Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A FRIDAY IN AUGUST
Levi
Just checking in to make sure you’re doing okay.
I’m sorry if my intrusion caused more problems.
I’m here if you need me, Lowe.
Please, just let me know you’re okay.
Me
I’m okay.
Want to come to Claire’s game tonight?
Levi
I wouldn’t miss it.
“Come on, Claire,” I murmur, my elbows resting on my knees, my hands folded together under my chin. “Come on, baby.”
She swings and misses again, the umpire calling her second strike.
I release a sigh and run a hand through my hair while Levi rubs a hand on my back.
It’s clear that our talk from last night is impacting her play, and I instantly feel guilty.
I know I should’ve waited to tell her the steps I have taken against her father, but I also feared if I put it off too long that she would find out some other way and it would only hurt her more.
“I’ve never seen her play like this,” Levi mumbles, his thigh pressing into my own. “What’s going on?”
Unsure if he’s talking to himself or me, I say, “I’ll tell you about it later when we’re alone.”
“Hey.” He turns his head, resting his forehead to the side of my own. “Whatever it is, don’t beat yourself up over it.” I turn to him, my eyes slightly wide and my eyebrows raised. “I know you, Lowe. I can feel the regret and anxiety practically emanating off of you.”
Releasing a quiet groan, I rest my head against his shoulder, and he wraps his arm around me. “Sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re making the right choices for your kid.”
“You only have her best interest at heart. I guarantee even if it doesn’t feel like it now, in the long haul, you’re always making the right decisions.”
I hum softly, watching as Claire gets her third strike and sulks back to the dugout. Lifting my head, I run a hand through my hair before resting my elbows back on my knees. Levi copies my position, his eyes coasting around the field before I feel him stiffen beside me.
“What is it?” Glancing up at him, I see his eyes set on something in the distance. I follow his gaze, and when my eyes land on what he’s looking at, my stomach bottoms out.
Travis is walking down the sidewalk between the fields near the concession stand, glancing around as if he’s looking for his daughter.
Just as I stand, I see Joe approach him and watch for a moment as they exchange some words.
Based on Travis’s posture, I know whatever Joe must have said didn’t go over well.
“Fuck me,” I whisper, climbing over Levi’s lap and jumping off the bleachers. Turning the corner, I break into a light jog, heading toward the pair, my skin clammy and my heart racing.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here, that’s all I’m saying,” I hear Joe tell my ex as I close the distance between us.
“And I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to get in the way of a family matter.” I notice that Travis’s hands fist at his sides as I come to a stop beside Joe.
I glance up at Joe before turning my attention to Travis. “Joe is right. You shouldn’t be here.”
“I just want to talk to you,” he informs me, taking a small step forward. Joe angles himself between us slightly, and I see Travis’s face turn a light shade of red. “Call off your guard dog, Mar. No one else needs to be privy to this conversation.”
“I beg to differ,” Levi states, coming up behind me and taking up flank on my other side.
A small smirk grows on Travis’s face, and I feel the knot in my stomach tighten. “So, this is who you’ve been fucking since I’ve been away. I recognize you from her office. I didn’t think you’d be the type to sleep with a coworker, Mar.”
“You better watch your fucking mouth.” Looking up at Levi, I notice his neck is red, and his jaw is clenched tightly.
“Or what, tough guy?” Travis fires back, taunting him further. “You should be thanking me. I taught her everything she knows.”
Levi takes a step forward and I quickly turn to put myself between them, my hand on his chest. Lowering my voice, I say, “He’s baiting you, Levi. This is what he does. He wants you to react, so don’t.”
As he stares down at me, his shoulders loosen and his eyes soften slightly, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I give his arm a squeeze, exchanging a weak smile before I spin around to face Travis again.
“What do you want?”
“I told you.” He shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest. “I want to talk. And I want to see Claire.”
Before I can shoot down the idea, Levi speaks up again. “Over my dead body.”
“Excuse me?” Travis’s ears are now red, his eyes narrowed as he stares Levi down. “You don’t have a say when it comes to my daughter.”
“Considering I’m the one she’s been drawing in the pictures we hang on the fridge, I think I do.”
A surprised laugh slips out of Joe as my lips purse to stop the grin from taking over my face. Travis’s arms drop to his sides, and he takes a threatening step forward. Before I can blink, Levi pushes me behind him, putting himself between me and my ex.
“I don’t know who you think you are—”
“I’m the one who has been to every single game for the last two months, cheering her on in the stands. I’m the one who taught her how to ride a bike and goes on walks with her and Winston.”
Travis’s brows furrow in confusion. “Who is Winston?”
“The fact that you don’t know speaks volumes,” Levi states before continuing his rant.
