Page 12 of More Than Chemical
“You do realize, Emma, that you’re basing your opinion of him on a rumor.”
“Well, have you talked to him since you mauled each other?” she asked.
“No.” I shook my head.
“Ade, listen to yourself. A guy makes out with a girl, and two days later he’s still made no contact.” Emma’s face was turning red. Her voice was getting louder. “I don’t care how smart he is, I don’t like him.”
I stared down at my dinner and lost my appetite. My brain was telling me that she was probably right. But my body was telling me something different. This attraction was like a covalent bond. I’d shared my electrons with him, and now I couldn’t figure out how or if I wanted them back.
“Where’s Jay?” Priya took a sip of water.
My stomach dipped. All I’d wanted was to have a quiet dinner at a quiet hour and chat about anything but Texas. But even the subject of Jay led straight to him.
Her eyes narrowed. “Did something happen?”
“I’m sure he’s fine.” I twirled my fork through the noodles. I should have skipped dinner and gone straight to my room. I had plenty of mac-and-cheese containers to microwave. “We had a disagreement this morning. That’s all.”
“About what?” Priya asked.
“After chemistry, Jay waited for me outside of the bathroom. While I was inside, Texas came by and asked him if he was my boyfriend.”
Priya’s face lit up. “Well, there you go, Emma. Maybe Texas isn’t so awful. He’s merely taking his time, doing his research.”
Emma’s jaw stiffened. “I hope Jay said yes.”
My heart froze. What was her problem?
“He said no.” I glowered at her. “But he did tell him that he wasn’t my type. That should make you happy.”
Priya covered my hand with hers, and I looked at her. A sad smile spread between the corners of her mouth. “Don’t let Emma get under your skin. She’s having a rough day. She saw Thad on campus.”
I glanced back at Emma. Thad was a guy who’d ghosted her last fall.
“What happened?” I asked her.
“Nothing.” She frowned. “He ignored me.”
My arms went slack. “I’m sorry, Emma.”
She shrugged, maintaining her unhappy look. “It sucks, but it’s not unexpected.”
“So I guess that means that among the three of us,” I said, “Priya appears to be our expert on boys.” She had a serious boyfriend, Luke. They’d been together since the eleventh grade.
Priya sealed her lips shut then opened them again. “I’m not sure if I’m as great of an authority as you think. Luke and I—we…well, we might not last.”
“C’mon, you and Luke are perfect together, and you know it.”
Her mouth twisted. “My mom and dad make things with him very difficult.”
Her parents were never going to like anyone she dated. Anyone who wasn’t in medical school, law school, or getting a master’s in engineering. Poor Luke wanted to become a social studies teacher.
I nodded. “The thing with Texas is that, even though he has this reputation, I can’t stop thinking about him. I can’t stop wondering what it would be like to kiss him again. I’m not sure what to do.”
Priya leaned back and folded her hands together. “If I were you, I’d give it time and not worry about it. The last thing you need is something else to lose sleep over.”
Easy for her to say.
Emma leaned in close and lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I don’t think I have a choice. You need to know this, Ade. After you made out with Dallas Friday night, he took a different girl home and fucked her.”
