Chapter 32 #2
“Of course I do.” Em frowns and looks down at her outfit, and then Levi and I follow suit, feeling out of place. The entire group is wearing regular going-out clothes, so do we stay like this?
“We have everyone’s outfits in the car,” Cam speaks up.
Em squeals again.
“For fuck’s sake, Em.” Jake covers his left ear. “Brian’s bringing the bags out of the car. Levi, I got you a suit—”
“Nope,” Levi says immediately. “No presents.”
Jake rolls his eyes. “I’m only lending it to you. It’s too nice a suit to give up.” He smirks. “Might be a little loose on you, though. I’ve been going to the gym more often than not.” His eyes turn to me and he winks.
Levi practically growls from beside me. Oh God, seriously? “It’s Jake, Hotshot. Calm down.” I bump him.
He looks at me and blows out a breath. “Let’s go change. I’m sure there’s somewhere quiet we can go.”
Levi goes to grab my hand, but Kamila beats him to the punch. “Nope, not happening. No funny business.”
I frown and see that my boyfriend’s face is burning red. “It’s my birthday. If I want to be alone with the girl I love, then I should be allowed to.”
Kamila smacks his shoulder. “You finally told her!”
Levi rubs his temples, and I close my eyes, exhaling loudly. I put my hands in the air, too tired from the week for the back-and-forth between everyone. “Okay.” I turn to Kami. “Em, Kami, Luna, let’s get dressed. Lead the way.”
“Bambi—”
“As for you,” I interrupt him and narrow my eyes. He instantly slams his mouth shut. “Go get dressed with Jake and Cam. I’ll see you in a bit, birthday boy.”
He hesitates before Cam pushes him gently. “Do what she says or Kamila will end up blaming me somehow.”
Kamila snorts behind me, not denying it.
I’m not mad at Levi, just frustrated. We’re going to have to set some boundaries when it comes to sharing information with our friends, now that we’re all part of the same group. And now is not the time to do that.
After half an hour, all of us girls are dressed and putting the finishing touches on our hair.
I secure the large pin, which features a light golden butterfly, pushing my hair away from my face.
Kamila and Luna did well choosing Em’s and my dresses.
Em’s wearing a nice off-the-shoulder, white, mid-thigh flapper dress with silver detailing, while mine is a champagne spaghetti-strapped flapper dress that’s a little more formfitting and revealing than I’m used to. At least the heels are short.
“Why The Great Gatsby theme?” I ask everyone.
Kami finishes pinning her black hair back with a clip. “It’s Em’s favorite book.”
Emma smiles, finishing the last swipe of her red lipstick and flashing her baby blue eyes at me.
“Every English major has a favorite classic novel.” She shrugs.
“Pride and Prejudice is tied with The Great Gatsby, but I don’t think the decor would be as fun and the costumes would be much more difficult. ”
Nodding, I ask the other question that’s been on my mind. “Why is it being hosted in the back room and not the main house?” The living room alone is large enough to hold at least fifty people.
Kami sighs loudly. “Think of it as a VIP room. You can only get in with an invitation.”
“Or if you have a friend who’s high up in the frat,” Em mumbles.
“The less we know, the better, Emma,” Kami grits out and glances at me. “Trust me, when it comes to Jake, it’s the safest way to go.”
Smiling awkwardly, I say, “I kind of got that after he bailed us out of jail.”
She nods. “Right, I forgot about that.”
“Does this color look okay on me?” Luna asks, switching the subject while observing her teal dress.
Kami fixes her red one and nods. “We all look great. Let’s go, we’re running late.”
Taking in a deep breath, I make my way downstairs with them and see the guys waiting at the bottom. Levi has his back turned, a dark gray suit hugging his muscular back, his hair perfectly combed.
As if he feels me coming toward him, he slowly turns his neck and our eyes meet as he looks over my face, down my body, and back up again. His gaze heats, and my core warms when I see how hot Levi Clarke looks in a suit. Jake’s going to need to let him keep it for the night.
He takes my hand, and I quirk a brow. “You certainly clean up nice,” I say softly.
He smirks. “I know.” I nudge him and he laughs.
His eyes soften. “You’re beautiful.” Levi grabs the back of my neck and kisses me deeply in front of all his friends.
I hesitate, not being a massive fan of PDA, but this kiss is sensual and passionate and loving all at once.
I can’t help but give in. My stomach does backflips, as my heart swells with more love for this man.
The world disappears for a second before a whimper slips out of me, and someone who sounds like Jake clears their throat.
Levi and I pull apart, both of us panting slightly, my shimmery lip gloss now smeared on him.
