Chapter 11 Levi
Levi
When we’re done eating, I lean back in the chair and stare at Kelcie. Her face has more color, and it sets me at ease.
Tonight was brutal for her, and all I want to do is hold her. It doesn’t help that I love seeing her in my jacket, which she’s drowning in.
“Want to move to the couch? We can watch a movie,” I say.
She nods, and we get up to clear the table.
God, she fits so perfectly into my space.
When I shut the dishwasher after loading it, Kelcie clears her throat and asks, “What are your plans for Thanksgiving?”
“The same as every other day.”
She seems to hesitate before she asks, “Want to spend it with me? I can make us a turkey that will probably feed us for a week.”
“You’re not going to your brother’s?”
She shakes her head, and with a nervous expression, she replies, “I’d rather spend the day with you.” Her tongue darts out to wet her lips. “And with Lick, of course.”
I know the attraction is mutual, and it makes it all the more difficult to keep my distance.
You can’t get romantically involved with her.
Yeah, like only being her friend will hurt less.
When I don’t reply quickly enough, she mumbles, “Or not. Don’t feel pressured to say yes.”
The words rush way too fast from me. “I want to celebrate Thanksgiving with you.”
Relief eases the tension on her face. “Oh, good. Then it’s settled.”
Things still feel a little tense between us as we go to the living room, and I wait for Kelcie to pick a couch before I sit down beside her.
You’re looking for trouble.
“What movies do you like?” I ask.
“Let’s watch your favorite,” she responds. “Then afterward, I can torture you with mine.”
“Which is?”
“Click,” she answers, and when I shake my head, she adds, “With Adam Sandler.”
“I don’t think I’ve watched it.” While I grab the remote and switch on the TV, I say, “We’ll watch yours first.”
“Hold on. Which one is your favorite?” she asks.
As I search for Kelcie’s movie, I reply, “Arrival.”
“What’s it about?”
“It’s kinda sci-fi, but it’s very deep. The first time I watched it, the main plot went right over my head.”
Lick jumps onto the couch, trying to squeeze into the small space between Kelcie and the armrest. She scoots closer to me until our sides touch, then Lick flops down and uses her lap for a pillow.
Lifting my arm, I rest it on the back of the couch behind Kelcie. While she pets Lick, I find the movie and press play.
This feels too much like we could be a family. Me, Kelcie, and Lick.
As if my dog is trying to torture me, she turns onto her back, and Kelcie has to duck her head against me to avoid taking a paw to the face.
“Shove her off. She can go lie on the other couch.”
“No.” Kelcie glances up at me, and then she pouts. “She’s just getting comfy.”
Holy fuck. Kelcie pouting is too fucking cute for me to handle.
“Fine, but lean against me.” Not giving her much of a choice in the matter, I lower my arm to her shoulders and pull her closer.
I have to force myself to focus on the movie, and just as I get into it, Kelcie crosses her legs and turns into me. She lays her head against my chest, and I can’t resist trailing my fingers up and down her arm.
I lower my head and almost press a kiss to her hair but stop myself in time.
Watch the damn movie, asshole.
Somehow, I manage to get into it again, and when I realize it’s not a comedy but actually fucking sad and deep, I begin to realize why it’s Kelcie’s favorite. It’s about not taking anything for granted.
“I wish I had a remote like that, but instead of skipping forward, I want to go back in time,” Kelcie murmurs.
I don’t stop myself like I did before and press a kiss to her hair. I take a deep breath of her flowery scent, wishing I could make her mine.
When the credits start rolling, I say, “It was good.”
Carefully, Kelcie tries to lift Lick’s head off her lap, but my dog wakes up, and when Kelcie climbs to her feet, Lick also jumps off the couch.
“I’ll make some coffee and tea while you let her out,” Kelcie offers.
We head to the kitchen, and when I open the back door, a freezing wind blows through the room.
“Holy crap,” Kelcie gasps, quickly pulling up the zipper of my jacket she’s wearing. “Where did you live before moving to Verona? Did you have snowy winters?”
“I have a house in Grand Rapids in Michigan.” When a confused expression blossoms on her face, I explain, “I needed a change of scenery. But to answer your question, I’m used to snowy winters.”
“What made you pick Verona?” she asks as she turns her attention to preparing our beverages.
Shit.
I don’t want to lie to her, but I can’t tell her the truth.
“I heard about the inn where Easton stayed,” I tell her a believable lie. “I thought I’d check it out. Something about the town called to me, and I decided to stay.”
You called to me.
I couldn’t stay away, and I watched you like a stalker. I wormed my way into your life, and now I’m making you care about me.
Guilt pours into my chest, and I feel bad about what I’m doing, even though I know I can’t stop.
Lick comes back inside, and Kelcie glances my way. She stops stirring the coffee, worry flickering across her features. “What’s wrong?”
For someone who hates lying, it comes way too easily to me. “Just a bad memory.”
She picks up the mug and brings it to me. When I take it from her, she shuts the still-open back door, then asks, “Want to talk about it?”
My mind races to come up with a memory from my childhood, and when I lock onto one, I say, “Let’s go back to the living room, where it’s warmer.”
