Page 84 of Seeds of Love
The worst part isn’t even the betrayal. It’s that, deep down, I’m not surprised. Because EcoTech is exactly the kind of company that would hire someone like Freddie—charming, smart, able to make their dirty dealings sound reasonable. Able to look grieving families in the eye and call their losses “unfortunate incidents.”
I close my eyes, letting the spring breeze cool my burning cheeks. All this time, I thought Freddie understood.
I thought wrong.
FREDDIE
NOW – JUNIOR YEAR – MAY
That night after Moe’s feels like a lifetime ago now. A week of Alex dodging my texts, claiming she had some stomach bug. Which might’ve been believable if my co-worker hadn’t let it slip that they’d seen Alex at the gym yesterday, looking perfectly healthy.
So here we are, poster day. The room is buzzing like a hive of bees, students swarming around their projects. I adjust our poster for the millionth time, step back, and frown. It still looks fucking crooked. I try again, but I can’t seem to get it right. I huff a sigh, and Alex glares at me.
Alex is standing next to me, looking like a corporate wet dream in her crisp white blouse and tailored slacks. Her hair’s pulled back tighter than a facelift, and I catch myself staring at the curve of her neck like a horny vampire. But her Ice Queen routine isn’t letting me daydream for very long.
“And that’s how our filtration system would work,” she explains to some wide-eyed freshman, her voice about as warmas a mortician’s handshake. As the kid scurries off, I try to catch her eye.
“Nice explanation,” I offer gently, feeling like I’m trying to pet a pissed-off cat. “You really explained it well, dumbed it down for the masses.”
She barely glances at me. “Thanks.”
She immediately turns to the next student who’s eyeing our poster.
This routine goes on for another hour. Alex is answering questions like a fucking genius, but it’s like I’m the ghost of projects past. When I try to chime in, she talks over me or redirects.
As the crowd finally thins out, I can’t take it anymore. I grab her elbow, feeling like I’m poking a bear. “Alex,” I mutter. “What the fuck is going on?”
She blinks, her professional mask slipping for a microsecond. “What do you mean?”
“Come on. You’ve been cold to me all day. Did I do something?”
Alex’s eyes dart around the room, landing anywhere but on me. “This isn’t the time or place, Freddie.”
“When is the time? Because you’ve been avoiding me like I’ve got the plague for days.”
She sighs, her shoulders slumping. For a moment, I see a flicker of the Alex I know—vulnerable, conflicted. But it’s gone before I can say anything else.
“Fine,” she snaps. “You want to do this now? Let’s go. We can take our lunch.”
She slaps a “back soon” sign on our desk. Without waiting for a response, she marches toward the exit, ponytail swinging like a metronome of anger. I sort of feel like I’m walking to my own execution.
We end up in our lab. The familiar smells of chemicals and coffee invade my nose. Right now, it feels nauseating. Alex whirls to face me, her eyes blazing.
“How long were you going to keep it a secret?” Her voice shakes with something worse than anger.
I freeze. Fuck. “Keep what secret?”
“Don’t play dumb, Freddie.” Her eyes are bright with unshed tears. “I heard you with Dr. Reeves. EcoTech? Really?”
My stomach drops through the floor. “Alex, I can explain. The position is in environmental consulting?—”
“EcoTech?” Her voice cracks on the name, and something in her eyes makes my blood run cold. “Do you even know what they did? What they’re responsible for?”
I open my mouth to respond, but she’s on a roll now.
“They hired ashittycompany for their Montana operations. Didn’t bother to check their safety record, their environmental protocols. Nothing. Just went with the lowest bid.” Her voice is shaking.
Oh god. No.