“She calls to tell me about her day at least five times a week, not you. She convinces Marlowe to make brownies because she knows they’re my favorite and wants to surprise me.
When she thinks of who is going to show up for her, she thinks of her mother and me. Not you.”
Travis’s gaze flits over to mine, but Levi keeps speaking.
“No, look at me, not her. I’m not finished.
She may not be my daughter, and I may have not been in the picture that long, but I’ll be damned if I let you ruin all the hard work Marlowe has put in to help Claire in your absence.
You don’t deserve either of them. If you cared about your daughter at all, you’d walk away. ”
Joe lets out a low whistle, breaking some of the tension, but Travis’s jaw is clenched as his hands furl and unfurl at his sides as if he’s itching for something to hit. He rolls his shoulders back, slowly running his gaze up and down Levi before he tilts his head to the side slightly.
“Just because you’re in the picture now doesn’t mean you will be forever.” Travis’s words don’t land like I think he was hoping they would, Levi still standing strong, steady and unwavering. He turns his eyes to me. “I guess I’ll find you some other time to talk.”
“I honestly hope you don’t.”
His mouth tightens into a thin line as he tries to hold his head high. “I’ll see you soon, Marlowe.”
“You’ll be seeing us soon,” Levi amends, his hand reaching down and intertwining with my own.
Travis just smirks. “We’ll see.”
He turns on his heel and disappears the way he came, and my body doesn’t relax until he is completely out of sight. I release a shaky breath, running my free hand through my hair as I turn to my right and look up at Joe.
“Thank you for coming over here to intercept.” I give him a grateful smile. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if Claire saw him.”
“No need to thank me.” He returns my smile with a shrug.
“You did the same for me with my ex-wife a couple of years ago. It’s the least I can do.
” Joe glances to Levi and gives him a nod, which he returns.
“I’m glad she has someone to stand up for and protect her and Claire. When Blue isn’t around, I mean.”
We both laugh, a genuine smile helping to ease the knot in my stomach. Cheering behind us causes the three of us to turn around and notice that the game has just ended. In unison, we make our way back over to the field, Levi’s hand never leaving my own.
“Thank you,” I whisper, giving his hand a squeeze. “No one has ever stood up for me like that before. No one that wasn’t my best friend, anyway.”
“I hope you know this by now, but I want you both, Lowe. Not just you.” His words cause my face to soften as he pulls me to a stop. He cups my face in his free hand, his thumb gently brushing my cheek. “You’re the best package deal I could’ve ever asked for.”
Dipping his head, he presses a gentle yet meaningful kiss to my lips, pouring his feelings and his words behind it. Pulling away, he rests his forehead against mine for a moment before standing up fully. Glancing over his shoulder, I see Claire come walking over to us.
Levi slips his hand out of mine as she approaches and walks straight to him. He swoops her up in his arms and she buries her head into his neck, the action causing my heart to clench.
“I played so bad,” she mumbles, the words muffled. “I let my team down.”
I shake my head, about to respond when Levi beats me to it.
“Hey,” he says gently, pulling her away from his neck to set her back on her feet as he kneels before her, his hands on her biceps.
“Bad games happen to the best of us, okay? It’s best not to dwell on the bad, but instead learn how to move forward. If you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”
Claire nods and then wraps her arms around his neck, and his find their way around her waist, hoisting her back up.
Watching the two of them together has my heart constricting more than I thought possible, and tears spring to my eyes.
I turn around and bend down to grab her bag she dropped, using that moment to be inconspicuous as I wipe at my cheeks before turning back to the pair to see a knowing smile on Levi’s face.
“Ms. Reyes!” a high pitch female voice yells, drawing my attention before I can say anything to Levi’s look. Turning around, I see Joe’s daughter running over to us. “My dad said Claire can spend the night if it’s okay with you. So, can she?”
I glance over her head, and Joe gives me a small nod. Looking back at my daughter, I see her head is no longer buried in Levi’s neck, a grin covering her face.
“Yes, that should be fine,” I respond. His daughter squeals, jumping up and down. Levi sets Claire down and she runs past me to join her friend. “Where’s my hug?”
Claire flushes, but comes back over to me as I squat down and she wraps her arms around my neck. I give her a quick squeeze and a kiss to the top of her head. “You have fun now. Call me if you need anything.”
She nods, peeling away from me and chasing her friend into the parking lot with Joe trailing behind them. I turn back to Levi to see him already staring at me, a smile revealing that small dimple in his cheek.
“You know what this means,” he says as he closes the gap between us, resting his hands on my hips. Lowering his mouth to my ear, he whispers, “We get some unexpected alone time.”
I hum. “And how do you plan on spending it?”
“With my head between your legs, if you’ll let me.”