17. Rob
17 ROB
"Have you given any thought to Easter brunch?" I wrapped my arms around Levi's shoulders, smiling at him even though the bar was totally packed tonight. It was the second day in a row that my morning sickness had been minimal, and I was excited about it. And horny. "It's just around the corner."
Levi nodded and tightened his hold on my hips. "I have thought about it, but isn't brunch kind of fancy?"
"Brunch is what you make it. It's often fancy, but this is Easter, so you'll be feeding all types. Make it good and serve it fancy, it's the best of both worlds." I pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
His lips twitched. "How many types do you think there are in Holiday Grove?"
"Easy." I held up my hand, ticking my fingers as I talked. "Moms who don't want to cook. Families who don't go to church but want to go out. Single girls and guys. Couples. All types."
"Okay, I promise it's at the top of my list of things to think about for tomorrow, okay?" Before I could answer, he kissed me again. It was hot with the promise of even more heat later.
"Okay. I'm not trying to be pushy, but—" I smiled. "You've been doing such magic in here, and the town is loving it."
"I know, and I'm really grateful to you for encouraging me to do this. And for being my bartender so I could give it a go."
"My pleasure." It really was. Watching him do something he so clearly loved only made me love him more. Yeah, I know, a few days in and I was already able to say the words to myself.
"So hey, I want to talk later. Wanna stay with me tonight?"
I nodded. If he was offering a sleepover, it was a safe assumption he wasn't about to dump me. But he could tell you he wants no part of fatherhood. Or that, I realized too late. "Sure."
The swinging door opened, and the new waitress, Livvy, popped her head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but we're backed up."
"Sorry!" I pressed a quick kiss to Levi's lips and slithered away. "I'm coming."
"There she is," Xavier shouted above the music and other conversations. "Flushed, mussed, and freshly kissed."
My cheeks flamed while Nix, Torey, and Hailey laughed. "Hush." Mac strolled in with Lee and Kayla, and I got busy making drinks from the backlog.
"Holy moly, do you grow 'em fine as hell in this small town," Xavier said, fanning his face the way he did most things, dramatically.
I stayed busy for the next hour, pouring beers, shaking cocktails, and setting Levi's beautiful plates on trays for the servers. It was a good job, one I never imagined I'd do again, but I enjoyed spending time with people I hadn't seen in ages, as well as meeting new people.
I couldn't help but wonder how different life would look five months from now, when my belly was round with my baby and I was too big or too slow to move around behind the bar.
Who would Levi hire?
Would he still be in my life? In our lives?
"Hey, Rob, where are those beefy cheddar and onion subs?" Dani rested her elbows on the bar with a wide grin. "The guys can't get enough of 'em."
Right. "Coming right up," I promised and pushed into the kitchen, where I froze at the sight of Sela with her curvy body pressed up against Levi. I swallowed down the pain of seeing them so wrapped up in each other, the same way we were earlier, and slapped on a smile. "Dani's still waiting on three beefy cheddars with caramelized onions." I turned around and walked out without another word.
"Hey, Rob, you okay?" Xavier called after me, but I didn't stop, and I didn't respond.
I rushed out of the bar and into the cool night air, sucking in as much of it as my lungs would allow. I tilted my head back to the stars, not because I was enjoying the starry night but because I needed to stop the tears that threatened to fall. I will not cry over another man. I won't, dammit.
"Rob!" Levi's voice cut through the night air like a knife.
I blinked until I was sure any remnants of my tears disappeared, then turned with a blank expression. "Sorry, I just needed fresh air. It's getting stuffy inside."
His nostrils flared. "I know what you think you saw, Rob, but I promise it's not that."
"Oh yeah? So it wasn't Sela with her tits pressed against you while you didn't push her away?" It all made sense now—why he didn't want to define us. "I am such a fool."
"If you think I want anyone but you, then yeah, you are a fool." He shook his head. "I don't know what else I need to say to make you see this clearly, Rob."
"You haven't said anything," I argued. "You haven't said what we're doing other than spending time together. You haven't said what you want to do about the baby either." I shook my head, annoyed, angry, and hurt. "I'm falling in love with you, but you know what? I'm flying blind, and I don't like it, Levi!"
"And you've been so open with your feelings?" His accusing tone was like a slap across the face.
I took a step back, but I couldn't argue. Communicating my wants and needs in a relationship was never my strong suit, but that's because I knew it wouldn't matter. This time, though, it was different. "I couldn't say anything," I replied, barely above a whisper.
"But I'm supposed to pour my heart out?" He shook his head. "So I'm supposed to put myself out there, risk my heart, while you say nothing?"
I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes, letting a few tears fall. "No," I said softly. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to influence your decision about the baby. I didn't want you to think I was trying to manipulate you into something you might not want."
Levi stared at me without saying a word for so long, I began to shiver under the quickly cooling night air.
"Okay. Glad we cleared that up." I brushed past him and went back inside to finish my shift.
When my shift was over, I went home and curled up in bed, crying over a man who'd never really been mine.