She brings her tea, and this time I don’t sit on the same couch as her.
I drink some of the coffee before I admit, “I hate birthdays.” I suck in a deep breath of air before I let it out slowly.
“At first, I thought it was something our family didn’t celebrate, but when my half brother was born, our parents would make a big deal about his birthday.
Every year, they threw him a party with all the bells and whistles.
” Hatred and a feeling of worthlessness shudder through me.
“For my eighth birthday, I asked for a cake. That’s all I wanted.
A cake in the shape of a car.” A bitter chuckle escapes me.
“They said no, and like every other birthday, I was ignored. But then, when my half brother’s birthday came around, they gave him the cake I asked for. That’s when I realized they hated me.”
When I look up, Kelcie is wiping a tear from her cheek. She shakes her head, and as more tears fall, she gets up and comes to sit beside me. She places her arms around me, and when a sob sputters from her, I don’t care about the repercussions and pull her onto my lap.
We hold each other as if our lives would end if we didn’t, and the tears she’s crying for me flow into the cracks in my heart, making the most intense emotion I’ve ever experienced sprout inside me.
I love her.
Done with another chapter, I save the manuscript before standing up and stretching out.
It’s been two weeks since I realized I love Kelcie, and we’ve spent every night since together. During the day, I write my ass off, too fucking thankful the writer’s block is gone.
“Levi?” Kelcie calls.
“In my office.” Leaving the room, I walk toward the kitchen.
Kelcie appears, and grabbing hold of my hand, she pulls me out the back door.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“I have a surprise for you.” She stops outside of her house, and there’s so much excitement on her face, it looks like she’s going to burst. “It’s something small, and I hope I’m not overstepping.”
She opens her door, and I’m pulled inside, then she shouts, “Happy pretend birthday.”
My body freezes as my gaze jumps over the blue and white balloons that are floating against the ceiling. When I see the red sports car cake and wrapped presents, the air is knocked from my lungs.
I can’t remember when I last cried, but as I stare at everything, my eyes begin to sting.
“Kelcie.” I breathe her name like it’s a prayer, and the love I feel for her becomes a living force I can’t contain.
“Do you like it?” she asks, a cautious smile wavering around her lips.
“I . . .” I shake my head, and when her expression morphs into worry, I hurry to say, “I love it.”
I close the distance between us, and lifting my hands, I frame her face. Just as I lean down, it registers what I’m doing, and at the last possible second, I turn my head and press a kiss to her cheek.
I quickly pull away and glance at the decorations, the cake, and the presents. This moment is officially my favorite and more special to me than when I found out about the movie deal.
Kelcie darts to the counter and lights the candles. “You have to make a wish when you blow them out.”
I only have one wish.
I step closer and stare at the flickering flames.
I wish that if Kelcie ever learns the truth about why I came to Verona, she’ll find a way to forgive me, and we’ll be able to love each other without a sword hanging over our heads.
Leaning forward, I blow out the candles, and it has Kelcie excitedly clapping her hands. “Don’t tell anyone what you wished for, or it won’t come true.”
Trust me, I’m not telling a soul.
She picks up a small present that’s covered in blue paper with little red cars printed all over it. “Time to open your gifts.”
I smile at her, and being careful not to tear the paper, I unwrap it.
“God, you have the patience of a saint. I just rip the paper to shreds.”
“I want to keep it,” I say. Then I see the little toy version of a Mustang, and my smile widens. “I’ve always wanted a Mustang.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Right?”
I spend the next ten minutes carefully unwrapping all my gifts, and by the time I finish, I have a nice little collection of toy cars.
“I’ll even play with you,” Kelcie says.
I shake my head quickly. “I’m not taking them out of the boxes. I’m going to put them on the shelf in my living room.”
Our eyes meet, and the urge to kiss her hits me again. Instead of giving in, I clear my throat and look at the cake.
“I’ll make coffee and tea.”
“Thanks,” I murmur.
She grins at me as she prepares the beverages. “We can have some of the cake because you can’t keep it.”
“Wait before you cut it.” I hurry out of her house and jog to my place. Grabbing my phone from the office, I head back. When I step into the kitchen, I unlock the device and take a photo of the cake.
“Let me take one of you,” Kelcie offers. “Stand by the cake.”
I shake my head and pull her in beside me. When I have both us and the cake in the frame, I take the photo. Looking at it, my heart stutters in my chest because Kelcie is unbelievably beautiful, and her smile is filled with happiness.
“Will you please send it to me?”
I nod. “Sure. What’s your number?”
She chuckles as she walks to the living room to pick up her phone. “Isn’t it weird that we’ve been friends for . . . holy crap, has it been two months?”
Hell if I know.
“I think so,” I reply.
“Anyway, it’s funny that we’ve been friends for so long and haven’t even exchanged numbers.”
When she gives me her number, I program it into my device before sending her the photo.
“I’m making it my screen saver,” she says.
In that case, I’m doing the same. I stare at the photo again, noticing the lines on my face aren’t as harsh anymore.
Kelcie is changing me. I don’t think she realizes how much joy she’s bringing into my life.
Beautiful memories I’ll cherish forever.