27. Chapter 27
“Have you eaten yet?” Sam asks as he twirls a lock of my hair around his finger.
I give him an incredulous look. “Like, as in dinner?”
“Exactly like dinner.”
“No.”
“Good, me neither. You like Chinese?”
I nod. “Oh, yeah. Vegetable lo mein is my favorite. Bonus if they have tofu.”
He rolls to his side to grab his phone from the side table. Scrolling quickly, he taps call and puts the phone to his ear.
“You have them in your contacts?” I ask in disbelief.
He shrugs, but instead of answering me he says, “Hi, can I place an order for delivery?”
A few minutes later, our food is ordered. When we get dressed, Sam offers me one of his shirts, and this time I accept. It’s huge on me, hitting mid-thigh, so I don’t put on my pants. As I strut into the living room, Sam watches me intently. I make sure to exaggerate the swing in my hips.
I take a seat on the couch and giggle at Sam still staring. “Careful. You’re starting to drool.”
In a panic, he wipes at his mouth, but when his hand comes back dry, he mockingly glares. “Just thinking about dessert.” With a wink, he turns on the fireplace, but I’m already on fire.
He grabs what has become my favorite fuzzy blanket and tosses it to me. I don’t hesitate to wrap it around myself. If anything, just to cover my bare skin so I’m not distracting him anymore.
Once I’m covered, Sam pouts before placing his fingers on his laptop sitting on the coffee table. He doesn’t open it. “I had an idea for this week. What if we played charades?”
“How would that work?”
“Well, we’d split the room into teams, but you and I would be the only ones acting stuff out.”
I frown. “That doesn’t sound like any fun for me.”
“I just thought it would be something different.” His cheerful expression falls, and guilt slaps me.
A grimace takes over my face before I say, “I guess we could try it, but what would the presentation be?”
“There wouldn’t be one, necessarily. You and I would load the clues into a random number generator and spin to see what we get.” He taps the laptop gingerly. “It wouldn’t take very long to do...”
“Which would give us more time to do what?” I ask in jest. I know exactly what he wants more time to do, and to be honest, so do I.
Sam locks eyes with me, an intensity burning in them that makes my body temperature rise even more. “Satiate our appetites.”
I don’t need this damn blanket. I swallow, ready to accept his offer, but a knock at the door startles me. Sam stands, his gaze lingering on mine as he steps past the couch to answer the door. As he returns to the couch, he sets a paper bag on the coffee table, and the delectable aroma of Chinese food fills the air.
My mouth waters until he pulls several Styrofoam containers from the bag. Then, I frown.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I just can’t wait for the Styrofoam ban to take effect.”
“Ah,” he says, setting a container in front of me. “Well, it won’t be much longer, right? As of the first of the new year?”
I grunt and nod, but don’t say anything as I open my container.
“Why does it bug you?”
“Because Styrofoam is so damaging to the environment,” I mumble with a mouthful of lo mein. Swallowing, I continue my rant. “They think it takes five-hundred years to decompose, and even then, they don’t know how quickly after that it would be gone. So it’s just sitting in the landfills, being broken into tiny pieces for animals to mistake for food.”
Sam grins at me, but his eyebrows are sky high. “I didn’t realize you were so passionate about that stuff.”
I shrug, scooping another forkful of noodles into my mouth. “Nature’s been in my blood ever since I was little. My mom said even as a baby, I was happier outside. As I grew up, I learned all about the atrocities of humans and their effect on nature.” I hold my fingers out as I list them. “The depletion of the Ozone layer, deforestation, global warming, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?”
“The what?”
“Garbage patch. It’s a huge collection of trash floating around the ocean, roughly twice the size of Texas.”
Sam’s eyes widen. “Whoa.”
“So, from a young age, I knew I wanted to do something with my life that would help the environment.”
“That sounds like the Brynn I know.” Sam shoots me a quick smile before taking a bite of his orange chicken. “Already had her life planned out by age eight. Am I right?”
“Not exactly.” With a sigh, I settle against the couch, setting my food in my lap. “I knew I wanted to help the environment, but I didn’t know how. There were a lot of options, I just couldn’t decide. Then, my friends started applying to colleges, my parents pestered me about scholarships and loan applications, and even my teachers were questioning what path I was taking.” I pause, stirring my noodles. “It was a lot of pressure.”
