“Good,” I say, pulling him in for another kiss. This one is softer, less urgent but no less passionate. It feels like coming home.
When we finally break apart, both of us slightly breathless, Freddie grins. “You know, as fun as this counter is, I think we might be more comfortable elsewhere.”
I laugh, swatting his arm playfully. “Smooth, Donovan. Real smooth.”
He waggles his eyebrows comically. “I try.”
As he lifts me off the counter, I wrap my legs around his waist, peppering his face with kisses. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” I murmur against his skin.
“Cute? I’ll have you know I’m ruggedly handsome,” he protests, navigating us toward my bedroom.
I laugh, the sound muffled against his neck. “Whatever you say, you big dork.”
FREDDIE
NOW – JUNIOR YEAR – MAY
The sun’s barely up, streaming through Alex’s window like nature’s own alarm clock. She’s curled against my chest, out cold, her hair everywhere like some kind of beautiful disaster. For a guy who’s spent the last year running from this exact scenario, I’m surprisingly okay with how absolutely messed up I am.
Last night keeps replaying in my head—her call, the way we finally stopped being idiots, everything that followed. My chest feels strange, too full, like my heart’s trying to bench press my ribs.
Alex makes this little sound, her nose scrunching up as if she’s personally offended by the morning. When her eyes finally open, there’s a brief moment of confusion before recognition hits, andfuck, her smile makes my heart do backflips.
“Hi,” she mumbles, her voice rough with sleep.
“Hi yourself,” I whisper, pressing my lips to her forehead because I can do that now.
She stretches like a cat, all lazy and content, before burrowing back against me. “What time is it?”
I check my phone. “Just past eight.”
“Too early,” she groans into my chest. “Need coffee.”
I laugh, running my fingers through her hair. “Not a morning person, huh, Lexie?”
“Shut up,” she mutters, but I can feel her smile against my skin.
We just lie there for a while, existing together, until she breaks the silence. “What are we going to do?”
“Right now? Get you caffeinated before you try to compost me.”
She pokes my ribs. “You know what I mean. About everything. The summer, GSRI, all of it.”
I take a deep breath. Moment of truth, Donovan. “Well, first of all…” I shift so I can see her face. “Alexandria Ford, will you be my girlfriend? Officially? No more of this friends-with-benefits nonsense?”
Her eyes go wide. “But what about the summer? I’ll be in California for three months with GSRI, and you’ll be here, and?—”
“And I’ll still be here when you get back,” I cut her off gently. “Look, I know long distance sucks. But we’ve wasted enough time being stupid and stubborn. I want to do this right.”
“Yeah?” Her voice is small, hopeful, and it kills me that I ever made her doubt this.
“Yeah.” I tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’m done pretending I don’t want everything with you. Alexandria, I can never be the kind of man you deserve. But God damn I am going to spend every second of the rest of my life trying to be him. Even if it means dealing with your stubborn ass and love of the planet, and weird bees.”
She laughs softly, tears in her eyes. “They’re not weird—they’re crucial pollinators.”
“See? That’s what I love about you.” I pull her closer, breathing her in. "Besides, I've got plenty to keep me busy this summer. Got that management position at the gym, and Alfie's staying to work with Professor Hammond on some astrogeology research. Someone's gotta make sure he remembers to eat."
Her face brightens. “Oh! Tara’s staying too, actually. She got a summer job here.”
