just never got close enough to another person to realize what they smelled like. I didn’t know.
What I did know, however, was that these next few weeks were going to be terrible. The packet the professor gave everyone before letting class go was thick. We had to figure out an experiment to test a hypothesis, collect data, analyze that data, and then present the results to the class, in addition to whether or not we had to adjust our hypothesis. Beyond that, whatever we chose to work on only had to pertain to some sort of psychology.
I honestly had no idea what we were going to do. I felt like everything had already been done ten times over. Hardly anything was new these days; everything had been beaten with a dead horse for a long, long time. Nothing Mason and I could do would win us any awards.
It was thirty percent of our final grade in the class though, so we did have to try, which meant—the horror—I had to see Mason outside of class. Probably on weekends. Which sucked. Weekends were my time to recuperate from the difficulties of the week and try to bolster myself up in preparation for the next week. It was a constant struggle, you know. I was not looking forward to having Mason mess my routine up.
He’d tried to get my number out of me before I hurried away, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t. Mason didn’t stop, though, for after I shook my head and told him no, he had a comeback ready.
“Then let me give you mine,” he said, grinning that unstoppable smile. Such a strong expression, I had to look away.
I didn’t want his number, but I guess he and I did have a project to do. God, this sucked majorly. “Fine,” I muttered, biting my bottom lip, wanting this whole day to be over. At least when I was in bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing I was asleep, I was alone and didn’t have to deal with…with other people.
It was funny. Sometimes I hated being alone, but other times being alone was just what I wanted. Maybe because I was so used to it. Being alone was natural to me. Anything else just made me feel uncomfortable, which Mason clearly did not deduce from the way I acted around him.
Mason then did something I wasn’t expecting: he stepped around me, grabbed my backpack, and pulled out one of my pens. He popped the cap, his warm amber eyes meeting mine as his hand found mine.
My breathing stopped. He was warm, his skin soft. Or maybe that was just me being weird. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched me, let alone an attractive guy.
I shouldn’t let his attractiveness affect me. I knew I shouldn’t. Mason would get tired of me like everyone else, and once this project was over, he and I would never talk again. He’d turn that cute, dimpled smile to another girl and go on with his life, totally forgetting about me.
That was probably for the best, anyways.
Still, I could not fight the way my heart sped up in my chest as I felt his fingers hold onto my hand, as I watched him bring the pen to the top of my hand and scribble down his number. He stood inches away, far too close, practically blocking the entire world out, utterly intent on writing his number down on my skin.
This was weird, wasn’t it? I should’ve just given him my number; this wouldn’t be happening otherwise. Stupid, stupid.
When he was finished writing down his number, he withdrew the pen…but he did not release his hold on me right away. His smile lingered as he said, “Text me. I can come over, or I can come pick you up. We could meet at the library…whatever. Anywhere, okay?” He finally took a step back, his hand sliding off mine, leaving a vacant coldness where he’d been touching me.
My hand felt tingly afterward, but I refused to let it show as I studied the number written on the back of it. All I did was nod before turning away and walking off. I didn’t get very far, however, because I remembered he had my pen—so I spun on my heel, marched back to him, and plucked the pen from his grasp.
“You don’t get to keep my pen,” I muttered, reaching behind me to stuff it back into the side compartment of my