Chapter 6
Austin
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It’s been a week since I saw Levi, and I feel like I’m going out of my mind. I’ve tried texting him a few times, but he’s left me on read.
I thought things were okay between us. He seemed fine when he got home the night of the wedding. So why is he ignoring me?
Did he regret what we did? Did I push him too far? Am I coming on too strong? We did say it was going to be a casual thing.
Fuck. I don’t know why he’s not responding to me.
“Hey, Cade!” Someone shouts my name, snapping me out of my daze. But not in enough time for me to avoid the ball that is hurling towards my face.
“Fuck!” I roar as it hits me right in my left eye.
“Shit. Sorry, man!” Cole shouts as I curse, covering my eye, the pain starting to set in.
“Just what I wanted,” I growl. “A fucking black eye.”
“It’s not Cole’s fault,” Charlie says with a chuckle. “You’re the one standing out here looking off into space when you’re supposed to be practicing.”
“What's gotten into you anyways?” Cole asks. “You’ve been off all week.”
Sighing, I try to blink, my vision a little blurry. I think I’ll be okay. Thankfully, it wasn’t that hard of a throw, but I will be getting a black eye. Lovely.
“Your throw is shit, Cole.” I bend over, pick up the ball, and hurl it back to him.
He catches it with a grunt of laughter.
“Fuck you,” he chuckles. “Seriously. What's gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” I mutter, walking off the pitch to go grab a drink of water.
“Trouble in paradise already?” Charlie asks. “If it’s issues in the bedroom, don’t come to me for advice. I don’t wanna think about my little brother like that.”
“It’s not that.” I glare at him.
“But it is Levi?” Cole asks.
“He hasn’t really talked to me since the wedding.” I shrug, taking a swig of water.
“Uhh. That's it?” Charlie asks. “Dude, it’s Levi. The man lives for work. Do you know how long it takes for him to text me back?”
“Well, you're not his boyfriend,” I snap.
“Ohh, someone's feeling a little needy.” Cole chuckles, giving me a knowing look. I flip him off, not in the mood for his bullshit.
“I’m not being needy. I just want to know if he’s mad at me or something.”
“You knew what you were getting into when you started dating Levi. This can’t be the only time he hasn’t texted you back,” Charlie says.
Actually, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started dating Levi. Because the fact is, the Levi I knew growing up might still be in there somewhere, but it’s not exactly who he is now. Levi has a whole new life that I know very little about.
“Whatever,” I grumble to Charlie.
“Hang in there. If he doesn’t text back, just show up at his place, or call,” Charlie suggests, patting me on the shoulder before jogging back out to the field.
“You sure seem worked up over someone who’s only meant to be a casual hook-up.” Cole gives me a smug, knowing grin. “Didn’t think this whole fake boyfriend thing through, did you?”
My eyes widen, darting around to make sure no one is listening. “Would you shut the fuck up!” I hiss, grabbing his arm to tug him closer. “He told you?”
“Ah, yeah. He’s my best friend. Also, seeing how I set you up on the blind date, I would have known that you two dating was bullshit.”
I narrow my eyes. “Do you have to be so crass?”
He shrugs. “It's what I do sometimes,” he chuckles. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have feelings for the guy.”
“I like Levi. He’s my type. And insanely sexy.
But it’s not like that.” Lie. “We were friends growing up. Hanging out with him at the wedding was fun. It made me miss him and the friendship we used to have. He said we could be friends again, outside the deal we made. I’ve just been worried he might not want that anymore, that's all.”
“Ahhh.” Cole nods. “Look. Levi is my best friend. And my roommate. I’d like to say I know him better than anyone.
” Why does that piss me off? “Levi’s life is all about school and work.
He has no social life. Trust me, I’ve tried.
Being friends with him isn’t going to be like being friends with other people.
Seeing him is going to be rare, unless you plan on showing up at the house around midnight most nights to hang out for an hour while he does school work before going to bed.
He only has Saturdays off, and he spends that catching up on homework for the most part, or sleeping in to catch up on sleep. ”
He says the showing up at midnight thing like it's a joke, but he has no idea I’d actually do it. I’m starting to feel desperate to see his face at this point.
We don’t share any classes, and we don’t run in the same friend circles. It’s why we’ve been going to the same school for years and haven’t crossed paths. He hasn’t even been to his parents’ place for Christmas or Thanksgiving the past two years. I have. Because it’s the only safe place I can go.
His mom says he always picks up shifts at the local shelter, helping them out on those days because that’s when it seems to be the busiest. They can’t even be mad at him because he’s doing good things for the community.
