Chapter 64
Sue walked through the door first. Levi glared at her back. He wasn’t sure what she was up to, but there was a feeling in his gut telling him she was up to something.
He jumped. An arm encircled his waist, and a chin settled onto his shoulder.
“You ready for this?” Jon whispered.
Levi wanted to scream and run back to Derecho. Gus had made sure he couldn’t use the bar as an excuse. He collapsed into Jon. “Honestly? No.”
Jon held him tighter.
“You aren’t alone in this. No matter what, I’m here by your side. I’m not going anywhere.”
Levi smiled. “You’re not, huh?”
“Nope. Now let’s grab our coffee and get out there. She said something about getting some food, and we’ve not had breakfast yet.”
Levi chuckled. Jon’s arm left his waist, and a gentle shove propelled him toward the door.
Jon was laughing. “Go on, I’ll get yours too.”
Levi pushed the door open. The birds that had been absent earlier were now awake and welcoming the day. A soothing breeze cut through the humidity hanging in the air. Sue watched him approach. She was smiling. He sat across from her, shaking his head.
“Levi. How the hell did we get here?”
He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. “Your sister was a bitch.”
“Levi. Don’t speak ill of the dead.” She closed her eyes. “Why didn’t you come to me?”
He glared at her. “I was terrified when I left here. I didn’t feel like I would be safe here, and I just put as many miles as I could between myself and what happened that night. But enough about that. I won’t rehash this. Not right now.”
“Fair enough. Just know I’m not the only one looking for answers to that question.” She looked past him and smiled. He knew she was talking about Zeke. He would deal with him with the time came, and he was terrified of how that conversation would go. Jon placed a steaming mug in front of him before moving a chair beside him and taking a seat.
“Fine. Maybe I’ll be ready to talk about it before we go home.”
“You are home Levi.”
His eyes flew open. “This hasn’t been my home in a long time, Sue. I have a life in Derecho. People who love me. A home. A business.” Jon placed his hand on his. “But you know that, don’t you? All of it. How did she get a picture of us?”
Sue turned her head, looking across the backyard. “About a year ago, she decided it was time to be the bigger person, but she didn’t know where to look. After a while, she hired an investigator to find you. Didn’t take him long, and he took the picture. He told us where you were living and the bar where you worked.”
“I’ve not been hiding.”
“That was obvious. I told her to reach out, and I think she tried to call your bar a couple of times. I don’t know if she ever talked to anyone, though.” Levi thought back to the call James had mentioned with a woman looking for him.
“I actually think she did once, but she didn’t tell the guy she talked to her name or leave a number. Not that it would’ve done her any good.”
“You know how she was, always too proud to admit she was wrong. I think she was ready to apologize, but it was hard for her.”
“I don’t give a damn if it was hard for her or not, and to be honest, I don’t know if it would’ve made a difference. You don’t know what happened.”
Sue nodded. “You’re right I don’t. She refused to tell me everything. Even when she was still mad. Even before she realized she was wrong.”
Jon squeezed his hand and smiled. “I would’ve encouraged you to give her a chance, especially if she made the first move.”
Sue chuckled. “I like him, Levi.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You do, huh? You asked earlier why I didn’t come to you. Tell me, what would you have done if I showed up on your doorstep?”
She lowered her eyes. “I’d like to think I would’ve done the right thing. I know I wouldn’t have let you out on the street, but I can’t know whether I would’ve been accepting of you coming out.”
“That tells me I made the right decision.”
He felt Jon squeeze his hand again. He sighed.
“But what’s done is done. You’re trying. I’m not mad at you for things you might have said or done then, but that’s why I left. I didn’t know who I could trust or who I could count on. Except Zeke. I think Zeke would’ve been ok, but I knew his parents wouldn’t have been.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s just how it is.” He looked over at Jon. “But I will also say that I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for Jon. If this had happened before him, I would have taken that number you gave the cops, sent a rather rude text, and then blocked it. Gus and Betty may have saved my life, but he taught me how to love and to forgive again. If I hadn’t been in Derecho, I wouldn’t have met him. Saying that out loud makes me realize I’d do it again every time so I could see him smile.”
Jon’s face flushed, and he looked away. “Levi…”
“You don’t have to say anything, babe. It’s the truth, and I love you even more for it.” He turned to Sue. “Do you have anything else to say about all of this, or can we get going so we can eat some breakfast?”
Sue looked at her watch, a sly grin on her face. “It’ll be brunch at this point. We’ll take my car.” She stood and headed toward the door. “If you had refused to come back, I guarantee you Zeke would’ve gone to Derecho and dragged you back kicking and screaming. I know you don’t trust anyone here, but believe me when I say things have changed. Your mother changed, and if she could’ve forgiven herself, I think she could’ve asked you to forgive her.” Levi tried to speak, but she stopped him. “I’m not looking for an argument. You’ll see it or you won’t, but like you said, Derecho is your home now. All I can hope is for you to see things how I do is that you and Jon not be strangers anymore. I’ve missed you, Levi.”