Page 52 of Perfectly Naïve
“Einstein. So, unless you’re going to disagree with Einstein, I suggest you start being nice to yourself. I’m not creative. Not a single bone in my body. You create things half the world, more than half the world, wishes they could. Don’t diminish your talent because you don’t have a doctorate.”
He presses his lips together.
I narrow my eyes. “Do you hear me?”
Swallowing, he exhales. “Yeah, I hear you, sweetness.”
“Good.” Beaming at him, I head back to preparing him a midnight snack. “Now, tell me about the universe.”
His eyes light up. “Well, first, the universe is ever expanding, which is crazy to think about. We’re here, these tiny little beings, and the universe is bigger than any of us can possibly conceive.”
“We are but mere humans,” I agree with a soft hum. There’s already a pan on the stovetop. I turn it on and wait for it to warm. “Have you ever gone stargazing?”
“I, uh, I have a telescope.”
Why does he still sound so nervous? “Wilder, that’s so cool. Will you show me after you eat?”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I love the concept of space. It’s fascinating.” I sigh. “But I was too wrapped up in my PhD to learn much about it while at school.”
“Ah, so maybe you’re not a smarty-pants, after all.”
I give him a look.
He grins. “Don’t worry, Liv. I have books.”
“I knew you were a nerd. The second I laid eyes on all those tattoos and that smile, I thought to myself, that alpha is a geek.”
Chuckling, he rubs the back of his neck. “Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
I mime zipping my lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”
The conversation shifts to my work and how that’s going, and despite the topic being incredibly boring to most people, Wilder listens and asks questions when he doesn’t understand. That alone warms my heart. I sit beside him while he eats, explaining—probably in too much detail—how going feral actually works.
Talking about the research is nice. I guess I didn’t realize how few chances I get until I met the guys. Mother never cares and only gets mad when I bring up McKinley Labs, and my dads are too wrapped up in their own lives to care.
“Man, that was so good.” Wilder rubs his stomach and nudges me. “You might’ve been a chef in another life.”
Scoffing, I roll my eyes. “I’m not near as good as you or Hayes.”
“All it takes is practice. Still up for some stargazing? We won’t see much, since we’re in the city, but it’s still cool to look.”
“Of course, let me grab my jacket.”
“You can wear mine.” He stands, grabs a fleece from the coat rack by the front door, and holds it open. “In you go.”
Caramel, strong and warm, wraps around me. The jacketis toasty, thick enough to stave off the chill as we head into the garage. Wilder grabs a long canvas bag with straps and escorts me to the backyard. Their back porch is small but cozy, and I settle onto one of the plastic chairs as he sets up the telescope. Wilder’s features are highlighted by the light spilling out of the kitchen window. He’s confident now, no longer worried that I’m about to disagree with him or that I might think he’s dumb.
I hope my alpha understands that there’s more to life than graduate degrees. I may know a lot about medicine, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about filing taxes, construction, or space.
“All right, sweetness. I need you.”
My heart does a somersault. The chill that was threatening to settle in disappears when I stand beside Wilder. He smiles down at me and explains how the telescope works. When I bend down to look through the lens, he stands behind me, adjusting the position and blanketing me in warmth.
The sky is a deep blue, nearly black, and there are speckles of light dancing across the open expanse of space. Wilder explains what I’m looking at, and I give him my full attention, just as he did while I was going over the research.
Wilder deserves this moment, and I’m glad he’s willing to share the experience with me.
