Page 61 of The Perfect Love

I clench and release my fist, and that’s when Trevor shuts his book.

“Do you want to tell me what it is? I can read ahead and look out for it.”

I suck in a deep breath, then turn toward him. The expression on his face is so… earnest. I seriously don’t know what to do with him. Cupping his cheek, I lean in closer.

“No. I’m okay. I’ll be okay.”

He pushes his book away, then stretches and looks around.

“Up for a walk before your next class?”

“Sounds perfect.”

I don’t tell him that whatever we’re doing, I’ll enjoy myself because I’m with him, but it’s the truth.

Robbie’s words come back to me.

Are we boyfriend and girlfriend?

Trevor hasn’t asked me, and I still think it might be too soon for that.I don’t want to rush.But as Trevor’s fingers twine with mine and that sense of peace washes over me, I’m starting to wonder if I’m kidding myself.

Trevor

I hate school.

I hate it at an irrational level, and it’s only getting worse.

Maybe focusing so much on baseball before helped. Maybe I need to be exercising more to relax my brain. I don’t know. But it’s like I can’t focus on any task for any of my classes. I like some of what I’m studying, but I don’t know if I’m not engaged enough or if I have some kind of undiagnosed learning disorder because I can’t keep my focus where it’s meant to be.

As much as I’d like to blame Chelsea for that, I’ve struggled with this on and off before I met her. It’s just worse now.

Which is why I spent most of the day studying before our date, trying to get things done, only to flit between three projects and not make much progress on any of them. Whatever. I’ll get it done. Eventually.

For now, I’m putting it all on the back burner and focusing on Chelsea.

I have no idea where we’re going on our date, but I’m excited to find out.

When I pull up to her apartment building, I find her sitting on a picnic table in the front yard, wearing a smile that could end me. Her hair is tousled and extra sexy, looking redder in the autumn sun, and it sways behind her as she hops off the table and walks over to me.

“Waiting for me?”

I want to sweep her into my arms, spin her around, and kiss her.

But I’m still not sure where we stand on that.

I know how I feel and what I want, but she gets to call the shots on this.

She shrugs, her two-tone eyes dancing in the late afternoon sun. “I was excited to see you.”

Then she throws her arms around my neck and presses onto her toes to kiss my cheek.

Kill me dead.

My heart beats in the most over-the-top erratic way, and I don’t give a fuck. I hope she can feel it, so she knows just how crazy she makes me.

I wrap my arms around her back and hold her close, burying my face in her neck, and hoping it’s not too much for her. Not only does she not pull away, she slips her fingers into my hair, and I’m a goner.

Such little time we’ve known each other, and yet, I crave her.

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