heat passed through her body. “Why? We
weren’t good enough for you?”
“No!” He snapped back to reality. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I was, you know, just hoping that she doesn’t tell on
you.”
“Breakfast will commence in five minutes, followed by the first class of the day,” announced the British woman.
The voice seemed to draw him back to that distant place, but only for a second.
A heart-flutter urged Allie to make a run for it. But truth be told, she hadn’t signed up for Alpha Academy to learn Italian.
In fact, she hadn’t signed up at all. She was there under false pretenses. Expressly to earn a BFA. And if becoming a Boyfriend-Forgetting
Alpha meant getting a detention or two in the process, so be it.
“So about the song.” Darwin reached for his guitar. “Can I play what I have?”
“Sure.” Allie politely reached for a link of wheat-meat. Was it supposed to be gray?
He tapped his hand on his faded jeans and began to hum. The beating of her heart matched his pace like a metronome.
When I met you I had fallen apart,
My insides on the outside, including my heart
But you listened to me and that slipped away,
You coated me in Teflon that magical day
.
He stopped and looked at her expectantly.
Allie surreptitiously whipped the
blah
sage into the bushes and applauded. “Awesome. When did you write it?”
“Last night.” He lowered his eyes shyly. “After you left.”
Allie’s stomach swooped and her lips tingled. Either the germs on her feet were seeping into her bloodstream or her crush
was getting stronger.
“How’s the cadence?” he asked. “Should I go for something faster?”
“Um, you could,” Allie tried. “But, you know, is that what you’re going for?”
Darwin stared at her, studying her face. Was he impressed with her feedback? Falling in love? Imagining what their kids would
look like?
“Hmmmph,” he grunted, his gaze holding steady.
This was it. The
I never thought I could feel this way about someone until I met you
moment.
“What?” Allie tucked her hair behind her ear and blinked her extra-long lashes at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
His lips curled into a frown. “I always thought your mole was on the left side.”
Allie tasted a little bit of pancake in the back of her throat. Had she really been so stupid? She lifted a silver knife and
checked her reflection. He was
right
. And so was the mole!
Allie rubbed the eyeliner away. “Is this what you’re talking about?” She held out her thumb.
He nodded, looking adorably confused.
“Oh, that’s just a makeup smudge. I was helping one of the girls get ready this morning.” Her ears were ringing so loudly
she could barely hear herself lie.
“Then where’s your mole?”
“Oh, I um, I put concealer on it.” She lifted her elbows to air out her pits. But the humidity was increasing by the second.
The only wind came from her mouth.
“Why?”
“I didn’t want people to know who I was, you know, in class. I want to be treated fairly. Judged like the other students.”
He nodded, considering this. She could almost feel the grass growing beneath her fingers as she waited for Darwin’s reaction.
She plucked at the spongy tips nervously. What if didn’t buy it? What if he realized it wasn’t just the mole that was fake,
but that she was, too?
“Admirable, but not necessary,” he finally told her. “Everyone here is pretty incredible at what they do. You should own who
you are. No hiding.”
Allie grinned. If only he knew how right he was.
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
He popped a cinnamon-scented toothpick into his mouth and returned to his strings. “So, back to the cadence. You’re saying
leave it?” He strummed more forcefully than before.
“Darwin, shhhh,” Allie pleaded. “Someone might hear you.”
“Who? Everyone’s at breakfast.”
There was a rustle in the bushes and then the sound of footsteps
weren’t good enough for you?”
“No!” He snapped back to reality. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I was, you know, just hoping that she doesn’t tell on
you.”
“Breakfast will commence in five minutes, followed by the first class of the day,” announced the British woman.
The voice seemed to draw him back to that distant place, but only for a second.
A heart-flutter urged Allie to make a run for it. But truth be told, she hadn’t signed up for Alpha Academy to learn Italian.
In fact, she hadn’t signed up at all. She was there under false pretenses. Expressly to earn a BFA. And if becoming a Boyfriend-Forgetting
Alpha meant getting a detention or two in the process, so be it.
“So about the song.” Darwin reached for his guitar. “Can I play what I have?”
“Sure.” Allie politely reached for a link of wheat-meat. Was it supposed to be gray?
He tapped his hand on his faded jeans and began to hum. The beating of her heart matched his pace like a metronome.
When I met you I had fallen apart,
My insides on the outside, including my heart
But you listened to me and that slipped away,
You coated me in Teflon that magical day
.
He stopped and looked at her expectantly.
Allie surreptitiously whipped the
blah
sage into the bushes and applauded. “Awesome. When did you write it?”
“Last night.” He lowered his eyes shyly. “After you left.”
Allie’s stomach swooped and her lips tingled. Either the germs on her feet were seeping into her bloodstream or her crush
was getting stronger.
“How’s the cadence?” he asked. “Should I go for something faster?”
“Um, you could,” Allie tried. “But, you know, is that what you’re going for?”
Darwin stared at her, studying her face. Was he impressed with her feedback? Falling in love? Imagining what their kids would
look like?
“Hmmmph,” he grunted, his gaze holding steady.
This was it. The
I never thought I could feel this way about someone until I met you
moment.
“What?” Allie tucked her hair behind her ear and blinked her extra-long lashes at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
His lips curled into a frown. “I always thought your mole was on the left side.”
Allie tasted a little bit of pancake in the back of her throat. Had she really been so stupid? She lifted a silver knife and
checked her reflection. He was
right
. And so was the mole!
Allie rubbed the eyeliner away. “Is this what you’re talking about?” She held out her thumb.
He nodded, looking adorably confused.
“Oh, that’s just a makeup smudge. I was helping one of the girls get ready this morning.” Her ears were ringing so loudly
she could barely hear herself lie.
“Then where’s your mole?”
“Oh, I um, I put concealer on it.” She lifted her elbows to air out her pits. But the humidity was increasing by the second.
The only wind came from her mouth.
“Why?”
“I didn’t want people to know who I was, you know, in class. I want to be treated fairly. Judged like the other students.”
He nodded, considering this. She could almost feel the grass growing beneath her fingers as she waited for Darwin’s reaction.
She plucked at the spongy tips nervously. What if didn’t buy it? What if he realized it wasn’t just the mole that was fake,
but that she was, too?
“Admirable, but not necessary,” he finally told her. “Everyone here is pretty incredible at what they do. You should own who
you are. No hiding.”
Allie grinned. If only he knew how right he was.
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
He popped a cinnamon-scented toothpick into his mouth and returned to his strings. “So, back to the cadence. You’re saying
leave it?” He strummed more forcefully than before.
“Darwin, shhhh,” Allie pleaded. “Someone might hear you.”
“Who? Everyone’s at breakfast.”
There was a rustle in the bushes and then the sound of footsteps
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