So, his parents usually take food to him on his day off following those holidays.
Seeing Levi at the wedding might have been a one-time thing at this point. Maybe my plan isn’t going to be possible after all.
He really meant it when he said he didn’t have time to date. We’re not even actually dating, and I can’t even get a text from him.
Am I moody about it? Yes, because I just want to be around him. I’ve had a taste and now I want more.
Coach blows the whistle, telling us to get our asses back on the field.
I manage to get out of my head long enough to finish practice before we’re all dragging our broken and beaten bodies into the locker room. We’re covered head to toe in dirt and grass, a happy smile on my face for the first time today.
I need to get Levi out of my head. At least when it comes to rugby. I can overthink everything else later.
“We’re heading down to O'Connell's tonight. You coming?” Charlie asks.
“O'Connell's? We never go there.” It’s not a bad bar, it’s just a little further away from campus.
“Finnegan’s is down for a little bit. Getting some remodels done after those assholes trashed the place last week.”
“Fuck.” I almost forgot.
We won our game last week, and the losing team wasn’t very happy about it.
They found out where we were celebrating and a few of the guys showed up, got drunk, and tried to start a fight.
It got out of hand and some things were broken.
They were arrested, charged with vandalism, and are now facing expulsion.
As much as I would have loved to sink my fist into their stupid faces, I knew better.
If my father had to come bail me out, I’d never hear the end of it. Nothing like proving to the old man exactly what he thinks of me: a useless excuse of a son.
“Hey, this is your chance to talk to your man.” Cole claps me on the back.
“What do you mean?” My brows furrow.
“Levi is working tonight.” Charlie stares at me like I have three heads. “Shouldn’t you know this? He works every night at O'Connell's during the week and works at Sun Cove Animal Hospital on Friday nights and Sunday. Has for years now.”
“Right,” I scoff, waving him off. “I knew that. Just thought tonight was Friday, not Thursday.”
“Hold up.” Andy, one of our teammates and someone I consider a friend, steps over. “Your man? Since when do you have yourself a man?”
“It’s new.” I glare at him.
“Like how new?” Andy raises a brow. “Because the night of the last match, you had some men hitting on you. Were you dating him then?”
I’m going to wrap my hand around his neck and squeeze if he doesn’t shut the fuck up.
“Wait? Were you cheating on my brother?” Charlie grows angry.
“Hold up. He’s dating your brother? Damnnn.” Andy whistles. “Nice. Levi is cute. In the nerdy way.”
“First off, no. I'm not cheating on Levi. Just because the guys were flirting with me doesn’t mean I was flirting back,” I tell Charlie.
And I wasn’t. Because I had no interest in any of them.
“And two.” I turn back to Andy. “Call my boyfriend cute, and you're going to be eating your teeth for supper.”
“Aww, look at him.” Andy gives me a fake pouty look. “He’s so smitten, it’s cute. Threatening bodily harm to his buddies because he’s jealous over his man.”
“Whatever.” I flip him off.
“So, you're really off the market, are yah?" Andy asks, raising a brow. “For real?”
“For real.” And I didn’t care who knew it. As far as I was concerned, Levi was mine. And if we’re going to keep having people believe we’re dating, then it shouldn’t cause any harm to let everyone know, right?
“Well, I’ll be damned. Eh, boys!” Andy shouts. “Cade got himself a man!”
Everyone cheers, and I can’t help but smile, shaking my head. For the most part, everyone on the team is dating someone. Maybe three other guys and I were the only single ones left.
Not anymore. And not again if I can help it.
So Levi is working at O'Connell's, huh? Guess he’s not going to be able to avoid me anymore as of tonight.
“Alright, boys, O'Connell's it is!”
***
As much as I enjoy Finnegan's, I’m going to make sure O'Connell's is our new go-to place. Not just because Levi works here, but because this place is a hell of a lot nicer. I’d rather walk the extra fifteen minutes. Only downside is it’s right on the water of St. John’s Harbor, so it’s fucking cold as fuck at night.
“I’m gonna freeze my balls off.” Andy shudders as we step into the bar.
“Dramatic much?” Charlie laughs, tucking a shivering Claire under his arm.
“Fuck you.” Andy flips me off. “I’m going to order me a shot to warm me the fuck up.”
Andy takes off, leaving us standing near the door. “Let’s get in and out of the doorway,” Gabe, Cole’s boyfriend, says.
I don’t like the guy. There’s something off about him. But I bite my tongue because it’s none of my business.