Chapter 13 Tess #2
And that was him faking! What was he like when he was kissing someone for real? A shaky breath left me, and I glanced over at Levi. He looked bewildered, his cheeks the faintest shade of pink. Had…had that kiss been pretend? Because that reaction looked too genuine to be anything but real.
The rest of the ceremony blurred by in flashes.
The officiant’s final words, Gran dabbing her eyes, the rustle of people standing to clap as we walked back down the aisle.
My cheeks still burned, my lips still tingled.
Every time I dared glance at Levi, I found him already looking at me, and it made my knees wobble all over again
By the time the courthouse doors closed behind us, I was practically floating.
It wasn’t until we were in his car and the engine rumbled to life that the world finally caught up to me.
But it was pin-drop silent, only the roar of the road between us.
It was terrible and awkward, and I hated that there was this weirdness between us now.
Levi cleared his throat. “Sorry for uh…” He scratched the back of his head. “For all of that back there.”
“For what?”
He shifted in his seat. “The kiss.”
Oh right. That. It wasn’t just any kiss, but the kiss. Like the shot heard round the world, it was the kiss felt in every atom that made me who I was.
I bit my lip, a flush creeping up my neck. “It’s okay,” I murmured. Pull over so we can do it again, I nearly added, but didn’t.
“Had to make it look real,” he murmured. The words stung like a slap, even if it did sound like he was trying to convince himself of it, too. To me, there was no making it real—it was real.
“Right,” I forced out, and stared out the window the rest of the ride. I knew then that nothing about what happened earlier was real to him.
Cars were already lining the driveway when we pulled into the ranch, and my stomach twisted into knots.
Levi shut my car door behind me and scanned the reception area that we put together yesterday: a dance floor beneath some oak trees and a few decorated tables scattered around.
All of it was blanketed in the soft glow of fairy lights woven through the curving branches.
It was cute and simple, perfect for what we needed it to be.
He looked down at me with a tight smile. “Ready?”
I slapped my hand into his. “As I’ll ever be.”
First, there were pictures, and if those hadn’t nearly killed me, I was convinced this first dance would.
Most of the town was watching while we slowly spun under the fairy lights, “Can’t Help Falling In Love” playing softly.
Some stripped-down, achingly beautiful version I’d never heard before that made it hard to look at Levi for more than two seconds.
“What made you change your hair?” he asked, his voice a little strained, but I didn’t know why.
My hand left his shoulder, smoothing out the loose red curls quickly. “Why? You don’t like it?”
“No, no,” he assured me. “I love it. I just didn’t know if there was a reason, or if it was just because.”
“Oh.” My frown faded with relief. “I wanted to look like myself on my wedding day.” I shrugged. “Like the girl I used to be, I guess.”
His head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing at me. “What’s wrong with the girl you are now?”
I arched a brow, deadpan. “Really? You of all people know what’s wrong with me, Levi. You just entered into a fake marriage with me because of the sheer level of wrong I am.”
His grip on my waist tightened, pulling me flush. His voice was quiet but steady. “There’s not a single thing wrong with you, Tess. Not the way I see you.”
My breath caught. “And how’s that?”
His eyes darted between mine. “Stronger than you give yourself credit for, beautiful inside and out…the list goes on.”
Was he serious? How was I supposed to remember this was fake when he said things like that?
I swallowed. “I have time,” I whispered. I’d stay out here all night if it meant he’d keep talking to me like this.
He let out a low, contemplative hum and glanced around at the crowd. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know later,” he said, voice soft, when his eyes met mine again. “The song is ending, and I’m going to kiss you again. Okay?”
“Okay,” I breathed, slightly dazed at the idea of kissing him again, and how dangerous that’d be for me. Even if he did make it sound like a business transaction, because that’s what this was at the end of the day.
Next thing I knew, his lips were on mine again, and he was dipping me. I clung to the lapel of his jacket, his kiss searing, and when he pulled me upright, I was lightheaded and on another planet.
Yeah, this was going to be harder than I thought.
A few hours later, I was standing in front of Levi’s house.
It was in a quiet neighborhood, not too far from the center of town.
A single-story home with white siding and a deep olive green door.
It wasn’t anything like the bachelor pad I expected him to live in.
He even had flowers on the porch, alive ones at that.
He stepped inside, holding the door open for me with Luke passed out in his other arm, white frosting on his lips.
I was immediately hit with one of the best smells I’d ever come across.
It was warm and cozy, yet manly. “It smells so good in here,” I sighed, while moving further into the house.
It was all dark hardwood and creamy whites and absolutely perfect.
“Thanks,” Levi chuckled. His keys clanked on the foyer table, and he came to my side. “Come on, I’ll show you Luke’s room so you can put him to bed.”
Luke’s room? He walked down a dim hall, flicking on the lights as he went.
I hurried after him, stopping short in the doorway he just walked through.
Tears blurred my vision before I could stop them.
The walls were painted a light blue, and there was the faintest hint of fresh paint smell.
Dinosaur decals covered a wall with a small bookshelf of children’s books and toys.
And in the corner was a low-to-the-ground twin bed with dinosaur bedding.
This wasn’t just a guest bedroom for us to use—this was a room for Luke.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my mouth.
Levi laid Luke down gently, pulling the covers up with a tenderness that stole my breath. Luke snuggled into the blanket, wrapping his arms around a stuffed dinosaur like it had always been his.
My throat ached from holding back tears. No one had ever done anything like this for him. Not even me, since I never had the money to.
He turned to me, his hands on his hips. “I’ll take the couch. You can have my room. It’s right across the hall.”
That snapped me out of it. “You don’t have to do that.”
“You’re not sleeping on the couch, Tess,” he said firmly.
I swallowed, shaking my head. “No. It’s not that. Luke…I told you about his night terrors and everything. He can’t sleep without me.”
He looked down at Luke with something a lot like heartbreak on his face. “You two can sleep in my room then. You both won’t fit here.”
I took a step towards him. “No, it’ll be okay.
We’re little. You won’t fit here, and I won’t feel right with you sleeping on the couch for however long this lasts.
” The words stung as I said them. But that just meant I couldn’t let Levi give up his bedroom for us even more.
He was already doing so much for us as it was.
“It’s not up for discussion. You and Luke take my room.” He held my gaze, like he was daring me to keep arguing.
“Levi, you’ve already done so much,” I whispered, my chest tight. “The wedding, the house, Luke’s room…now this? I can’t just keep taking and taking from you.”
His expression softened, but his voice stayed firm. “You’re not taking, Tess. I’m giving. There’s a difference.”
I swallowed hard, hating that it felt so good to let him take care of me. “I guess I can’t argue with your lawyer voice,” I muttered, finally caving.
He smirked, and it was devastating. “No point in trying.”
So I went to bed, staring up at Levi’s ceiling while he slept on the couch, wondering how I was going to survive this.