The Law of Attraction [Chris Beck]

Chapter 9

Nine Years Ago

The fresh air was replenishing, and Alice was drinking from an ice cold water bottle she'd gotten at the bar. The drink that Chris had bought her had been her only drink, but the dancing had made her sweat out all the hydration, and so she was determined to drink it back. The cold water chilled her entire body inside, but she was still radiating on the outside. 

Chris was standing next to her on the concrete deck; the pub had a patio section for meals during the day and for fresh air during the evening. Staring up at the stars, she couldn't help but smile; they had traded numbers, but she knew that she wouldn't be calling in the morning. As amazing as the night had already been, she didn't have the time to be distracted. Regardless, she didn't want to think that far ahead yet; her cheek bones were starting to hurt from all the smiling. She felt Chris's hand brush against her on the railing that she was leaning on. Turning her head to the side, she looked up at him.

Chris leaned in, moving his hand around Alice's neck, tucking underneath her hair just below her ear. He tilted her head up and looked down into her green eyes. There was only a pause for a few seconds before Chris leaned in all the way and closed the gap between them; their lips moved like magic and Alice stood up, pressing herself against him. Her hands slid up his chest and wrapped around his neck, she had to get on her tip toes to kiss him comfortably. The fireworks between them were like nothing she'd ever experienced before, and she could hardly believe that she felt like this with Chris already. Her heart hammered in her chest as she began to get nervous; she wasn't allowed to feel this way with anyone right now.

Chris pulled back, his hand still tangled in her brown hair. "Do you-"

"Yes," she said, kissing him again quickly; she knew what he was going to ask, and she knew her answer well before he asked the question. Though she knew she should have been studying, she should have walked away from the situation the moment she realized how amazing she felt with Chris, she just couldn't. She really wanted this. Alice wanted to kick off her heels and carry them in her hands as she walked along the concrete towards the dorms; Chris was able to afford to live on campus. After all that dancing, her feet were killing her, but she was committed to keeping them on at least until she made it inside his dorm.

"Those shoes are terrible for your feet," he said as they neared the building. It was tall, modern looking. She knew that the inside of that dorm was going to be way nicer than her apartment. But she liked what she had, what she worked for.

"They look damn good though," she said, but a pained expression showed through as she scrunched her nose when she smiled.

Chris stepped in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. There was a wicked smile on his lips and she began to shake her head, raising her hands in protest. But Chris ignored her and picked her up, carrying her in his arms. She laughed and threw her arm around his shoulders; his left arm was behind her back and wrapped around her ribs, the other was tucked underneath the bend of her knee. Her skirt dangled below and she knew if people were around she was completely flashing them, but she didn't care. Everyone at the pub had seen her underwear when she had been twirling and dancing with Chris. Her laughter carried through the empty campus as Chris carried her up the stairs. Using his foot, struggling to balance, he managed to push open the ground level door. Walking in, he stumbled slightly before he regained his balance, then walked down the hallway.