Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
HARPER
Turned out living with Levi was exactly like living alone. It’d only been a couple days, but so far, I’d had the apartment all to myself. He was gone when I woke up in the morning and didn’t return until well after I’d retreated to my room for the night. For all I knew, he never returned at all.
Maybe he’d decided to live in the construction zone at the resort. Maybe he roamed the streets of Starlight Cove all night long.
Maybe he had a girlfriend and was spending his nights in her bed.
Before I could stop it, a knot twisted up my stomach for no good reason.
It certainly wasn’t because I cared who Levi spent his time with.
That was ridiculous and so far out of the realm of reality, it was laughable.
It was obviously just old wounds brought back to life.
The reminder that I hadn’t been good enough for that role but someone else was. Nothing more.
Lightning flashed in the distance, the wind picking up as rain started to fall, and I hustled into the building, that hum under my skin urging me faster. I’d been terrified of storms since I was a little girl. It didn’t matter how old I got or how illogical it was. That fear had never left me.
I slipped my key into the lock and pushed open the door, readying myself for another night alone. I hated being by myself during storms—a reminder of all those years ago—but I’d gotten good at it. Especially living the life I did.
I had a system now—distractions in whatever form I could find.
I’d grab something quick to eat and slip into my room, put on my noise-canceling headphones, and disappear into the book I was reading.
Nothing like the escapism of a spicy romance to get my mind off that night I’d been trying most of my life to forget.
Except when I stepped inside the apartment, a mouthwatering scent hit me, and I froze on the spot. Levi stood in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove, his icy blue eyes connecting with mine immediately.
Fuck. Shit. Fucking shit. We hadn’t been in the same space since the first night I’d moved in, and it’d been working just fine. I didn’t know if upsetting that was a good idea.
But before I could even think about turning around and slipping right back out the door, a deafening crack of thunder split the air, shaking the floor beneath me.
I jumped with a yelp, my hand flying to my chest as I shot a glance out the window at the ever-darkening sky.
I hated how much storms continued to affect me, like I was still that little girl.
I was a thirty-year-old woman who’d traveled the world by myself, for God’s sake.
I’d lived on my own since I was eighteen, handled shit without anyone’s help. And yet, I was scared of a damn storm.
Worse, I hated that I was basically rolling over and exposing my underbelly to the one man I swore I’d never be soft around again.
“Don’t be stupid and go back out there just to spite me,” he said, turning away from me and back to the stove. “Besides, I made plenty.”
I hesitated as the rain began to pelt the windows and eyed him.
He stood with his back to me as he stirred something in a pot, his back muscles bunching and flexing under the thin cotton T-shirt he wore.
Had it been anyone other than Levi, the sight would’ve been hot.
A huge, tattooed man with inked sleeves down both arms cooking something that smelled amazing? Yeah, sign me up, please and thank you.
Unfortunately, the huge, tattooed man cooking was the last person in the world I wanted to spend even five minutes with, let alone a meal. And definitely not an evening. What if the power went out? What if we were stuck together, in the dark, with nothing but candlelight to illuminate the space?
Yeah, no. I was not at all interested in suffering through that.
The lights flickered, and I shot my gaze around, praying to whatever God would listen that I didn’t actually want that to happen.
My worst-case scenario was not a goddamn invitation to the universe.
Thankfully, the power only flickered but remained strong.
But that was merely half my issue. The other half was my ex-boyfriend, standing there looking like God’s gift to women, and I was stuck in a too-small space with him.
Just as I reached for the knob, deciding I was totally fine cutting off my nose to spite my face, another crack of thunder shook the apartment. At the same moment, lightning lit up the sky, and a deluge of rain battered the windows, proving the storm wasn’t coming. It was already on top of us.
Levi blew out a long, aggrieved sigh, as if I were getting on his last nerve. “Stop being so fucking stubborn and sit down. It’s spaghetti, not a life sentence.”
I couldn’t say whether I stood frozen because of the storm or him, just that I was.
My feet felt like they were encased in cement blocks, my fight, flight, or freeze instinct choosing my least favorite option.
