Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
LEVI
“You weren’t exaggerating when you described the town as depressing.” Stevie looks out the window, examining the main street.
Letting out a sigh, I squeeze her thigh. My anxiety is already at an all-time high, but as soon as I touch my girl, it lessens to almost nothing.
We drove for four hours from Long Island to Binghamton, and our conversation was easygoing. I let her pick all of the music—what else are boyfriends for? We made a pit stop and Stevie went to the bathroom while I bought us snacks.
When I handed her a bag of BBQ chips and gummy bears, she kissed me and smiled like I’d given her the damn moon.
I love that about her. It’s fun making her happy, and the smallest things do.
She sang almost every song when we got back on the road. I know she thinks I’m not singing because of my insecurities, but that’s not the truth. I’m comfortable enough to sing in front of her, but I would rather her voice fill my ears.
I’m falling for her. Hard and fast. It has barely been a week since I asked her to come to my house with me, but I can’t help it.
“We’re close to my grandma’s place,” I say, and she begins to look around.
Two minutes later, a small, one-story white house with light blue window panels comes into view, along with two smaller women waiting outside. One with long, brown hair and my same blue eyes, and the other with short, white hair and brown eyes.
Mom jumps from excitement as I park in the driveway. I’m such a dick for not visiting more often. Neither of them deserves how shitty of a son and grandson I’ve been.
“Hey.” Stevie grabs my hand, which is touching the wheel. Turning, I see her green eyes soften as she examines my expression. I swear this woman can read my mind, like the other day in the tattoo shop. “I’m here for you.”
Those four words mean so much more than she fucking knows.
And the three words I’ve been thinking about the past couple of days almost slip.
No, I’ll sound insane. I’m not going to rush this.
“Thank you,” I say instead.
Mom knocks on the window, startling us.
“They’re going to love you, Bambi. Let’s go.”
Two hours later, Stevie and I are cleaning up the table from the late lunch. They both fell in love with her, just as I predicted. Mom was kind and asked a lot of questions about her and her hobbies, and Grandma almost made Stevie piss her pants with her vulgarity. All in all, I call it a success.
“Honey, there’s no need to do all of that.” Mom stands and takes the plates from Stevie’s hands.
My girlfriend looks around and tries to grab something else off the table to bring to the dishwasher, but my grandma stops her.
I blow out a breath and roll my eyes, waiting to see what she’s going to say next.
“Normally I’d let you help out, but you made half the sandwiches and Levi has yet to show you around town.
” Show her what? There is nothing to see except a couple of stores and crappy restaurants.
She lets go and wags her finger. “Go visit Joan at the office and get some ice cream on your way back.” Grandma smiles at Stevie and shoos both of us away.
“Thanks, Mrs. Clarke,” Stevie replies.
Grandma gives me a look, and I read it for what it is.
“Hey, do you mind checking the car for a small blue bag? It has a present for them,” I whisper.
She looks hesitant, but spares me a glance, then one at my grandma, and understands. “I’ll be right back.”
After she’s out of sight, I take a seat. “What’s up, Gran?”
She takes a pack of smokes out, and my mom catches the sound with her keen hearing. “Mom, take it outside!”
“I’m not lighting it up yet!” she yells.
I hold a chuckle back. Mom disappears back into the kitchen, and Gran rolls her eyes.
Pointing to the front door where Stevie ran past, she says, “She reminds me of myself when I was younger.” I blink.
Gran rarely talks about her past, not since Grandpa passed away when I was seven.
“Innocent and sweet-looking, with a huge pack of spunk and fight inside of her. People will mistake her kindness for weakness if they haven’t already.
” She laughs. “Once she’s completely out of her shell, she’ll hit them three times as hard. ”
A grin escapes me as I think of how accurate her statement is. Stevie’s proven to be more than spunky. However, I’ve never seen Gran act innocent. “That sounds about right. Is that what you wanted to talk about, Gran? She can only look for that bag for so long.”
“Oh, hush, boy. She’s not an idiot, she knows we’re talking about her.
And if she’s smart like me, she’ll give us at least five minutes.
” Gran takes a sip of lemonade. I chuckle, knowing she’s right.
