Page 40 of Mud, Love, and Chemistry

“Let me get this straight.” He pinches the bridge of his nose as he puts a hand on his hip. “You’re pissed that I’m more successful than you?”

Fire rages through me. “No,” I say in a quiet snarl. “I’m pissed because you keep trying to one-up me.”

“Okay, how the hell does the hike count as me trying to ‘one-up’ you? I’m not even in a hiking class!”

Huffing, I fold my arms. “Because you used the opportunity to tear me down by picking apart every little thing I did wrong. I can’t wait to see all your wonderful comments.”

Sam opens his mouth, but I don’t give him the chance to speak.

“And flaunting your one-percent lead on my exam grade? That’s the bitter icing on the cake.”

“I flaunted what now?”

I take a step toward him, my finger pointed and headed straight for his chest. “You, Sam Eastman, are a thorn in my side. You lie your way into my life, and then once you get here, you keep stepping on me to get ahead.”His face twists from confusion into anger. “Hey, Brynn. Did you ever think that maybe this isn’t all about you?”

I swallow down the sour taste at the back of my throat.

“The hike was a way for me to earn extra credit. That’s it. I know I gave you a lot of flack, but fuck, all I wanted was to not work so hard in my first aid class.” He puts both hands on his hips before running one through his hair. “And I’m sorry if I’m one percent smarter than you in O-Chem. That wasn’t planned.”

I let out a sassy snort.

“Okay, I’ll give you the bull thing. I was trying to one-up you there, but as far as the study group goes? I’m not trying to ‘commandeer’ anything. I heard the professor tell you the study group would look good on your internship application, and I saw an opportunity.”

With one arm still wrapped around my middle, I tighten my grip on myself as I shake. “You’re not applying for that,” I bite out.

“You bet your ass I am. Why do you think I moved down here? It wasn’t for the luscious Greeley scenery, I’ll tell you that.”

My nostrils flare as anger seethes from my every pore. “That spot is mine.”

“Don’t be so sure.” His arrogance is astounding. “Buckle up, sweetheart. I don’t give up easily.”

I clench my jaw. “Neither do I.”

“Good. I like a challenge.” His tone lowers, turning gritty. Stepping forward, he presses his firm chest into my trembling finger. “And I didn’t have to lie to get into your life. You were all too willing to let me into that, and your panties, all on your own.”

With a deep, guttural growl, I spin on my heel and sprint down the hallway. That does it, Sam Eastman. You’ve made yourself an enemy.

Chapter 13

I’m so worked up after lecture class, I go for a run as soon as I get home. It’s the best way to clear my head. I pop in my earbuds, crank up the tunes, and take off. Running is my favorite form of exercise. I can go as fast as I want, for as long as I want, and never have to worry about someone being in my way.

With the exception of traffic, that is.

A car makes a right turn without yielding even though I have the walk sign. They cut me off, nearly sideswiping me. “Asshole!” I shout, throwing my hands in the air.

With a sharp exhale, I start jogging again. If I want to get rid of all this tension, I need to keep going. Each time my feet pound against the pavement, I feel a little bit of anger release, but I can tell this will take a while.

Why does Sam have to ruin everything? And why does he have to be such a jerk about it?

I grit my teeth as his words echo in my mind, You were all too willing…

Maybe I was willing to let him in, but is that a bad thing? Like Lisa said, my heart was just starved for affection, and I had a weak moment, but I won’t have any more.

My frustration with Sam is so high, I focus solely on it, drowning out everything else. Until my music gets interrupted by the ding of my phone. When I check it, I find a message from my Friday morning tutor client saying she needs to cancel tomorrow.

Great. That’s my longest session. There goes a good chunk of money.

With a sigh, I glance at the time. Holy shit, I’ve been running for three hours. I didn’t even notice, but now that I’ve stopped, the burn shoots through my muscles. Maybe it’s time for a break.

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