Chapter 14
Tate
“Pink, pink, and more pink.” Levi lists out the color as if he’s counting assaults, doing a full turn when he hits the center of our bedroom.
“You look good in here,” I say through a smile, leaning against the frame of the door. “I think we’ve found your shade.” He turns, placing his palm against his chest, his face twisted in mock offense.
“Is this a trap?” he asks in jest, but his eyes shine half-serious, making me laugh.
“A trap?” I repeat. “And what would my angle be?
He takes off his cap, running his fingers through the golden-brown waves of his hair before securing it back into place. A strange silence passes between us. “I don’t know. Is the closet through here?”
It’s hard not to take in the way he moves. Up until today, he’s moved with sharp lines, crossing spaces with certainty and direction. Today though, it’s different. He’s softer. Maybe even a little vulnerable. I nod and he takes slow strides through the en suite bath towards our supersized closet.
“You weren’t lying; this place is huge.”
There is a small accent chair in the corner of the closet in—you guessed it—powder pink. I take a seat, curling my legs up under me. Levi lies down on the floor, making the closet all at once feel small.
“I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
“It’s not that bad, drama. I actually had an idea.”
“Is it going to hurt?” His mouth cracks into a small grin.
I grab the small decorative lumbar pillow from behind me and chuck it at him. “Would you please be serious?”
“Yes, yes.” He rolls himself up into a seated position.
“Thank you,” I say, rotating my shoulders back a couple times. “Out of the three songs, do you have one you’re leaning more towards than another?”
He abruptly drops his head to his chest before picking it up again lazily. “Well, between ‘Before He Cheats,’ ‘Cowboy Take Me Away,’ and ‘I Hope You Dance,’ I really don’t have a favorite. They’re all bad.”
“Do you really feel that way or are you just saying that?” I question.
When he doesn’t answer, I continue. “I have an idea. Let’s listen to each of them one time and then you can tell me what you’re vibing with more.
” I reach for my phone and pull up the first song.
“‘Before He Cheats’ by Carrie Underwood.”
As the instrumentals start and the first line of the song is belted out, I wince, and hope Levi doesn’t notice.
Images of him and the bartender from the first night infiltrate my mind.
Up until now, I have been able to separate the two Levis.
That was the old Levi, not the Levi who secretly comforts crying girls, or the Levi who has panic attacks on sidewalk curbs.
“Why are you making that face? Is it the song? It’s awful, right? I can’t. Stop it, please. Next,” he says quickly.
I press pause and look up the next on the list, my personal favorite, “Cowboy Take me Away” by The Chicks.
The melody of The Chicks fills the room.
I glance at Levi in a quick pulse check.
His brows are knitted together in thought, but his face doesn’t look pained in the way it did during the last song.
This is it. This is the one. I let the feeling drive my next action as I hit pause one more time.
I come down to the floor, taking a seat next to him. His breath stills as his eyes track my movement.
“I think this is the one,” he admits.
“Same. But now for my crazy idea. Do you play the guitar?”
“Yesssss...?” His voice gives away his uncertainty of where this is going.
“What if you do an acoustic version, playing the guitar, and change the lyric to ‘Cowgirl take me away’? I mean you’ll have to get Jan’s approval, but what do you think?!” I know I look like I’m about to explode with anticipation, but I can’t help it, I’m so excited.
He doesn’t immediately say anything, and just when I think he’s going to turn down my idea, he says, “I’m in!” Mild relief flushes over his face. “If Jan approves, of course.”
“Email her.” My foot kicks out to nudge Levi’s shin.
“Okay, okay.” He laughs pulling out his phone. I watch as his thumbs move over the screen, typing before suddenly stopping.
“Where am I going to get a guitar? Mine’s back at home,” he says, lowering the phone.
“Hmm, maybe the studio has one? You’re not the first person to do an acoustic set. Or, actually, I think Clay brought one with him! Get Jan’s approval, then we can go bother him.”
No sooner than he hits send does Levi’s phone ring. He looks up, wide-eyed.
“It’s Jan.”
“Pick up, pick up!” I whisper-yell, waving my hands in the process.
“Hey, Jan,” he says, his voice calm. I watch him smile, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder. “Thank you so much, Jan. I won’t disappoint you!” he says before untucking his phone from his ear and disconnecting, fist pumping the air with his free hand.
“I take it the conversation went in our favor?” Our? Get it together, Tate. You and Levi are not an “our,” “we,” or “us.” If he notices my interesting choice of words, he doesn’t say anything.
“Yeah, it did! She thought it was a great idea and is sending over a guitar first thing tomorrow, which means I need to nail the lyrics today.”
I look down at the time on my phone. Barely 2 p.m. “Well, I’ll leave you to it!” I say, rolling myself from the floor to a stand. Levi follows.
“You’re leaving?”
“You’re not the only one with a song to learn, partner.
Plus, the competition is getting pretty thick, so I better go practice.
” I toss him a wink and start to head out of my closet, only to be stopped by the familiar scratch of a well-worked hand around my arm.
When I look back, he immediately releases, but the warmth lingers.
“Hey...thanks again, Tate.”
“That’s two times in the last twenty-four hours you’ve stopped to thank me. Are you getting soft on me?”
A salty smirk forms against his lips. “Nah, never.”
“Good. I’ll give you your space, but if Gabriella comes up and wants you out, we never had this conversation.”
Rolling laughter is the soundtrack to my exit.