Page 19 of The Chemistry of Us

CHAPTER 8

TRU

Tears burned the back of my eyes so hard I thought my mascara was actually bleeding into my line of sight.

It wasn’t.

It was just Vaughan being himself.

I mean, why was I even surprised to see him with some girl and watching me while he kissed her?

It was like he purposely wanted me to feel pain and rejection with a giant cherry on top called humiliation.

I didn’t even know what to say when he asked about the threesome because I knew he did it to be cruel. All I had was another door slammed in my face while he had some girl whose name he wouldn’t even remember tomorrow plastered across his gorgeous body.

No. I couldn’t think that way.

I couldn’t think of him as gorgeous because then I’d think about all the other memories, and I’d just want to punch something. I wasn’t even sure how I was able to lay down in bed. I didn’t make a sound, but they did.

All I could focus on was her laughter, his laughter, and her moans against the wall that brought memories I didn’t want tothink about. Tears slid down my cheeks. We didn’t even love each other; we didn’t belong to each other.

And the truth was, we never did.

I was just another game to Vaughan Aires, and in the end, he didn’t just win; he dominated.

I wiped the tears and turned on my side, facing the wall where he was currently screwing his new whore. I wanted to curse him and kick his ass from here to the next planet.

I closed my eyes and exhaled, feeling it everywhere—from my buzzing fingers to my tingling toes.

I was done.

The war between us was over, and I’d barely made it a week.

“You. Win,” I said out loud.

My only goal was to tutor him and stay unscathed. I knew I could do it. Tomorrow was a fresh day, and I would start it differently.

I’d be nice.

Cordial even.

I’d be the perfect stranger, just an insignificant memory from his past.

You win.I repeated it in my head.

I gave up.

I surrendered.

I conceded.

After all, the pain…

Was too much.

Vaughan

I hated everything and everyone,including the girl trying to stay the night in my room. She was a lingerer and kept asking question after question.

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