The Mathematics of Love ✔

Chapter 28

"Uh, you sure you're okay?"

"Can I talk to you for a second? Privately?" I blurted out before common sense could catch up to me.

Alexander looked at me quizzically but nodded, his lasagna all but forgotten on the table. "Let's get some fresh air." He threw his napkin on the table and nodded at my parents. "We just need to, um--" I saw the panic rise in his expression as Dad's face darkened. I could practically see the thoughts form in Dad's head: Oh, no. My daughter going to suck face again. Where the nearest bamboo stick?

"I'm going to talk to this boy about something important," I announced. To hell with Dad's conservatism. I wasn't a baby anymore. "We'll be back very soon." With that, I grabbed Alexander's hand and practically dragged him toward the exit. Didn't check Dad's expression. Didn't stop until I reached the exit.

"Whoa," was all he said when we'd both stepped out into the fresh evening air. "Are you always that assertive with your father? That man is scary."

"No," I admitted. "Actually, I'm kind of terrified right now. We might have to run for our lives in about sixty seconds." A minute passed as Alexander and I backed away from the door and stared at it apprehensively, as if expecting a herd of rampaging rhinos to charge through any moment.

"Safe?" he said finally.

"I think."

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

I gulped. Suddenly, I found myself wishing a bunch of rhinos would rampage just about now. "Um...so...I made a promise to you a little while back."

A small smile crept across Alexander's face. I felt annoyance surge through me. Oh, this boy knew exactly where this conversation was headed, and he was enjoying every bit of my squirming. What did I like about him again?

"I don't seem to recall," he said smoothly. "Can you refresh my memory?"

"You are the biggest jerk to walk this planet."

"I'm so sorry. I just can't remember for the life of me." His grin widened and he stepped in closer. Automatically, I moved to take a step back, but forced myself not to. His warmth invaded my space.

Staring at my toes, I mumbled, "Well, I agreed that if--if you won the swim meet and stuff--I would tell you how I, um, how I--how I feel about you." Well, if that hadn't been the least articulate sentence to have ever passed my lips, then I didn't want to know what was.

"The deadline for that has passed, I believe," Alexander said, stifling a laugh.

"A moment ago you said you didn't even remember that promise!" I accused.

"I have selective short term memory."

"You are a Junior Mathematics finalist! You have incredible memory."

"Okay, okay, getting off topic here. Although I do appreciate the compliment."

I sniffed. "Too bad. I take it back."

"You had something to say to me?"

Boy, he really wasn't making this easy for me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Against my better judgement, I stepped closer to Alexander, until I could feel the heat of his body, until there was only a sliver of air between us. "Alexander Lin, you are the most annoying, incredible boy I've ever met, and I really like you." I said it all in a rush. Like peeling off a bandaid.

He laughed lightly. I imagined he was grinning like mad, but seeing as how I was determined to never look at his face again, I wouldn't know. "There. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Before I could retort or shrivel away in embarrassment--whichever came first--Alexander tilted my chin up, lowered his head, and trapped my lips into a soft, sweet kiss.

This moment, I savored for what felt like an eternity. Not like peeling off a bandaid. Like taking a long, deep breath after resurfacing from underwater.

*****

As we made our way hand-in-hand back into the restaurant, I felt giddy, light-headed, and unbelievably happy all at once. There were so many thoughts and feelings flooding my head. But of course, the only coherent sentence that actually managed to make its way out of my mouth was, "Boy, I am really glad we didn't touch any of that garlic bread before doing that."

Alexander laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I ate a piece."

"What? No way." I hadn't tasted any of it--at all. "Don't tell me you don't even get garlic breath?"

"What can I say? Perfection is perfection."

I approached our table apprehensively. Dad was staring, and from the expression on his face, I could tell he didn't like what he was seeing. I was tempted to drop Alexander's hand, but then Mom turned to Dad and said sharply, "Not a word, Zhan Ni. Not a word."

Dad's face turned a nasty purplish-red. Alexander and I held our breaths as we stood unsurely in front of the table. Eventually, Dad let out a huge breath and nodded mechanically. "Okay," was all he said.

"O-kay," Kevin repeated, his eyebrows waggling suggestively. I resisted the urge to flip him off. Seeing such a crude display from his delicate, darling daughter would have been the last straw for Dad, I think.

Mom hadn't stopped smiling all evening, and it didn't look like she was about to now. "Well," she sighed happily as Alexander and I sat down in our seats again. "It looks like both of our children have found wonderful matches, Zhan Ni."

"Both?" I repeated.

Kevin and Vanessa looked at each other, and simultaneously, they raised their hands from under the table to show that they'd been clasped the entire time. I stared for a moment, and then felt my smile widen until my face practically cracked.

"Surprise," Kevin said, gazing at his new girlfriend with nothing but affection in his eyes.

"My condolesces, Vanessa," I said.

"Hey, shut it, twerp."

Alexander gave my hand a squeeze as we finally dug into our food. "How about that? I think Kevin and Vanessa are good for each other."

"Yeah. He's like a headless chicken. He needs a keeper."

This caused Alexander to nearly choke on his bread. "Some of the things you say are really alarming," he laughed.

"I try to keep everyone's ego under control."

"I'll say. You've definitely kept mine in check."

"You sure about that?"

Alexander rolled his eyes and kicked my foot with his playfully. "It looks like your dad is finally coming around," he added, nodding toward Dad, who was digging into his plate while asking Kevin for good American music recommendations. My lame older brother. And my crazy strict father. Were chatting. Like friends.

Now I'd seen it all.

"I doubt he'll ever change his ways," I said finally. "But if he relaxes about stuff every now and then, you know, we can make this family thing work."

And for the rest of the evening, with Alexander by my side, and Kevin unloading all his aspirations for his band, we absolutely made the family thing work.

*****

A/N - LOOK I KEPT A PROMISE! FINALLY!! Haha. This is the last official chapter of the novel, so I'm going to mark it as completed (thank Godddd--that took so ridiculously long). But there are a lot of loose ends, and also a small surprise scene that didn't really fit in this chapter, so I will be writing and posting an epilogue within the next couple of days. Possibly tonight after work, if I'm still in this incredibly productive writing mood...

As always, please drop a vote/comment if you enjoyed. Your support is appreciated. And keep your eyes peeled for one last hurrah! You haven't seen quite the last of Nancy and her crazy family yet.

Also, feel free to check out any of my other books if you feel so inclined. Shameless self-plug ;)