Lawless Love

Chapter 5: A Tricky Sticky Pickle

***Are you ready, are you ready, are you ready? I'm so excited for this! It's the final countdown~ *plays mouth kazoo to the tune* There's so much character development and fun in this chapter. Let's go!***

Zane's POV

Have you ever felt overwhelming joy? Like that of a snow day, or a puppy on the street?

Time seems to pass so quickly, but you savor every minute of it like a drip of honey on a spoon.

That's what my time with Pixal was like today.

My focus never wavered, nor was I distracted by odd random thoughts as I usually am.

I don't know what it was, but it made me feel we had a connection.

Like our brains were wired the same. Literally.

I could not stop smiling throughout the whole thing, and it made me want to burst at the seams when she accepted my offer to go to the park and talk afterward.

And somehow, unbelievably, we have been texting ever since we parted.

I do not know if my foolish flirting finally worked on her or I did not screw up as badly as I thought. But whatever the case, I am as sparked as a circuit board with a new framework.

We have so much in common, despite being on opposite sides of the law. And as much as we see the world similarly, she is so engaging, articulate, and easy to talk to.

Unlike me, who worries continuously and thinks so much about what I say to the point of barely saying anything at all, she voices her thoughts straight out, and it's beautiful.

It's interesting. I do not have to be quiet, or overconfident, or delicate, stern, or organized around Pixal. I can just be myself.

And the real me is, well, a messy daydreamer who always tries to make everyone happy, sometimes at the expense of his feelings. A guy who tries to be cool and have fun but doesn't know where to start. A guy who is simply, human.

In the way that I define it. Do you understand what I mean?

I'm sure it's that way for everyone.

There are certain people that you can be your strange, goofy self around without worrying about imbecilic social standards.

And those are your real people—the people who get you and how your gears turn.

You feel like you know those people, and you would do anything for them or be there for them at a moment's notice because they would be there for you.

And that's what draws me to Pixal.

She's like the rest of my friends and family because she makes me feel that way.

But when I look into her eyes, it's mesmerizing.

My processors thump, and I want to learn so much more about her.

I want to soak up every word she says, every little thought she puts on the table.

It's like she's one of my romance novels, and I want to know her from cover to cover.

I want to flip through the pages and feel the comfort, let it drench me in the fantastic world that is her.

I desire to know the words that stick, among the ones that build the scene.

I want to see the world through her eyes, hear the story through her lips.

That is why I can't stop thinking about her.