Chapter 8 Kelcie
Kelcie
While I make sure the corn on the cob doesn’t burn, Levi keeps an eye on the steaks.
He cuts off a piece and sets it aside. When he notices I’m looking, he explains, “I’m letting it cool down for Lick.”
“Why did you name her Lick?”
“Because as a puppy, she used to lick every damn thing she could get her tongue on.”
I let out a chuckle and remove the corn on the cob, then head into Levi’s kitchen to set them down on our plates. Seconds later, he joins me with the steaks.
I glance around, and spotting drawers, I try the top one. “Bingo.” I grab knives and forks for us before asking, “Where do you want to eat?”
He gestures at the kitchen table. “We can sit here.”
While I set the silverware down, Levi brings our plates before heading to the fridge. “I have beer and water.”
“A beer will be great.”
Sitting down, I try to ignore the burst of happiness I feel because I’m getting to hang out with Levi. It’s the first time in a really long while since I’ve felt something positive.
I take a bite of the steak, and when it melts in my mouth, a satisfied groan escapes me. “So good.”
Levi stares at me until I begin to feel awkward, then he looks down at his food and cuts into the meat.
We enjoy our meal in silence with Lick sleeping beside the table. Once we’re done, I carry the dishes to the sink and rinse everything off before placing them in the dishwasher.
Picking up my beer, I take a sip and try to come up with a reason to visit a bit longer.
When I glance at the back door, Levi asks, “Do you want to go home?”
I shake my head.
“Let’s go sit in the living room,” he suggests.
I try to suppress a smile as I follow him out of the kitchen. When we step into the living room, I take in the TV mounted on the wall, the light gray couches, and the shelf with books.
Moving closer, I read the titles and look at the framed pictures of his movie and publishing deals. There are also images of his book covers and them ranking number one on various lists.
The last frame contains a photo of Levi standing beside Easton Rowe.
“It’s so cool that Easton starred in the movie. Did you know he’s from Verona?”
I glance over my shoulder in time to see Levi nod. “I read about it in an article.”
“He’s much older than me, so I never spoke to him, but whenever one of his movies is released, the town usually sets up a big screen on the football field, where everyone can watch.
They make a big fuss about it.” Levi takes a seat on a couch, and noticing worry creeping into his hazel gaze, I add, “I don’t think anyone in town knows who you are.
But you better keep it a secret or they’ll wear out your welcome mat. ”
“I don’t have a welcome mat.”
A burst of laughter escapes me. “Figuratively speaking.”
I pick the other couch and sit down. When I look at Levi again, our eyes lock, and it feels as if an invisible current passes between us.
“So I’m the talk of the town?” he asks as he starts to peel off the label around his beer bottle.
I shrug. “Don’t worry about it. Tomorrow they’ll have something new to gossip about.”
Leaning forward, he rests his forearms on his thighs, and it makes the veins look ridiculously hot as they snake beneath his skin.
“They were talking shit about you before Ellie noticed me and placed her hand on my arm.” His features tighten with disgust, and he clears his throat. “It makes my skin crawl when people touch me.”
“I’m sorry that happened,” I murmur, my tone soft. “And I’m sorry for all the touching the other night.”
He shakes his head, lifting his eyes to meet mine. “For some reason, I’m okay with you.”
His words make more happiness trickle into my heart. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“You’re not curious to know what they said about you?” he asks.
“It’s probably nothing I haven’t heard before.” I make air quotes. “I have to deal with everything and move on. I’m stubborn for not selling . . .” My voice disappears, and I’m unable to finish the sentence.
His tone is gentle when he says, “Don’t let them get to you. You do what’s right for you.”
I nod, a weak smile tugging at my mouth. “It just sucks, you know?”
“I do. They’re insensitive and don’t understand. They haven’t been through something so traumatic.”
Slowly, I lift my gaze to his. “It doesn’t get any better, does it?”
Levi stares at me for a long while before he shakes his head. “At least, it hasn’t gotten any easier for me.”
I let my eyes trail down his arm again, and a scar grabs my attention. It looks like a burn mark.
Then I see another one, and my heart constricts.
He said he had a bad childhood. Did his parents abuse him? Did they leave those marks on him?
Levi notices what I’m looking at, and when his fingers brush over the scars, my cheeks warm with shame for staring at him, and I quickly whisper, “I’m sorry.”
He leans back against the couch and lets out a sigh. “My stepfather liked to use me for an ashtray.”
I suck in a sharp breath as shock shudders through me. My hand flies up to cover my mouth. “God, Levi.”
When his gaze captures mine, I see the endless trauma darkening the green ring around his irises. “I’m telling you in the hopes that you’ll open up to me. Everyone needs someone to talk to.”
“Have you talked to anyone about what happened to you?” I ask.
“Never.” He shakes his head. “Not until you.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’ll understand.” His attention returns to the half-destroyed label around his beer. “Like you said, we seem to be two peas in a pod.”
We’re quiet for a few minutes while we sip on our beers, and when my bottle is empty, I ask, “Do you have any happy memories of your childhood?”
Levi just shakes his head.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk about my family, but I can’t stop myself from asking, “Want me to share some of mine with you?”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “I’d love that.”
I lean forward and set the empty bottle on the coffee table while I let myself willingly think of my childhood for the first time in a really long while.
