Page 42 of The Freshman

Nate sighed slowly into the door.“Okay, Freshman, you’re not ready. I get it, but it will hurt youmore the longer you leave it.”

“Why would it hurtme?”

“You’re becoming attached.You stay up here longer just to speak to me. You know youshouldn’t, but you can’t help yourself, and the othernight—”

“Nothing happened,” Alfiehissed.

“You want to play it likethat, then it’s on you. I’m sure ‘nothing’ will happen again, andI’m offering you an escape. Read that file, and this will end, yourconfusion will end, your desire will end, you’ll be free ofme.”

“I am free, unlikesome.”

Nate laughed, the smug one that hadthe hair raising on Alfie’s nape. “I’ve gotten under your skin,just as you’ve got under mine, but I care about you enough to offeryou an out.”

“Thanks for the offer, butI’ll handle things my way, and nothing is going to stay asnothing,” Alfie hissed.

Nate pushed off from the door, and itclunked. “Pizza for two it is then, Freshman.”

Alfie frowned as he strolled away fromNate’s cell. He walked into the office more confused than ever. Helooked to the filing cabinet, fingers twitching at his sides, thenshook his head and sunk down in the nearest chair.

Saturday afternoon, he was woken by apersistent press of his doorbell. He growled, stumbled out of bed,and plodded down the stairs.

He swung the door open with a growled,“What?”

A pizza box was shoved to his chest,and he blinked in confusion. He looked up at the delivery mandressed all in red.

“I didn’t orderthis.”

The man shrugged. “This is the addressthat was given, all been paid for.”

Alfie shook his head. “But it’s notmine.”

“I’m gonna be late for mynext call. Do you want it or not?”

Alfie took it from his hands and stoodstatue still in the doorway. The delivery man rushed to his bikeand took off down the road. Alfie closed the door with his foot andmoved toward the sofa. The smell of pizza woke his stomach and itbubbled with impatience.

Alfie settled the box on the coffeetable, then flicked the lid back, braced for the pizza to explode.His mouth flooded at the sight of melted cheese, and the smell offatty junk food. There was a yellow post it inside the lid, coveredin spots of grease. Alfie narrowed his eyes to read thewords.

‘Our first date,Freshman.’

Alfie rubbed at his head with a groan,and his stomach responded with its own pitiful whine. He thoughtabout throwing out the pizza, Nate might have laced it with poison,but his gut demanded he at least sniff it to see if it wasdangerous. It didn’t smell suspicious or look it. It was in thecorrect box, came with a delivery driver, and the handwriting onthe post it was pretty, more likely from a woman than a man. Natehadn’t had any contact with the pizza, just ordered it, and gotsomeone on the outside to pay for it.

Alfie pulled a slice up and bit hislip at the tantalizing strings of cheese. He couldn’t resist bitinginto the slice, and his mouth flooded with saliva.

His stomach and his dazed brain bothagreed it was the best pizza he had ever had.

Chapter Eleven

Alfie stretched out his limbs with agroan. He showered, shoved on his jeans and a t-shirt, and ploddeddown the stairs. The pizza box caught his eyes, and he sighed,scratching the back of his head. He shouldn’t have eaten it. Heshould have thrown it in the bin and called the prison and reportedit. Half asleep and seduced by the smell, he had given in and atethe entire lot.

Alfie plucked the post it from the lidand ran his finger over the word ‘Freshman’. Not Nate’shandwriting, but when he read the word he heard the purring voiceand shivered at its effect. He went back upstairs and shoved it inhis bedside drawer, on top of the sketched picture ofhimself.

It was Sunday, a much-needed day awayfrom the prison. He stepped out his front door, and instead ofturning left and following the signs to Larkwood, he turned rightand walked with his hands shoved in his coat pockets. Each stepaway felt like a shackle was loosening, and when he finally pushedinto his usual coffee shop, he realized the smell of freedom wasrich and thick in the air.

Tia waved at him and gestured himcloser. There was a queue of people, but she ignored them and movedalong the counter straight to Alfie.

“What can I getyou?”

Alfie flicked his chin at thedisgruntled customers. “You wanna do them first?”

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