SHE | alex karev

chapter fourteen

"Right, you?"

"Ambidextrous," Billie replied.

"For real?"

"Yeah." She was the one laughing then. "I used to be left-handed, but since everybody else in my family wasn't, I just taught myself how to write with my right hand. I guess it comes in handy as a surgeon."

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any hotter." He kissed the top of her head, stating the words more to himself rather than to her, but letting Billie hear regardless.

She chuckled, thanking God he wasn't currently looking at her due to the fact that all of the blood was rushing straight to her cheeks. They stayed quiet for a few seconds before Billie asked another question, this time, a shy to her voice.

"Do you believe in love?"

Alex let out a laugh. "What kind of corny-ass question is that, Billie?"

"I don't know, just answer." She chuckled as well.

"I have no idea. Aren't there like different types of love? Like, you know, fraternal, paternal, romantic, blah, blah, blah."

"Eros, Philia, Ludus, Agape, Pragma, Philautia, Storge and Mania."

Alex listened and replayed her words on his head to try and make out a meaning, but he still didn't understand.

"Huh?"

"According to ancient Greeks, there are eight types of love. Eros, Philia, Ludus, Agape, Pragma, Philautia, Storge and Mania. All of them mean different things and they can be present together or apart," Billie explained. "I like Storge."

"What's that?"

"Family love."

"Oh." Alex looked at her. "I like it, too."

Billie lifted herself from his chest, hand becoming obsolete over his skin. Alex felt empty for a second, but watched her as she pushed herself upwards to look him in the eye. A few stray, messy hairs fell from her head and framed her face, making her skin look even lighter, therefore, her freckles, darker. Her lips were a deep shade of red, like cherry. They sure did taste like that, too.

"I've never thought if I believe in love. The question sounds so stupid," Billie thought to herself. "Do you believe in love, who the fuck asks that? It's corny."

"Yeah, it is." Alex laughed, looking at her.

"But it's still weird, right? How can you not believe in love? I mean, why do people get married? Why do they have kids? Your mother, you surely love your mother. I mean, there's a good chance. Maybe not, but you get me," she ranted absentmindedly. "I mean, I understand if you don't know what it feels like, or if you feel like you aren't capable of feeling it or you won't ever feel it or whatever. But it's right in front of you. How can you not believe in it? What does it mean, not believing in love? What, like, your parents were lying to you when they told you they loved you?"

Alex listened to her. He liked her when she ranted like that.

"Love is an empty word, but I just... I just, I don't know. It's beyond my understanding." Billie chuckled. "But let's get back to the questions."

Alex laughed in whiplash, but didn't make it physically noticeable that her words had had a much bigger impact on him that he had expected. He had never thought deeper into an emotion such; rather, he'd just looked at it like it was something he'd never feel. Like something he didn't believe in. But Billie's words were making him rethink things.

"What's your favorite place?" she now asked, craning her neck in order to look into his eyes.

"I don't have a favorite place. Anywhere with a bed, really."