Page 58 of The Chemistry of Us

What a dangerous thing.

Vaughan

No more.I told myself when I finally stumbled into my own bed. I set my alarm for six o'clock.

It wasn’t an alarm for practice. It was an alarm for her.

I needed to apologize to her face.

Her birthday was a trigger, and like a piece of shit, I fucked it up.

I finally fell asleep around two in the morning, only to get jolted awake by the loud beeping of my alarm. I was still saturated in so much anger and trepidation that I put on the first pair of pants I could find. I stumbled out of my door and toward hers. It was already open.

Was she already awake?

My gaze fell to the bathroom and the steam billowing out from underneath the door.

Not now.

Not today.

Today was a ceasefire.

Today may as well be her birthday.

I tried the handle.

Surprisingly, it was unlocked.

I let myself in. “Tru, look, I’m sorry I was an ass last night. I totally forgot your birthday, and though we’re enemies, I should have paid more attention. I was drunk. I know it’s not an excuse, but given our history, I can’t let it slide. I can’t. I won’t. So whatever you want to do tonight, it’s on me. I’ll pay. I’ll take you wherever you want to go. We’ll bury the hatchet for a few hours, okay?”Silence.“Tru?”

The shower curtain pulled back, revealing Brady. “I’ve gotta say, that was a really solid speech, bro. I’m proud. It’s like you’re growing up and found your tiny little heart.”

His girlfriend poked her head around the shower curtain too. “I think you still love her.”

“Wait? Why are you using my bathroom?”

“We traded.” Brady sighed. “She didn’t want to have her soap next to yours or something like that. Oh and she did mention war and body parts. Most of it is kind of fuzzy, especially when Tru started making hand motions that one hundred percent seemed extremely violent.”

His girlfriend nodded. “I told her to just get it all out.”

Fuck. “Get it all out? As in?”

“Attack.” She shrugged. “Clearly, you’re a problem, and she needs to feel.”

Brady grinned and pointed at her. “Psych major.”

“Perfect!” I yelled.

“Whoa, hey.” Brady held his hands down. “Taper the anger. You know, I think therapy would be a really good thing for?—”

“Suck my dick!” I stormed off back to my bedroom. Okay, she was pissed and apparently on the prowl to end me.

I needed her for my grades.

She needed me for money.

It was going to be fine.

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