One passionate night

Chemistry

“Camille!” I ignored Jimmy calling out my name as I made my way across the parking lot.

“Hey, Camille. Wait up!”

How do I look someone in the eyes who lied to me? I get it. He is a guy who has needs and I couldn’t hold it against him for moving on after I turned him down.

All weekend I managed to avoid bumping into him at work. Let his calls go to voicemail and didn’t even bother to listen to his excuses.

I didn’t know what to say to him because I felt as if I didn’t know him after all. Felt like he was pretending all this time and had me fooled.

“Why are you ignoring me?” Jimmy asked catching up and stepping in front of me before I could enter the Varsity’s building.

“You lied to me, Jimmy.” I kept my voice low and steady while my heart was beating against my ribcage wanting to break free and punch him.

“What?” He acted completely stunned and I had to give it to him for playing it cool.

“Don’t play me,” I warned him. I was unsure if I could trust Corbin and what he told me.

Jimmy’s composure turned dark and I thought imagined his sly grin but when he spoke it was real as it can be. “Like you haven’t.”

I controlled the urge to slap him. “Excuse me?” I questioned.

What was he getting at exactly? Grasping for excuses to make me the bad guy?

“I’ve been honest with you right from the beginning and shared my true feelings with you.” He insisted.

I bit back a scowl. “Before or after you started screwing Corbin’s girlfriend?” With how many girls has he done this? Told them he likes them while screwing another girl behind their back. These weren’t feelings of love but lust.

“I am a person, Jimmy. Not some game piece you can move around according to what you want. I’ve never given you the impression that I want to be with you. I’ve made it perfectly clear. What more do you want?” I was getting tired of his excuses. Treating me as if I broke his heart when I did absolutely nothing wrong.

“I saw the way you looked at Corbin.” His remark definitely surprised me.

I pulled up my shoulders because it was the truth and I wasn’t going to deny the truth. “So, I did. He is drop, dead gorgeous. The last time I checked I am free to look around as I am single. I don’t need to ask your permission to look at any guy. You don’t own me and never will.”

I sensed Jimmy’s jealously from the moment I met Corbin. I thought I knew Jimmy. Trusted him to be my friend and made a promise to myself that I won’t ever hurt his feelings but I am starting to regret ever becoming his friend.

I was also not sure if I could trust Corbin. Two brothers mad each other would say anything to get a girl to like them.

“I am just confused with why you are so mad at me.” Did he listen to any word I just spoke?

“I am not mad at you just confused and I am not going to start an argument with you especially about something that has got nothing to do with me.” I clarified.

What he does behind closed doors has got nothing to do with me. We are not involved and at this rate will never be.

“What are you confused about then?” He kept pressing.

“Why did you invite Giselle over while it was supposed to be a “friends’ night?” How can Corbin be alright with this? Watching his brother screw his ex-girlfriend.

 “She was at a party and came over without letting me know. I couldn’t just send her away.” I didn’t want to say it but something didn’t feel right.

“We are still friends, yeah?” He asked with hope in his eyes.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. Trust is the key. No matter if it is just friends or lovers. I trusted Jaylin and Sasha with my whole life. Jimmy, not that much.

He came forward as a good guy but was hiding his true dark identity. I was unsure of what to do and if I will ever trust him again.

Jimmy didn’t seem to like my answer when he scowled. “Just because of a small misunderstanding?” He asked making it obvious that he was mad when his lip pulled back into a snarl.

“It’s not a misunderstanding. I just feel like I don’t know you even when I thought I did.” I ended the conversation when I walked away after I had enough.

Classes went by in a blur and going home was not an option right now since Mandy informed me that she had a “friend” over.

My shift at Mike’s workshop was only starting in an hour and since I can’t go home, I decided to grab a bite at one of my favourite places.

I picked up my order when it was ready and headed over to an empty seat when I collided into a hard chest and for a second, I thought I stumbled into a wall until I felt their hands resting on my forearms. I raised my gaze knowing who those strong hands belonged to.