“Sounds like it.”
I look up to find sympathy on Sam’s face and have to take a steadying breath. “One day, I decided to go for a hike to do some serious thinking. So, I headed to Red Rocks. I guess there was a concert happening that night, because it was already crowded, so I had to park down the hill. I passed this old, beat-up truck, and honestly wouldn’t have thought anything about it, but a rabbit scurried out from under it. Its little feet left black tracks in the dirt.”
“Black?” Sam scrunches his face.
I nod. “Yeah, I thought it was weird, too. When I looked underneath, there was a good-sized black puddle on the ground. The truck was leaking oil.”
“Oh, shit.”
“So, I called the Denver Parks and Rec to report it. Turns out, based on the speed of the leak, the truck had been sitting there for like three or four days.”
“You stayed until the service people showed up?”
“You bet your ass I did,” I say authoritatively as I swirl my fork in my noodles. “I watched them assess the situation and was enthralled with the remediation process. I knew right then and there, that’s what I wanted to do. So, I went home and began researching career options, which is how I found out about Professor St. James’ lab.
After reading how her lab is one of the top in the country for environmental research, and how their work has advanced tons of green initiatives across the country, I knew I had to be a part of it.” I chuckle to myself. “I even told my dad to sell my car shortly after the Red Rocks thing. I didn’t want to contribute to pollution anymore.”
“That’s admirable, Brynn.” Sam’s tone is soft and endearing. “I understand why that internship means so much to you now.”
“It’s the reason I applied to go to UNC. Working at the lab is my dream job, and getting my education from the woman running it seemed like the obvious thing to do.”
Sam lets out a breathy, one-note chuckle. “And here all I saw was a prestigious job opportunity that could further my chemistry career later on.” Exhaling sharply, he stands from the couch and heads to the kitchen. He returns with two plates and hands one to me.
“What’s this for?”
“To transfer your food to. That way, you don’t have to look at these Styrofoam containers anymore.”
I melt with appreciation. “Thanks.”
Sam nods, but says nothing as he clears the trash from the coffee table. When he sits back down, his expression is sullen. “I wish there was something else I could do other than throw all that stuff away.”
“It’s okay.” I pat his knee. “Hopefully, with the ban, the amount of Styrofoam and plastics will diminish quite a bit. Things will improve.”
“I’m sure you’ll see to that.” The adoration pouring from Sam’s eyes steals my breath.
We spend the next few minutes finishing our meals. By the end of it, I’m stuffed. I lean back to stretch out. “Oh, man. That was great. Thank you for ordering.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“How much do I owe you?”
Sam shakes his head, holding up his palm as he chews his last bite.
“No, seriously. Let me pay for mine.”
Still chewing, Sam puts his knuckles to his mouth as he mumbles, “No. This was my treat. Besides, you didn’t offer to pay for the pizza last time.”
I shrug. “That’s because it was your grounds for me coming over. Tonight, we had the presentation to work on.”
He swallows his food between chuckles. “Maybe you should have gone to law school.”
“Who says I’m not?”
His eyes narrow as he collects our dishes. “I wouldn’t be surprised with how smart you are,” he says before walking to the kitchen.
A lightness blossoms in my chest and radiates through me. I shouldn’t be flattered by his compliments, but who doesn’t like a hot guy stating facts about them? I hear the clink of dishes against the sink, and watch Sam saunter back into the living room to his spot on the couch.
“Thanks,” I say.
“Like I said, don’t mention it.”
“No, not just for the food. I mean, thanks for being nice to me.”
“Brynn,” Sam says, leaning back against the arm of the couch. “Contrary to popular opinion, I’m actually a nice guy.”
I giggle, ducking my head. “Is my opinion really so popular?”
“Fuck, I hope not.”
A laugh bursts from me, but as it ebbs, a lull takes over the room and all I can hear is the crackling of the fire. Clearing my throat, I reach for my phone on the coffee table. “I should see if Lisa can come get me.”
Sam puts his hand on mine, stopping me. “You could stay.”
“What?” My mouth opens and closes as if I can’t form words. “You mean, stay the night?”
He nods.
