Page 50 of The Chemistry of Us

The ups and downs.

Yet there I was, officially pussy-whipped with absolutely no pussy and sporting the worst case of blue balls known to man. I’d hung out with a couple of girls, trying to forget about Tru tono avail. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, and anytime a girl attempted to kiss me, I instantly turned my face.

She was the deepest connection I’d ever had with anyone in all my life. I didn’t understand any of it. The need to be around this girl was throwing me off-kilter. I thought about her constantly—the next time I would see her, talk to her, hold her…

The list was endless.

Our connection was easy. We didn’t have to work at it. It wasn’t a burden or a struggle to be with her like it sometimes was with other chicks. I used to get bored the minute the sex stopped and was moving on to the next.

Not with Tru, though. I wanted more. Our dynamic flowed seamlessly, our conversations, our chemistry, ourfriendship. Another thing that was new to me was being friends with a girl I was hanging out with. I never cared to get to know them. They were a means to an end.

It was simple.

Now I was in a dynamic I couldn’t get enough of. One of the things I adored the most about her was the subtle looks she would give me when she didn’t think I was looking.

She came into my life like a breath of fresh air, and I breathed her in like a man who was suddenly on death row. Unable to fight against her pull. Every time I was with her, I was lost in us. I never expected to fall for her. I wasn’t even looking for anyone, but there she was, this girl with such a force, such a drive. It was so fucking powerful that I never stood a chance.

Every time I told myself that today was going to be the time when I’d make my big move, and we’d get past this PG shit, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. She wasn’t just another chick I could nail.

It wasn’t about getting laid.

At least not with her.

“Do you believe me?”

“You haven’t given me a reason not to.”

“Good.” She smiled, and it lit up her entire face.

For the next hour, we talked about nothing in particular.

I watched the way her lips moved.

The way her hair blew in the wind, framing her face.

The way she laughed with her whole body, feeling it deep in my bones.

I especially watched the way she looked at me as I swept her hair away from her face. She didn’t say a word, but her eyes spoke for her. The way she affected my mind and heart was terrifying, but it was so real.

So consuming.

She felt it too. That much I knew.

Breaking our strong connection that held us captive, I cleared my throat and stood, bringing her right along with me. Something came over my senses, and I reached for my phone in my pocket to hit my playlist. Once I found the song I wanted, I set it on the ground next to us.

With the music and the bright moon shining above our heads, I spun her into my arms before holding her close to my chest. Taking one of her hands, I placed it on my shoulder, then intertwined the other with mine, placing it near my heart.

Her face conveyed so many emotions in a matter of seconds, and I paid attention to each one. She placed the side of her face on my chest. I knew what she was trying to do, but it didn’t matter because I already felt everything she was trying to hide.

Tru

Van grabbedmy hand and led us back. Girls were looking at us, more like glaring everywhere we went. There we were, holding hands throughout the town. He didn’t do this. He wasn’t this guy. The open affection he showed me was as much of a shock to me as it was to everyone else. He wasn’t trying to hide the fact that we were hanging out.

When my eyes shifted to the photo booth by the trees, Van didn’t hesitate to take me over there.

I smiled, knowing he was doing this for me.

He knew how much I loved snapping photos.

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