Page 118 of Mud, Love, and Chemistry
“Me too.” As he pats my leg, crusty mud flakes off my pants. “I’d kiss you, but you have a little something right here.” He reaches up to smear mud down my cheek.
Yelping, I jerk away as he laughs.
“Come on, you two!” Lisa yells. “No one wants to watch your PDA!”
Thankfully, I’m covered in mud because I know my cheeks are red.
Sam and I jump down from the wall, and join our friends in our jog to the next obstacle. This is the biggest group I’ve ever done the Mud Down with. Lisa, of course, is here, but she brought Brent along, and he seems to be enjoying himself so far. Jackie and Hannah surprised me by wanting to come again. Even Walt drove down from Wyoming to
join in.
The seven of us complete obstacle after obstacle until we finish the race. To my utter disbelief, Lisa actually joins all the guys as they rush through the electroshock wires at the end. Hannah, Jackie, and I meet them all on the other side. I can’t wait to see the pictures of their faces later.
As we collect our newest t-shirts, I can’t help but notice how different this feels. It’s the same shirt we get every year, the same fabric, the same fit, and yet, the sensation of having it in my hands is better than ever before. I don’t know how to describe it.
Until I look at Sam.
He’s the difference. He’s the reason this accomplishment feels so much more incredible than any other year. We’ve completed our first Mud Down together as a couple. He was right next to me the whole time either cheering me on or offering to help if I needed it. Though, I didn’t need it much. He was my partner through the whole thing. He never tried to one-up me, didn’t sulk when I completed an obstacle without him. In fact, he high-fived me every time I did.
Because he’s proud of who I am.
As we head off to get our finisher beers, Sam leans over and gives me a peck on the cheek. “I’m going to grab our bag so we can take a picture. Be right back.”
I sigh contentedly as I watch him jog away.
“He’s still swoon-worthy?” Lisa whispers to me.
I nod. “Absolutely.”
“Well, like I said, I’ve always liked him.” She wraps an arm around my shoulders. “I’m happy for you, Brynn.”
“Thanks,” I say, resting my head on her shoulder. “It’s been a crazy seven months. I mean, we went from not being able to stand sharing the same space, to being in love, to living together.”
“Don’t forget working together, too.”
“Yeah, I still can’t believe Professor St. James opened up another intern spot just for him.”
We step forward to order our beers before stepping aside to wait on the rest of our group.
“How do you know Sam wasn’t her first pick, and the second spot wasn’t for you?” Lisa arches an eyebrow.
I give her a pointed look. “Yeah, right.”
With a laugh, Lisa cracks open beer and tilts it toward mine. “Cheers.”
“We should wait for Sam.”
A sly grin spreads across her face. “He’s already here,” she says, jutting her chin behind me.
Confused, I turn around to find Sam kneeling in the dirt. His adoring smile blinds me. That’s when I notice something small in his hand. I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth, my eyes immediately tearing up.
“Brynn,” Sam says. “You know I love you, right?”
I nod, unable to speak.
“And from what I’ve gathered in my own research, you love me, too.”
A laugh bursts from my lips, but tears accompany it. I wipe them away, smearing the mud further across my face.
