Follies nightshirt. The shirt， which was left over4 from our senior class performance， reached to midthigh and was decorated with glitter5 and tiny feathers in pink， purple， and orange. I pulled on the leopard6 slippers Tim had given me， laughing at my New Year's Eve outfit7. With my sleeping bag unzipped and spread out in front of the hearth8 and the lights extinguished9 so I could enjoy the flickering fire， I took out a new paperback romance and lay down to read.

　　I didn't make it past page eight. At least， that's what page I found myself faced down on when I awoke some time later. I jerked10 up， having been startled11 by a noise， though my head was too foggy12 to recall clearly what I'd heard. Snow sliding off the roof， I told myself. The fire nearly out， and the room was chilly. I rose to put on a log， then heard another noise： crunching snow， footsteps outside the cabin.

　　As if the person knew I was listening， the footsteps stopped. I waited in the silence， barely breathing. Maybe I'd imagined the steps； maybe it was just another moonlight hiker13.

　　I tiptoed14 over to the window and peered through the heavy curtains. My skin prickled15. From that angle I couldn't see anyone， but a car was parked out front one I didn't recognize. My Audi was around back. I wondered if I could slip out the front door， which was the only door to the place， and run around the cabin to my car. No――better to exit through the back window. The tiny back window？ Calm down， Allie. This was just another camper， maybe someone who was lost， I told myself. But I was scared. Remember I'd left my cellular phone16 on the kitchen counter close to the door， I hurried to get it. I was about to punch 911， then realized that by the time the police found a cabin Windhaven， I could be wearing an ax in my back.

　　Just then the door handle rattled17. I watched in disbelief as someone standing on the other side of the door turned the knob. The door remained bolted closed； though Aunt Jen rarely locked up in the country， I had done so that night.

　　Then I heard metal scraping inside metal. How easy would it be to pick the old lock？

　　I reached for the only weapon close by a big iron skillet18 that hung above the stove. I stood back against the wall， my arms raised， ready to come down hard on the intruder.

　　The lock clicked， and the door swung open.

　　" Ben！"

　　" Allie！"

　　We stared at each other for a long moment， then he said， " Could you lower that thing？"

　　I dropped the skillet to my side， feeling foolish and suddenly angry， having been frightened for no reason. " What are you doing here？"

　　" I was going to ask the same thing of you."

　　" I was given a key."

　　" So was I，" he said in a voice as icy as mine.

　　Then his eyes traveled down me， noticing the glittery nightshirt， my long bare legs， and the big leopard slippers.

　　" You're supposed to be out celebrating，" I told him. " Sandra will be waiting for you. She's spent the whole week putting together an incredible outfit."

　　" I think yours wins the prize，" Ben replied， one side of his mouth drawing up.

　　My cheeks burned， and I quickly walked away from him.

　　He followed me. " Listen， I'm sorry，" he said， " but Jen and my father never mentioned you might be here."

　　" Might be？ She knew I was！ I can't believe she tried to fix things this way！"

　　" I honestly didn't know you were here， Allie，" he said， then leaned down and picked up my paperback." You read these kinds of books？"

　　I snatched the romance away from him. " You had to see smoke coming out of the chimney. You had to know someone was inside."

　　" I was thinking about …… other things. I didn't even see your Audi， much less chimney smoke."

　　" And furthermore，" I said， as if I'd caught him in some kind of trick， " that's not your car."

　　" It's my father's. I lent mine to Craig since he needed an automatic."

　　I tossed down the book. " When I see Aunt Jen，" I muttered19 to myself.

　　" What was she trying to fix？" he asked.

　　I glanced up at time， and his dark brown eyes held mine. Would there ever be a time when he looked in my eyes and I didn't feel as if I were falling under his spell？ I looked down quickly at my furry feet. I'd rather have taken a double set of exams than answer his one question. But I knew if I wanted to move on and be ready for the next time， I had to be straight with him.

　　" Aunt Jen knows I， uh， kind of …… sort of …… fell for you. Big time." My voice was shaking. " Of course， you're used to that. Anyway， I missed my chance with you， and she was trying to give me another. That's all."

　　I felt his hand on my shoulders. " Allie， look at me，" he said.

　　" Thanks， but I've looked enough."

　　He cupped my face in his hands， lifting it up until I had to meet his eyes. " Here's what I'm not used to： waking up able to think nothing but seeing one girl. Going to sleep， thinking about that girl. Hoping that when I turn a corner， that girl will be there. Driving and hoping like crazy every time I see a silver car go by. Listening everything anyone――including her sister who I'm supposed to be dating――might say about the girl. Cheering at a basketball game， aware of every time the girl brushes against 20 me. Being jealous of a seven-year-old kid when the girl puts her arms around him. That's what I can't get used to. Big time."

　　With one finger he gently traced the shape of my mouth. " I was just trying to survive the holiday，" he said. " I never expected to fall in love."

　　" You too？"

　　" I love you， Allie."

　　He cradled my head， and his lips touched mine. There was sweet fire in them， and it swept straight through me. I started to tremble. His arms came around me and pulled me close. We held on tight to each other， and he rocked me a little. " I can't believe you're actually in my arms，" he said， " and that you want to be. I'd stopped hoping."

　　I pulled back my head and reached up to touch his face. " I want to be . You don't know how much！"

　　I could feel his heart beating fast beneath his jacket. He pulled my face toward his， and we started kissing again.

　　1.lugvt.用力拖，使劲拉

　　2.cabinv t.（结构简单的）小木屋，茅舍

　　3.stokev t.添加燃料拨旺（炉火），常与up搭配

　　4.leave over把…留待后用，剩下

　　5.glitter n.（装饰等用的）小发光物

　　6.leopard n.豹（毛）皮，豹皮外衣，豹斑

　　7.outfit n.（尤指在特殊场合穿的）全套服装

　　8.hearth n.壁炉炉床，（壁炉的）炉前地砖

　　9.extinguish vt.熄灭，扑灭

　　10.jerk vi.猝然一动，猛推

　　11.startle vt.使惊吓，使吓一跳

　　12.foggy adj.模糊的，朦胧的

　　13.hiker n.长途步行者，旅行者

　　14.tiptoe vi.踮起脚走，蹑手蹑脚地走

　　15.prickle vi.感到刺痛

　　16.celluar adj.蜂窝状的～phone手机

　　17.rattle l]vi.碰撞作声

　　18.skillet n.长柄平底煎锅

　　19.mutter vi.嘟哝

　　20.brush vi.轻捷地行动，擦及（常与against搭配）

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