Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“I had a really good time with you, too,” he said, crestfallen as he nodded. “Fair enough, though. No pressure. Just know that the offer is always open.” He looked past the tree I’d been leaning against and spoke to someone. “Oh, didn’t see you there.”
I turned around.
Levi.
He held two coffees. My stomach sank. Levi was supposed to have been at the house overseeing the work being done while I was at practice. It must have finished up early.
The tension in the air was thick as Jeremy said, “Anyway, I’d better get back to the boys. See ya around, Presley.” He nodded toward Levi and took off.
Levi’s cold stare made me uneasy as he silently handed me one of the coffees. He opened his and blew on it, then took a sip, continuing to say nothing.
“How long were you standing behind the tree?” I asked.
“Long enough to hear you promise Coach a date in the near future.”
Shit. “That wasn’t what I said.”
“Oh, you’re right. I believe it was that you have something personal going on, and you couldn’t go out with him for the time being.” He fiddled with the lid to his coffee. “This something personal guy—does he have a name? Let me guess, is it the chump who actually cares about you, but you only seem to view as a fuckboy?”
“Levi…”
“You’re keeping your options open. I get it.” He looked out toward the field. “Anyway, I figured I’d surprise you. Looks like I was the one in for a surprise.”
“I’m not interested in Jeremy,” I insisted.
“Not interested right now. Yeah, I got that much. But you might be after I’m long gone. Implying that things might change in the future said it all. Let me translate what you meant. ‘When Levi leaves and I no longer have him around to fuck me, I might be interested in fucking you, Jeremy.’”
I deserved every bit of his wrath. If the roles were reversed, and I’d overheard him talking to a woman, I would’ve been just as pissed. But this was my opportunity to set things straight.
“I’m just trying to be realistic, Levi. Pretty soon, you’ll leave town and go back to the life you came from. Playing house with me…it’s just a phase for you.”
Anger filled his eyes. “What have I ever done to give you that impression? Don’t use my past or even Tanner against me in your answer either. This is about you and me, Presley. Us. When have I ever given you the impression that I wasn’t serious about you?”
I couldn’t answer his question. And that terrified me. It made me wonder if my own fear had distorted everything. He’d been nothing but caring, attentive, and dare I say, loving with me. But fear was a bitch, and I couldn’t seem to come to terms with all of the obstacles we’d have to get through to actually be together. It wasn’t a realistic possibility, as far as I was concerned.
“You scare me, Levi, for so many reasons.”
“So you’re stopping yourself from getting close to me. Same reason you’ll let me fuck you in the ass but won’t even kiss me outside of the bedroom…”
I winced.
“Shit.” He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I’m just frustrated. This is not the time nor place for this conversation.” He turned away.
When I followed and put my hand on his arm, he whipped around. “What is this really about, Presley? Is it just about Tanner, or do you really not trust me?”
I stayed silent, not wanting to admit that I did worry about his ability to be a one-woman man, even if he’d done nothing specific to warrant my insecurity. I knew old habits died hard, and I couldn’t accept that he’d changed.
He took my silence as an affirmative. “Well, then, I’m fighting a losing battle. If you can’t trust me, that’s worse than worrying about how Tanner would react. Without trust, we have nothing left to say to each other.” He dumped the rest of his coffee on the grass and crushed the cup in his hand. “And by the way, I’m just as fucking scared as you about all this. But I’m not gonna pretend what we have is nothing to try to neutralize it.”
He stopped talking suddenly when we saw Alex running toward us.
“Uncle Levi! I didn’t know you were coming today,” Alex said when he got close.
“Hey, buddy. Figured I’d try to make the end.”
“Why were you yelling at Mom?”
Levi blinked. “Did it look like I was yelling?”
“Yeah. It seemed like you guys were arguing about something.”
“No. I was just complaining about my day.” He lifted the crushed cup. “And this coffee stunk. Put me in a bad mood. Tasted like mud.”
“Oh. I thought you guys were fighting again, like you used to when you first moved in.”