“Sam… That’s not what this”?I gesture between us?“is about.”
He runs a hand through his curls. “I know, but it’s dark and cold, and you’re already here.” His eyes flick between mine. “And I’m not ready for you to leave.”
My breath catches.
“I mean, we haven’t even had our post-study prep sex yet. Who knows how long that’ll last. Besides, do you think Lisa wants to drive all the way over here again?”
Arching an eyebrow, I ask, “Couldn’t you take me home?”
“I suppose.” Defeat hangs in his words. “Do you want me to take you home?”
My heart races. He put the ball in my court, gave me the challenge. It’s my decision whether or not to stay, and although every rational fiber of my being is screaming for me to leave, my rising desire for Sam wins. “No. I want to stay.”
His mouth ticks up on one side. “Good, because I wasn’t about to be driving you home at midnight.”
“Jerk,” I mockingly scoff as I smack his thigh. I glance at the clock. “Sam, it’s only seven-thirty. How long are you planning on lasting?”
He sits up, scooting closer to me. “Brynn, I went over a week without fucking you. Now that I’ve gotten a taste for it again, I want to do it all night long.”
I want those words to be true, and true only for me, but we’re not exclusive. We’re not a couple, and yet there’s a loyalty in his words I haven’t noticed before. I have to test him. “You could have called Maya if you were so hard up.”
He lets out a disgusted grunt. “I told you in July, I’m not that kind of guy.”
“Yeah, you did,” I say quietly, anticipation of his next words bubbling in my gut.
“Well, it’s true. I don’t sleep around just to get laid.” He sounds offended. “You and I may not be in a relationship, but there’s no one else, Brynn. It’s you and me. For as long as we have this arrangement, at least.” That last bit comes out a little on the defeated side, but he recoups quickly. “Now, am I going to have to take off your clothes for you?”
I wake the next morning with the sun. Light pours through the thin curtains, streaking the air like sharp blades as dust lightly floats in and out of the streams. Closing my eyes again, I stretch, but something gets in my way.
Something warm. Something firm.
I realize I’m encased in Sam’s arms with my back against his chest. His steady breath tickles the back of my neck. He’s still asleep.
Panic creeps up my spine. “Shit, shit, shit,” I whisper.
We’re not supposed to cuddle. Cuddling leads to feelings, and feelings lead to relationships, and relationships lead to…well, nothing that I’m interested in doing with Sam. I knew spending the night was a bad idea, but I was so swept up in the incredible sex that I didn’t even consider the consequences. And now those consequences have me wrapped in their embrace.
I’ve got to leave.
Slowly, ever-so slowly, I lift Sam’s arm and shimmy away from him. He grunts and smacks his lips, but doesn’t move otherwise. With a relieved sigh, I gather my clothes and quickly dress before leaving the apartment, but then guilt pokes at me.
We shared quite the intimate night. I mean, I opened up to him in ways I haven’t since July. And I don’t just mean spreading my legs. I told him why the internship is so important to me, and he seemed to really understand. It was a nice moment of connection.
But that doesn’t mean we should have cuddled all night.
Still, I should’ve at least woke him up to say goodbye. If anything so he could lock the door behind me, but that would’ve opened up a whole slew of other issues. He probably would’ve wanted to have sex again.
Okay, so maybe that wouldn’t have been so bad, but what if he invited me to stay for breakfast? Would we have had sex again after that? Then he probably would’ve offered lunch and more sex. I would’ve ended up spending the whole day with him, too!
Well, I suppose at some point, I’d have to leave for class. I wonder if he has classes on Wednesdays. We’ve never talked about our classes other than in regards to scheduling for the study group stuff. I don’t even know what he’s taking besides O-Chem.
I guess there’s a lot I don’t know about Sam.
No. That’s not completely true. I know he’s taking a first aid class with Professor Duncan. That’s how he became my hiking partner. And I know he likes Imagine Dragons, but happens to be an unfortunate fan of DC Comics. Just one of his many flaws.
I giggle to myself. I suppose he’s not entirely flawed. I mean, he is incredible in bed. His sense of humor isn’t all that bad, either. At least when he’s not teasing me.
As I walk, a crease forms between my eyebrows. I know more about Sam than I realized, and for some weird reason, I like that.