The Art of Chemistry

2

A moment later, the sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor. Grace looked behind her only to see Christopher hurrying to catch up with her. Hastily, she looked away and picked up her speed.
"Grace, wait!"
She pretended not to hear him as she turned down the next corridor. A hand closed around her wrist to stop her and then she was pinned against the wall. Christopher's face was inches from hers. "Grace," he breathed her name as he leaned in to kiss her and she let him. Her hands made their way to rest on his chest and she shoved him away.
"Don't do that again," she scolded him. Hurt? Confusion? One of the two flickered across his face.
"Why not?"
"Because..."
"Because?"
"Just don't do it again," she turned to leave, but he stepped in front of her.
"Grace, please let me say something before you leave."
A long silence fell between them.
"Well? Don't you have something to say?"
"Oh, uh, yes. Uhm...." He stumbled over his words. "These past few years, when I was in Madrid, I couldn't stop thinking of you. You consumed my thoughts. Every moment of every day I would only think of you. When I saw you today, I could not stop looking at you. If someone had told me that you would become even more beautiful these past few years, I wouldn't have believed them and yet here you are. Much more beautiful than I ever remembered." He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "What I am trying to say is that I am in love with you Grace Blackthorn. I thought that if I came into the Institute and was straightforward then perhaps you could, eventually, feel the same way for me. It was all an act and I was only trying to impress you."