And then, as if the universe wanted to dump a bit more on top of me, a strong gust of wind rattled the windows, and the lights flickered once more before going out entirely.
“Fuck,” I whispered, the word barely leaving me. My body flushed, my breaths coming quicker. Panic clawed its way up my chest as memories flooded me faster than I could stop them.
Being outside, pitch black except for when lightning lit up the sky. Lost in the dark as rain pelted my skin. Having no idea where I was or how to get back home. And knowing, without a doubt, no one even realized I was gone.
“Looks like your decision’s made for you.
You’re not wandering around in a thunderstorm while the power’s out,” Levi said, his tone brooking no argument.
As if he were the boss of me. It was something I normally would’ve snapped back at, but I couldn’t find my voice at all, trapped in that time more than twenty years ago when I’d screamed myself hoarse.
“Now, sit the fuck down while I get some candles.”
It was dark in the apartment, not even a sliver of moonlight shining through the windows.
I stood at the front door, gripping the knob in an effort to ground myself.
Reminding myself I was here, in the present, with the one man I couldn’t stand.
I wasn’t lost outside again. I was safe.
Or as safe as I could be with Levi near.
I could hear him shuffling around, picked up his scent as he breezed past me, but I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. Until suddenly, a metallic rasp sounded, followed by a soft click, and a flicker of light brightened the space.
Levi stood at the breakfast bar, a lighter in his hand as he lit a small candle. The flame illuminated his face, accentuating his sharp cheekbones and his full lips, and I was reminded once again how gorgeous my ex-boyfriend was. Because of course he was. Some things were just patently unfair.
He glanced at me then, his gaze flicking over me from head to toe, pausing briefly on the death grip I had on the doorknob. I could’ve sworn his eyes softened for the briefest moment before that hard expression was back on his face.
With a sigh, he walked straight toward me, removed the bag from my shoulder, and hung it on the hook by the door. Then he grabbed me by the elbow and guided me to the stool on the other side of the breakfast bar. “Sit.”
He didn’t wait for me to comply, just pushed me onto the stool before making his way around the counter and back into the kitchen.
There was no doubt this was dangerous territory—sharing a meal, just the two of us, with nothing but candlelight to brighten the space—but I didn’t move.
And even if I had, I wasn’t sure Levi wouldn’t have dragged me right back.
As if my body knew I was still contemplating bailing, my stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard even over the raging storm outside. I’d been so busy today, I hadn’t eaten anything since the breakfast sandwich I’d grabbed on my way to interview the mayor that morning, and I was paying for that now.
“Here.” Levi set a plate in front of me, piled high with enough spaghetti to feed a small country, before turning his back to me to dish up his own.
Rather than take the stool directly next to mine, Levi remained in the kitchen, setting his plate down on the other side of the counter. Then he grabbed a couple glasses and a bottle of wine, expertly uncorking it, and poured me a healthy glass.
“Didn’t take you for a wine guy.” But I also wasn’t going to complain because my nerves could use a little soothing.
He shrugged, lifting his eyes to mine for a brief moment as he poured himself a glass. “I’m not. I keep a couple bottles of Marianne’s favorite on hand. And I’m guessing you still hate beer.”
I froze, startled that he remembered… Just like he seemed to remember I was scared of storms, if his bossing and efforts at distracting were any indication. I hated how much he seemed to recall about me, though I couldn’t deny the tiny part inside that actually…enjoyed it.
This man was nothing but contradictions. Gruff, stern, off-putting on the outside. A prickly cactus to anyone looking. But that same prickly cactus kept his best friend’s mom’s favorite wine on hand and knew just what to say to get my stubborn ass to sit down, even when I wanted to do anything but.
I had to ignore every instinct in me that was drawn to the allure of that. The allure of him.
“You gonna eat, or are you waiting for me to feed you?”
I snapped my gaze to his, only to find him already staring at me. “Just trying to figure out if I was distracted long enough for you to poison my meal.”
With his eyes still locked on mine, he took a long drink from his wineglass. Then he grabbed his fork and stabbed it onto my plate, gathering a large amount of noodles before slipping it into his mouth. He raised a brow at me as he chewed and swallowed, then tucked back into his own meal.