Page 71 of I Don't Need Your Romance

Once I’m done, she checks over my work. “Perfect score.” She smiles proudly. “Looks like we have another genius here.”

I scoff. “Or like I said, maybe I just have a good tutor.”

“Better watch out or you won’t need me anymore,” she jokes.

I shrug. “Pretty sure you’d be happy to be done with me.”

Her smile drops. “Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know.”

She watches me for a bit. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I wish you wouldn’t push people away.”

I glance away from her.

“Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. We should focus on the lesson.”

I reach for her hand, and as soon as my fingers touch hers, the same spark from chem class zaps through me. I quickly drop her hand. “Just wanted to thank you for putting up with me,” I say in a low voice. What the heck is that spark and why does it keep happening?

“I really don’t mind, Damian.”

She focuses back on the school stuff, but my focus is on her, that spark, and that other weird feeling that enters my stomach every time I think about her and Axel.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sophie

Axel texted me last night and we decided to go to the arcade after my session with Damian. As I wait outside for his car to pick me up, I can’t stop thinking about Damian. When our hands touched in class and at the library. That tingle that went down my spine. I’m pretty sure he felt it, too.

Whatever it is, I won’t think about it when I should be thinking about my boyfriend. Or potential boyfriend. Will he ask me to be his girlfriend today? Or is it too early for that? I’m supposed to be an expert on romance because I read so much, but it turns out I don’t really know anything after all.

A car honks in the distance before Axel sticks his head out, waving. Smiling so wide my cheeks hurt, I rush to the car and climb in.

“Hi!”

“Hey. How was your day?”

“Good. Too long.”

“I feel you. I couldn’t wait to see you again and the hours just didn’t move.”

I giggle, then clear my throat. He smiles, his hands on the steering wheel in such a relaxed manner.

We talk about many different topics—mostly books—as he drives to the arcade. Then we enter and play as many games as we can. Axel is pretty good.

We don’t really talk because the music is too loud. I’m dismayed because I really like talking to him. He seems pretty bummed, too, but he makes up for it by getting tons of tickets and telling me he’ll hand them all to me.

“You don’t have to do that,” I tell him.

“I don’t mind. Believe me, I already redeemed everything I want from the prize area.”

“Okay, thanks.”

We spend more time playing and trying to squeeze in some sentences as well. When it’s time for a break, we sit on the benches on the side, away from all the noise.

He wraps an arm around me, tugging me to his shoulder. “Are you having a good time?”

“A very good time. You sure know how to make a girl feel special.”