Page 1 of Lessons in Desire

Chapter One

Evelyn

Pulling my suitcase off the bus, I straighten and smile at the sight before me. Crescent Springs University, known more commonly as CSU, is definitely a sight to behold. It’s a beautiful building with towering gothic spires that reach high into the sky, each one intricately carved and decorated in a manner befitting of the gothic revival period. The windows are tall, arched, and made of stained-glass that provides a pop of colour against the brown stone walls.

It's beautiful, a true work of art and I cannot wait to study here.

After spending an entire year within the boring, grey walls of a community college in the middle of my small hometown, this place is a breath of fresh air.

Pulling my suitcase along, I enter the main building where the dorms are located, and a flutter of excitement stirs. Bree, my best friend since the dawn of time, doesn’t even know I’m here. She was the one who convinced me to apply for the scholarship and when I got it, she was the one who convinced me to take the plunge and transfer. Your dad will be fine, Ev. Do something for yourself for once.

And she thinks I’m not coming until tomorrow and being the good friend that I am, I decided to surprise her by coming up early.

A smiling woman who works for the accommodation team directs me to my room, pointing me to a set of stairs. After struggling with my suitcase up two flights of stairs, I finally reach my room. My grin grows as I knock, my knuckles rapping on the wood, and wait. After a second, the door is pulled open to reveal Bree. The second she sees me her black eyes widen comically, and I laugh as her jaw pops open.

“Ev?” She whispers and pulls me into a crushing hug. We haven’t seen each other in almost a year. CSU, being the prestigious Ivy league it is, has a brutal schedule with a heavy workload, and an even heavier exam timetable. Pair that with her parents yearly holiday vacations and we simply haven’t had the time to see each other.

“Surprise!” I say into her shoulder as she squeezes me tighter. “Okay, Bree, I need to breathe a little.”

She pulls back. “I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow?”

“Well, I wasn’t but then I decided to come early and surprise you. You know, like a great best friend.” I smile.

She shakes her head, the halo of tight brown coils bouncing with the movement. “Best gift ever.”

Just then, I spy movement behind her and suddenly, my brows are rising. “Is that the famed Abel?”

Her smile turns softer, her brown skin glowing with her feelings, her eyes sparkling. Bree has always been like that, an open book. Every emotion she feels is plain as day on her face. “Maybe.” She whispers and drags me into the room.

Abel walks forward with a smile on his face, his tall, lanky form easily towering over the two of us. He’s got long brown curls that fall down his face like water, curling in soft currents of brown along his cheekbones and his jaw is covered in a blanket of scruff. He is just as Bree described him; a quiet, music type with a kindness to him you can see in his form.

He holds his hand out and I shake it, my grip firm giving him that if you hurt my friend stink eye.

“Hey, it’s good to finally meet you. How was your trip?” He asks.

I scrunch my nose. “Hot and sticky but what more can you expect in August in Louisiana?” I think back to the bus, the bus that had no AC and shake my head. “Luckily, it was only a two-hour ride.”

Bree’s eyes flicker between us as we chat. “This is so weird.”

Abel grins and slips a hand around her shoulders. “How come?”

“It’s like two parts of me, two separate parts are colliding.”

I laugh. “Well, me and Abel are going to be best friends. Just you wait and see.” Walking further into the room, I take a breath. “This is a nice room.” It’s small and cosy and exactly what you’d expect from a dorm with off-white walls and two wooden beds at either side, paired with a desk and a wardrobe each. Bree’s side is already decked out in pink, her signature colour and my side is just waiting for a splash of personality.

I couldn’t be happier and yet I also can’t seem to stop the worry circling my gut. It’s like a splinter, lodged sharp and deep, an annoyance that won’t go away as thoughts of my dad circle my mind like water circling a drain. It’s three p.m. which means he’s probably passed out on the couch, a beer bottle still clutched in his dirty fingers.

It took me weeks to accept the offer to come here because it meant I would have to leave him to fend for himself. He won’t have me to pay the bills, or do the grocery shopping, or the cooking and cleaning. He’ll have to do it all himself … which I already have major doubts about.

But in the long term it makes sense.

I have a plan. I’m going to major in finance, a subject I loathe but one that will guarantee me security, work my ass off and get enough extra credits to graduate early and get a job where I’ll never have to worry about bills or food again.

Maybe then, he’ll stop drinking.

I push the worry away. My plan is a good one, a great one even, and it’s already on track to work considering I managed to get a TA position for this year, which will go a long way for graduating early. I cannot screw this up because I’m worrying about my drunk of a dad.

Placing my suitcase on the bare bed, I turn to Bree. “I’m so glad we’re roommates.”

---