Love Is a Losing Game // Joel Pimentel

25 | Intricate Torture

Chapter Twenty-Five

Joel's POV

"Hey," I smile at Blu as she gives me a two-fingered wave before tugging on the strings of her sweater. She enters my home and waits for me to shut the door before we go up to my room to work on the project for one of the last times.

Today we had to finish up the paper while in a few days we would have to put the details in on our powerpoint. I was simultaneously happy and sad because 1) It would be over but also, 2) I wouldn't be able to hang out with blue as consistently. I close the door to my room before watching as she plops down on my desk and points to my computer, "Can I use this?"

I nod and sit on my bed with my laptop as we begin to work. The silence is comfortable between the two of us but when I look over and see the bruise on her neck, I grow irritable and she seems to notice.

"What's up? Is there something wrong?" she looks at me briefly before going back to typing her sentence.

"Why would you let him kiss you?" I ask genuinely confused as to why she fell for one of his acts. My body becomes hot all over again at the mere thought of her giving up a piece of herself for that idiot.

Why won't he just let me be happy with the person I like?

I get pulled out of my inner thoughts when Blu shakes her head causing tendrils of curls to escape from behind her ear. "I just don't see why you care that much," she replies with a humorless laugh.

My heart throbs at the response and I close my laptop shut, place it soundly on my bed, and walk over to where she is. I turn her chair towards me before slipping my hand onto her jaw and leaning down, connecting her mouth to mine.

I kiss her once, twice, thrice, and the fourth time I pull her up from her chair, moving our lips together so gently it almost hurt. I feel her pulse under my fingers as I caress the curve of her neck, pressing our bodies together.

My body buzzes with warmth at the thought of finally sharing this moment with the only person I wanted to. My thoughts fumble together as her fingers reach up to my hair and a sigh leaves my lips when her mouth dips down into my neck.

Her kisses are warm, and leave my body burning for her.

She is in my hair, on my skin, and I don't think I'd ever want to stop living this moment if it meant not being with her like this again.

I smile against her mouth and lead her to the windowsill that lay next to my desk, my hands pulling her against me by the thighs.

I kiss her longingly as if she was something I never knew I desired, or truly wanted and that's all it takes for her to unravel before me. Soft sounds erupt from her being as my hands slip under her shirt landing on her waist. Her back arches against mine and the small action leaves me breathless as my fingers slide against her smooth skin and caress the curve of her back.

"You're so beautiful," I whisper as we take a second to find the breath we've lost. Her hands come around my waist and she presses her head against my chest. "You are the purest form of intricate torture that I've known," she whispers back as we listen to each other's heartbeat.

I intertwine my hands into her hair and press a tender kiss onto her forehead before murmuring, "I can't wait to kiss you like that whenever I want to." She chuckles and leans up to connect our lips one more time before replying, "Why don't you?"

***

I smile to myself as I hug Blu one more time and I can feel the happiness radiating from her being. "Goodbye," I mumble into her hair and she unwraps herself from my arms. "Goodbye, Joel," she bites her lip after the words slip from her mouth.

My body warms at her using my name in such a tender tone. Our eyes linger on each other up until she closes the door and I can't fight the grin on my face, the only thought in my head being finally.

***

When I pull up beside Yoandri the next day, I smile at him when I get out the car. He notices the cheesy grin on my face and shakes his head, "You kissed her didn't you?"

I bite my lip and nod in response to which he rolls his eyes, "Whatever. At least I marked her." I turn to my side so he can see the mark she left on me and raise an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

__________________________________

a/n

the tea is piping hot.