“When I saw you two together and the way you look at each other, it caught me off guard, and it felt like I was back in the sixties. I had just graduated high school, and my parents decided to move us to this town from Ohio.” She takes a cigarette and hangs it in between her fingers as she stares up at the ceiling.
This is when I realize I’m finally going to hear the story I’ve been wanting to for years.
“He was a regular at the old diner, only two years older than me. He sat in my section every time, but never said anything other than his order, along with a few pleasantries. He also over-tipped. One day I got tired of him not asking me out when it was clear to every other waitress and cook that he wanted to.” She waves the unlit cigarette.
“Of course it was a different time. God forbid a woman ask a man out.” Gran looks down.
“I came with his check one day and told him that until he took me on a proper date, he’d no longer be able to sit in my section. ”
We both laugh. “And did he?”
She raises a brow. “He came back the next morning with a bouquet of a dozen long-stemmed red roses and took me out to dinner that same night.” My lips tilt up remembering how Stevie was also braver with her feelings than I was.
Maybe they are more alike than I realized.
“We got married three months after that, and everyone thought I was knocked up. The gossip of us getting hitched lasted for weeks.” She smiles and shakes her head.
“Everybody always told us it would never end well. Of course, divorce was frowned upon, there was no getting out of it once it happened, but they never tried to understand how much we loved each other.” Gran sits up straight.
“If they would’ve opened their minds and looked at us, just looked at us, they would’ve seen that there was something special, something worth risking, something fucking rare.
” She tilts my chin up, and I stare at her in awe of how deep her and Grandpa’s relationship went.
“Being able to live that kind of love and having it for over forty years is something everyone should experience, but rarely do. That is one of the most important lessons I learned when your grandpa passed.” She taps my nose.
Her sharing like this is unlike her, and I’m so entranced by her opening up that I hardly hear the front door open.
“I’m not telling you to get hitched, but don’t be a moron either. You have a rare gem there.”
The words replay in my mind over and over again. When Stevie takes my hand for us to meet with Joan, I mindlessly follow, wondering how she could compare us to a couple that got married three months after they began dating.
My phone buzzes in my pocket for the fifth time in a row, and I know it’s time to check what I’m suspecting is the Scooby Gang group chat.
Emma: How’s everything going with your new girlfriend meeting the parents?
Jake: Stop being so nosy.
Kamila: I’m sure everything is fine, Em.
Emma: Jake, shut it. And Kami, that’s not fair. You got to see them be all cute together the other day. I like Stevie and want to get to know her better.
Jake: Jeez, dramatic much?
Rolling my eyes, I type out a quick response to my annoying but well-meaning friends.
Me: We’re fine. Mom and Gran loved her. She’s meeting my friend now and they seem to be getting along. I like her, too, Em. I won’t fuck it up. Now, I’m going to be with said girlfriend. Stop texting or I’m muting you guys for the rest of the week.
My friend answers in a heartbeat.
Em: Fine.
Putting my phone away, I continue to listen in on my friend and girlfriend’s conversation.
“It’s so cool that you have a band,” Stevie tells Joan for the millionth time. She turns to me. “We have to go to one of their gigs.”
Joan smirks. “Yeah, Levi. You guys really should come to one of our gigs.” Her smile is pure sarcasm.
She’s invited me to the small gigs she’s had, but they’re always around here.
Joan was fine staying where we grew up, which was one of the many reasons we broke up.
She’s a vet tech in the only veterinarian office in town, and on the weekends, she plays with her band.
The woman seems to be doing well for herself, and from what she’s sent me, they’re pretty good.
“I’m assuming you’ve invited him and he refuses to come because it’s, well, here?” Stevie lifts a brow, knowing me all too well.
I cross my arms, giving her a look I know she’ll recognize. Her pupils dilate, and I hear a groan from Joan. “You guys can eye fuck each other later. This is a professional environment, okay?” Her pink hair moves with her shaking head.
Stevie snickers. “Sorry.” She points a finger at Joan. “To make it up to you, I promise to get him to come to one of your gigs this summer.”
I scoff. “I am standing right here.” I’m glad they’re getting along, but who knows where I’ll be this summer, or rather, where we’ll be.
Joan nods. “Deal.”
Stevie smiles at her and sticks her tongue out at me, making me chuckle. I pull her in for a kiss, which I end with a nibble.