Page 31 of Seeds of Love
“Your bucket, m’lady,” I say, bowing like an idiot to try to get her to smile again.
She rolls her eyes but takes the popcorn, immediately digging in. “My hero,” she says around a mouthful, and I can’t help but grin.
We sit there in silence for a while, just munching on popcorn and listening to her hipster music. It’s… nice. Just being here with her, no pressure to talk or do anything. I can’t remember the last time I felt this content just sitting with someone.
“So,” I say eventually, keeping my tone casual. “You want to talk about what happened with Eric?”
Alex stiffens slightly, then sighs, fiddling with a piece of popcorn. “It was just… not what I expected. Eric isn’t the kind of guy I thought he was.”
A surge of adrenaline courses through me, my imagination running wild. My jaw clenches so tight I’m surprised I don’t crack a tooth.
“Did he… did he try something?” The words come out like a growl.
“No, no,” she says quickly, and I feel a momentary relief. “Nothing like that. He just… He wanted me to sleep with him. And when I said no, he got all pissy about it.”
The urge to find Eric and teach him a few things is overwhelming.
“What an asshole,” I mutter, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
Alex nods, then lets out a laugh empty of any humor. “You know what’s stupid? When he gave me flowers at the beginning of the date, I thought it meant he was a gentleman. God, I’m so naive.”
Flowers. Gentleman.The realization of how wrong I would be for her is glaringly obvious. I’m not the guy who brings flowers or opens car doors. I’m the guy who takes girls to parties and hooks up with them in dark corners.
And Alex… Alex deserves so much more than that.
“Hey,” I say softly, reaching out to squeeze her hand before I can stop myself. “You’re one of the smartest people I know. And you deserve someone who treats you right.”
Her skin is so fucking smooth and soft.
She looks at me then, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and for a moment, the world stops spinning. “Thanks, Freddie,” she whispers. “I’m really glad we’re friends.”
Friends. Because that’s what we are. What we need to be. Alex deserves flowers, gentlemen, and fairytale endings.
And I’m… Well, I’m just me.
“Me too, Lex,” I say, forcing a smile that feels like it might crack my face. “Me too.”
As we sit there in my beat-up car, the smell of butter and salt hanging heavy in the air, I make a silent vow: I’ll be the best damn friend Alex could ever ask for. Because that’s what she needs. And if being her friend means squashing down whatever these confusing feelings are… well, that’s a small price to pay for keeping her in my life.
She leans her head on my shoulder, her warmth seeping through my shirt.
“You know,” Alex murmurs, her voice all sleepy and soft, “you’re kind of my hero tonight, Freddie.”
I swallow hard. “Nah, just your friendly neighborhood popcorn provider.”
She chuckles, the sound vibrating against my shoulder. “Well then, you’re the best popcorn provider a girl could ask for.”
I close my eyes, savoring the moment even though I know I shouldn’t. Because this—this closeness, this trust—it’s everything I want and everything I can’t fucking have.
We sit there in silence, the only sounds are the rustle of the popcorn bag and the car’s heater humming like a contented cat. Then Alex takes a breath so deep I can feel it.
“Freddie?” she mumbles. “Can I… can I tell you about Emma?”
“Of course, Lex. I’m all ears.”
She shifts slightly, unpeeling herself from my shoulder, taking another deep breath. “Emma was… She was everything I wanted to be, you know? Brave, kind, always putting others first.”
“She was the best,” Alex says softly, and I resist the urge to pull her closer. “She was only twenty-two, but she was already changing the world. Teaching preschool, always staying late for working parents, taking in strays—including this scruffy little puppy, Willow.” Her voice catches on the name.