“Hey.” Corbin greeted with a smile, releasing my arms and creating space between us. For a strong and tough guy, he sure knew how to be gentle and considered.

“I really don’t have the energy for the Williams brothers today,” I muttered. Knowing I could start a war when I had no interest in starting.

“Williams brothers? That’s got a nice ring to it.” He joked, pretending that he has never heard of it before.

I suppressed a smile feeling immersed by him. “How did it go with me brother? At least got a chance to talk things out?”

I shrugged. “He keeps telling me to stay away from you,” I said, trying to see how he will react to that piece of confession.

“You probably should.” His words and the tone of his voice didn’t agree. He said one thing when he felt something else.

“I am the one who is bad news and as far as I can see you’ve been misjudged by everyone.” I acknowledged giving him a pointed stare.

“You won’t like my answer.” I found him leaning in as he spoke. My eyes were engulfed by his that I didn’t mind him being this close. “But I don’t care what all these people think of me.”

Could I call it chemistry? With all the sparks between us. Or was it years of desire that was slowly bundling up at the first man who shows interest in me?

He eased back still looking at me. “Want to share a seat?” He asked, motioning towards an unreserved table.

“You just told me to stay away from you, yet you invite me to dine with you? How is that going to help?” He chuckled at my question and gave me a confident smile.

“Maybe you can make up your own assessment about me and decide if I am a good or bad guy.” I should have said no, walked away and called it a day but I found myself agreeing to his offer. Taking a seat while he went to pick up his food and came back with a whole platter of food.

“So, Jimmy told me that you are also a student at the same Varsity as him,” Corbin noted, starting a conversation.

I nodded. “Is it true that you studied overseas for four years?” I asked.

It was his turn to nod. “Yeah, my dad wanted me to join the family business but I don’t share the same interest as him. He searched for the best Varsity before letting me enrol and has been supporting me all the way through until I graduated.”

“He sounds like a good man,” I noted.

“He is. Only he is strict when it comes to family. What about you? What are your interests and does your dad support you?” He asked like it was an everyday question with no meaning to it.

“He passed away six years ago,” I replied, watching him go silent. “He was one of the best mechanics in our neighbourhood and let me work on cars with him. Teaching me the basics and somehow that feeling of working on a car engine stuck with me making me decide to become a mechanical engineer major.”

“I always thought that girl engineers are hot,” Corbin said with a smile in his voice.

“We don’t wear bikini’s while designing models. We actually wear overalls and are covered in motor oil for the most part of our careers. When we are not designing prototypes.” Corbin chuckled at my remark.

“I knew there was something special and different about you.” I arched an eyebrow. Different? Special? There was nothing special about me. If I didn’t make the decision of following my dream, I would probably be serving drinks for the rest of my life.

I was maybe a bit of a hard-ass and liked getting covered in motor oil or learning about designing car models but I wasn’t so different from other girls.

I just didn’t do the whole sleeping around a thing or knew how to talk to guys without feeling self-conscious.

“You just didn’t seem as Jimmy’s usual girls he brings home and I get it now why is so into you. Makes more sense as to why he is warning you to stay away from me.” I still didn’t understand and I think he must have noticed because he started to explain.

“I like strong and independent girls. Especially a girl who can speak a guy’s language and has a brain to understand science and math.”

“Guy language?” I teased him.

“I don’t think I can call it that anymore. Since girls can do what boys can do.” I snickered and shook my head at him feeling amused.

“Not a lot of people understand or likes science. Including maths. It’s not a boy/girl thing. I think it has to do with actually understanding science and math’s.” It’s important for an engineer to understand math’s and science when designing a model.

“I just wish the world would see it like that,” Corbin noted and I felt as if he understood me. I never had someone besides the guys in my class who gets me. The world is filled with people who still hold onto the past and doesn’t want to see change but hopefully, with people like Corbin, it will change one day.