Chapter 14 Levi
FOURTEEN
LEVI
BACK AT IT
Her shoes were inside the door, but no sign of Allie. It appeared she was slipping back into hate mode, so maybe she was relaxing in her room. Or taking a bubble bath. A bubble bath where her hot slippery body soaks in the steamy water. That would be super cool.
I walked past her room, and the door was open, but no Langley wrapped in a towel or anything. Bummer.
I checked the pool area, out front, and the game room in the basement, but she was MIA. I grabbed a Rockstar and sat on the deck for a minute and that’s when I saw it.
Down the hill in the distance was a fire and a tiny person. I narrowed my eyes and the auburn hair with the backdrop of winter white snow answered the question of who it was.
Did I immediately run down the hill so I could be by her and the fire?
Nope. Instead, I grabbed a toboggan from the shelf in the garage and slid my ass all the way down the hill in style.
While I’d like to say I hadn’t gained speed quickly and ran into some huge wooden box, I can’t.
I hopped up realizing any chance of playing it cool had stayed back at the house. Allie skated toward me.
“I’m fine.”
Her eyes rolled. “I didn’t ask.”
I stood by the fire and dusted myself off. “I’m sorry for what I said by the car. I was joking, but it was in bad taste.”
“Let’s play the quiet game, okay?” She skated in a circle.
“I think—”
“Clearly you still have no concept of the quiet game.”
She propelled in the other direction and stayed about as far from me as possible.
Every minute around her was stoking a fire I knew would eventually grow out of control; she was still the only thing I wanted.
There had been many women in my life, hookups and purposeful dead ends, because nobody could be what she was, so why try?
I’d regretted shutting it down from the day I had.
There were chairs on the ice in the distance, several areas where people had been ice fishing recently. I walked across the ice toward her.
“Hey! Watch for ice holes! It’ll be weaker there.” My voice rolled across the frozen lake.
“I don’t want to hear from you. I’m going back to the house.”
“Come on, Allie. Let’s talk about this.”
“No. I don’t want to talk about anything. I just want to forget it and never speak to you again.”
“Accept it; you can’t steer clear of me. Not then or now.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear you over the little voice in my head screaming you’re an idiot. No talking anymore. Stay away.”
“Langley—”
“Everything is done.”
“I hear ya honey, and I guess it’s your lie to believe then. I just—”
She let a sarcastic laugh fly. “Please hold while I connect you with someone who gives a shit.”
She skated to the bench, pulled off her skates, put on her boots, and tossed her skates in the box before heading up the hill toward the house.
She needed space. I’d just stay out here for a bit. It was warm for December so I’d just chill and try to not think about her. I walked across the ice realizing a little time was needed. That plan was shot to hell when the ice beneath my feet cracked.