“Jake?” I say, without looking away from my blue-eyed brooding musician.
“Uh, yeah?” he responds.
“Levi’s keeping the suit for the night. You can get it dry-cleaned.”
My boyfriend’s lips quirk up. He leans into me, and whispers, “I think two outfits are going to the dry cleaners tomorrow.”
So, he likes the dress.
Jake sighs. “Just keep the damn thing. With the way that he’s looking at you, he might bust in it before the party’s over.”
A snort leaves me.
We walk into the back room, and “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” by Fergie plays overhead, half of the crowd up and dancing in the middle of the large room.
Kamila doesn’t wait another second before dragging Cameron onto the dance floor, and both of them begin to match each other’s steps and rhythm perfectly.
“How do they do that?” I ask Levi.
He tugs me in closer by the waist. “They were made for each other, Bambi. That’s all I can tell you.”
Looking over at them again, I see the love they have for each other and the calmness between them.
We make some small talk with Jake’s friend Brian, who’s one of the fraternity’s presidents.
He’s sweet, very good-looking, and cocky.
After a couple of minutes, we excuse ourselves to get a drink.
Levi hands me a bottle of water, and I can’t help the yawn that escapes me.
Crap, tech week took more out of me than I thought it would.
This show has been draining, but I can’t let that stop me.
“Are you feeling okay?” Levi asks.
I gulp the cool liquid and nod. “Just a little sleepy.”
He touches me gently. “We can go home if you don’t feel well—”
“Absolutely not.” I turn to face him. “It is your twenty-first birthday, and I feel perfectly fine.”
Levi narrows his gaze, assessing me. “Okay,” he relents.
“Roaring 20s” by Panic! At The Disco plays next as Levi takes a sip of his Coke, and his eyes widen. “We’re dancing.” He grabs my hand and pulls me to the dance floor.
Shaking my head, I pull back. “Maybe I don’t feel well after all,” I lie.
Levi smirks. “I love this song, and it’s my birthday, we’re dancing.”
Pouting, I know I can’t deny him, and I’ve been practicing. I’ve got this. Looking around, I see everyone moving differently.
How do you dance to this kind of music?
“I don’t know how—”
Levi grabs my arm and turns me, before pushing and twirling me away again, and suddenly we’re dancing like a pair of idiots, entirely out of sync. I throw my head back laughing, and Levi follows suit. Eventually, the song slows down a bit. He presses my back against his front and grabs my hips.
Yeah, he knows how to dance, how to move his hips. I’m the spaz. The dance only lasts a couple of more seconds until the song switches to a much slower, familiar one. “Brooklyn Baby” by Lana Del Rey, a favorite of mine.
Levi twirls me and takes my right hand with his left. I smile. Now this, I know how to do.
I place my free hand on his shoulder, and he grabs me gently by the hip.
Our eyes stay locked in, and we remain quiet for half of the song. He leans down, keeping his eyes on me. “I love you.”
Butterflies fill my stomach like they have been all day. “I love you.”
He opens his mouth and closes it again. Tilting my head, I wait to see what else he wants to say.
His eyes examine every inch of my face. “I want you to know that I’m taking us seriously, that this…
” He pauses, trying to find the right words.
My heart races a little quicker, nerves building within me.
“I see a future with you, Stevie.” His voice is barely loud enough to hear over the music.
My stomach flips. That’s, um…serious. He did say forever earlier, but it was also in the heat of the moment.
“We’ve only known each other for a few months, yet I can’t picture my life without you in it. And I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of keeping these thoughts and feelings inside.” His Adam’s apple bobs as I stare at him blankly. “Please say something.”
My throat is completely dry, more out of surprise than nerves. “I Wanna Be Yours” by Arctic Monkeys begins, allowing us to dance at a similar speed.
“We don’t have a song,” I blurt out.
His brow furrows before catching on, and he listens to the song playing. He smiles. “The lyrics are pretty accurate.”
Smiling, while still processing his previous statements, I nod. “I agree.”
Levi dips his chin. “This is our song then.” He looks over my head, and I know he’s disappointed in my response.
“Hotshot?”
His eyes shoot down to mine, looking full of nerves and hope. “Bambi?”
Clearing my throat, I tell him the truth. “I see it too.” Once the words escape me, a huge weight lifts off my shoulders. It’s not the first time I’ve said them to a man, but it’s the first time I mean them.
Levi’s face twists into a look of glee and surprise. His lips open, letting out a breath of relief.
Pushing myself onto my toes, I give him a soft kiss. His eyes heat. “If I spend one more second tonight without being able to touch you properly, I might die.”