Memories flood me, and a sad smile pulls at my mouth when I think of something I can share.
“Before Jordan and . . .” Pain slices through my heart, and I squeeze my eyes shut.
“. . . Sage moved out, we used to have little treasure hunts for our birthdays. We’d hide twelve pieces of candy all over the house and garden, and whoever’s birthday it was had an hour to find them all.
” My nose tingles as the urge to cry builds in me.
“It was just candy, but we had so much fun. We’d blow those birthday whistles .
. .” I open my eyes to look at Levi. “You know the ones that roll out?” When he nods, I continue, “Anyway, we’d blow them if the person was heading in the wrong direction.
” My smile widens. “The one time, Dad started laughing. I can’t remember why, but his whistle kept squawking like a duck.
I laughed so hard, I almost wet myself that day. ”
When I blink, a tear slips free and rolls over my cheek. I brush it away, and when I see the wetness on my fingertips, a weird mixture of a sob and laughter bursts from me.
My voice is hoarse as I admit, “I haven’t cried since I left the hospital.”
After a while, Levi whispers, “Thank you for sharing your happy memory with me.”
Even though it’s growing dark in the room, Levi doesn’t move to switch on a light.
Lick snores, and it pulls my attention to her. “She lies like a human when she sleeps. It’s so cute.”
“Yeah.”
I keep looking at the beautiful dog as I ask, “Do you want to share a memory with me?”
“You want us to make a memory-for-a-memory deal?” he asks.
My eyes dart to him, and I don’t even think twice. “Yes.”
His expression grows tense again. “Just tell me if any of mine are too much for you, and we can stop.”
Dear God.
I straighten up and square my shoulders to ready myself for whatever he’s going to share with me.
“I was five when my mother remarried. I never knew my biological father, and I was excited that I finally had a dad.” Levi pauses, and I see the moment he slips into his past, his expression tightening until he looks tormented.
I’m overcome with the urge to go to him and hug him tightly, but I sit still and listen.
“At first, he was only verbally abusive. My mother was already pregnant when they got married, and not long after, my half brother was born. That’s when things changed drastically.
If my brother cried, my stepfather would beat me, so I spent every waking moment trying to soothe him.
I would push his stroller for hours.” Levi seems to come out of the daze and exhales a heavy breath.
“To this day, the sound of a crying baby puts me on edge.”
Unable to keep my distance, I get up and walk over to Levi. Sitting down beside him, I ask, “May I hug you?”
He turns his head slightly toward me, then nods.
I scoot closer until our bodies touch and wrap my arms around his neck. When he leans into me and places his left hand on my back, I don’t think and press a kiss to his hair. “I’m so sorry you had to experience that.”
His other arm comes around me, and he grips me tightly to him.
After a few minutes, he whispers near my ear, “Your turn.”
“When I was sixteen, we all had to take lifelike baby dolls home for a weekend. It was to teach us how difficult it is to have a baby. At night, my family took shifts to take care of the doll, and during the day, they all helped with the diapers and feedings. When I asked my parents why, they said that’s what it would be like if I came home with a baby.
Everyone would pitch in to help and make things easier for me.
” Laughter sputters from me. “Then they gave me the talk about using protection, and I almost died from embarrassment.”
Levi lets out a chuckle, the sound deep as it rumbles from his chest, and it makes me feel like I did something good.
When it sinks in that he isn’t going to pull back first, I slowly let go until I’m able to meet his gaze. “Thank you, Levi.”
“For?”
“Doing what no one else could do the past year.”
His eyes soften as they drift over my face. “What’s that?”
“Helping me to remember the happy times I shared with them.” I lower my arms as I admit, “I don’t want to forget them.”
“You won’t.” He brings his hand to my face and carefully cups my cheek. “One memory at a time. Okay?”
It feels like something bigger than us fills the air between us as I reply, “Okay.”
Suddenly, he pulls back and climbs to his feet. “Tea?”
“Sure.” I get up, and as we walk to the kitchen, I ask, “What’s the time?”
Levi gestures to a clock on the wall, and when I see it’s already past midnight, I gasp. “Oh my God. I’m keeping you up.”
“You’re not. I don’t sleep at night.”
Shocked, my gaze swings to him. “Really? Me too. When do you sleep?”
“I catch a few hours during the day.” He opens a cupboard, then says, “I only have black tea. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
While he prepares coffee for himself and tea for me, he asks, “Can you open the back door for Lick?”
As soon as I pull the door open, Lick darts out of the house. I watch as she goes about her business until Levi brings me the cup. “Thanks.” I take a sip, then smile at him. “It’s good.”
He drinks his coffee while he looks at his dog.
“When we moved in with my stepfather, he tied my dog to a pole in the backyard of our old home and said I had to leave him behind. I spent the week after we moved worrying about Dodger, then I overheard a call between my mother and our landlord. Luckily, he found and adopted Dodger, but he let my mother have an earful and refused to return her deposit.”
What kind of monsters force a little boy to give up his dog like that?
“We need to make a new deal,” I say.
Levi’s face fills with worry. “Too much?”
“No, but I get the feeling I’m going to want to hug you after every bad memory. Is that okay?”
His mouth curves up. “You have a deal.”
I give him a sideways hug before I move out of the way so Lick can come back into the house.