Page 21 of Tell Me Everything
Alex raised an eyebrow, amused. He flicked me on the forehead. “Are you really asking me why I sleep around so much?”
Oh, well, that was a pretty straightforward way of putting it. His outspokenness never ceased to impress me.
“I guess so. You never met someone you liked?”
“Yes, but not enough to want more.”
Though he smiled at me, there was a lot of doubt in his eyes. For the first time since we'd been hanging out, Alex was about to share a part of himself with me. I nodded in encouragement.
“I'm afraid of getting attached to someone, just as I'm afraid of losing my self-control in my relationship. If I'm alone, I can't hurt anyone, just as no one can hurt me. And even if I did find someone, that person would eventually leave once they got to know the real me.”
My God, how I understood him.
Chapter 10
Elena
Unlike what I had planned, I spent my Friday evening at Alex's. I thought he'd want to avoid having me over, but he’d been the one inviting me to spend the evening with him.
Leaning against the counter, I watched Alex as he sliced a cucumber. He'd decided to make homemade hamburgers, something I never ate at home. Mom didn't like wasting much time cooking after work, so she just made quick and simple dishes. It was strangely domestic having Alex cooking for us.
“So not only are you smart and handsome, but you also know how to cook,” I observed. “Assets truly aren't distributed equally at birth.”
This man is too perfect. I was beginning to feel useless next to him. Apart from sports and studying, I had nothing to measure up. Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Instead of complaining, why don’t you help me?”
“I can’t cook.”
Alex passed me a bamboo board, a knife, and some tomatoes.
“It's never too late to learn. Dice the tomatoes.”
“Yes, sir.”
I cut the first tomato as best I could and made a face at the result. Each piece of tomato had a different size and shape. Cutting the second tomato, I cut myself, like the clumsy idiot that I am. Alex looked up at me, surprised.
“Did you just manage to hurt yourself by cutting a tomato?”
“I told you I’m bad at cooking!” I exclaimed, pouting.
I sat on the countertop with my finger bandaged, leaving Alex in charge of the food. Whenever he wasn't looking, I pecked at the salad plate, stealing cucumber slices. At one point,Alex realized that the amount of vegetables was decreasing. He grabbed the salad bowl and put it out of my reach.
“If you don't cook, you don't peck.”
I sighed. “I'd better find a man who knows how to cook, or I'll starve.”
“Don't worry, I've got several recipes up my sleeve.”
“What?”
His words caught me off guard. I couldn't answer anything coherently. He didn't mean what he'd just said, did he?
“You and I are annoying, so I don't think we'll find anyone who'll want us for a lifetime. Might as well stay together.”
I knew he was joking, yet I couldn't help wondering if he meant what he said. Knowing Alex, he probably did.
“You think I'm annoying?”
