Page 10 of Seeds of Love
Alfie is the quietest one out of all of us. And while the rest of us enjoy the company of the fairer sex—probably a little too much—Alfie’s more likely to chat up a geology textbook. We’ve prodded him about it before. Ethan, with his usual subtlety and grace, straight-up asked if he was asexual. Alfie just shrugged and said we’d know when he was interested in somebody. The man’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma, served with a side of “mind your own business.”
“Lightweights, all of you,” Ethan chirps, bounding in with far too much energy for someone who drank his weight in tequila last night. “I, for one, woke up face down in my pillow, still in my jeans and one shoe on. The other shoe is still MIA. Maybe it’s wandered off on its own little adventure.” He muses. “So, fellas, how’re we feeling about our first party of the year? Any conquests to report?”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not a war, Ethan.”
“Speak for yourself.” He winks, looking far too pleased with himself. “I’m pretty sure I made out with at least three different girls. Or maybe it was the same girl three times. Details arefuzzy.” He ruffles Alfie’s nearly jet-black hair, earning a death stare.
“You’re a true romantic,” Alfie mutters.
Ethan turns to me, a sly grin on his face. “Speaking of romance, I saw you chatting up some new girl outside. Spill.”
Alexandria. Her name swirls around my brain, making me dizzy.
Sure, she was cute. The girls I usually go for come with a mutual understanding: one fun night, no strings, no heartbreak. Just two ships passing in the night, if ships were horny college students. But Alexandria? She’s got “will write you love notes for your lunchbox” written all over her, and I’mnotlooking for a girlfriend.
“It better not have been my sister,” Troy warns, snapping me back to reality.
“You have a sister?” I blink. “Since when?”
“Since always, dumbass. I told you about Tara. She was here last night. I’m pretty sure I introduced you guys right before she left.”
I don’t remember that meeting. Christ on a cracker, how much did I drink? But I do remember Alexandria talking about a Tara—her friend.
Well, isn’t that a fun little coincidence?
“Relax,” I huff, “I didn’t even know you had a sister, let alone try to seduce her with my irresistible charm.”
Troy narrows his eyes. “Good. Because if you did…”
“Yeah, yeah, you’d kick my ass, bury me in a shallow grave, et cetera,” I finish for him. “Your brotherly protection is noted and terrifying.”
Ethan cackles. “Dude, have you seen Troy try to throw a punch? It’s like watching a baby try to walk for the first time.”
“Hey!” Troy protests. “I’ll have you know I’m very intimidating.”
“Sure,” Alfie chimes in, smirking. “To small children and particularly nervous squirrels, maybe.”
As they descend into playful bickering, I haul my sorry ass off the couch. “Alright, alright. Let’s go to the gym before I change my mind and decide to become one with this couch permanently.”
Troy whoops and jumps up, while Alfie just grunts and shuffles back to his room, probably to hibernate until next semester.
As we head out the door, Ethan calls after us, “Don’t forget leg day, boys! Your calves are looking pretty skinny, Donovan!”
I flip him off without looking back.
ALEX
THEN – FRESHMAN YEAR – SEPTEMBER
The lecture hall buzzes with pre-class chatter, a sound I’ve grown to love over the past week. I’m fumbling with my backpack, trying to find my favorite pen—the one with little trees on it that my grandma got me when I got into UMS.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Alex, the drinking game hater.”
I whip my head up so fast I’m pretty sure I give myself whiplash. Standing there, looking infuriatingly handsome and completely out of place—like a GQ model at a Star Trek convention—is Freddie.
“Freddie?” I squeak, my voice jumping an octave.
Smooth, Alex. Real smooth. You sound like a mouse being stepped on.
