Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
I stood sort of abruptly. “I’m going to go say goodnight to Alex.”
Levi nodded.
I took a few steps but stopped at the doorway and turned back. “Levi?”
“Yeah?”
“Alex wasn’t the only one who had a great time today.”
He smiled. “Oh yeah?”
I nodded. “I’m glad I came. Goodnight, Levi.”
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
***
The next morning, my new boss called to ask if I could possibly stop up at the school today to get my picture taken for my identification card. I’d been scheduled to go in next week, but apparently there had been some mix up. So after I picked up the photos from CVS, I needed to jump in the shower and make myself look halfway presentable.
Levi was in the kitchen when I arrived home.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” I smiled. “Here are the photos from yesterday. I was going to sort through them and just give you the best ones to choose from, but I have to take a quick shower and run up to my new job to get an ID card. Do you mind if I leave you all of them to pick your favorites? I know your agent needed them by this afternoon. Maybe you can just make me a pile of the ones you like best, and I’ll send those over to your agent electronically when I get home?”
“Yeah, of course. No problem.”
“Thanks. Sorry I don’t have time to chat. I’m in a rush.”
“Do what you gotta do.”
I jumped in the shower, dried my hair, and put on makeup. On my way out, Levi was still going through the photos.
“These really came out incredible,” he said. “It’s hard to narrow it down.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you mind if I keep a few of them?”
“No, not at all.” I grabbed my car keys from the hook. “Take as many as you want.”
“Will you be around later?”
“I have some errands to run. But I’ll be done in time to pick up Alex and his friend from camp. Alex is staying over at Kyle’s tonight, but his mom works late. So I’m going to pick the boys up and feed them, and then drop them over there afterward for their sleepover.”
“So you’re free after that? I told a few friends I’d go to that new bar that just opened over on Main Street. They have line dancing tonight. Why don’t you come? You know most of the people going.”
A night out line dancing actually sounded like fun. Lord knows, I didn’t do it often. So I shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
Levi smiled. “Excellent. I have a couple of meetings this afternoon, but I’ll probably head out around eight.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you back here sometime before that.”
***
Later that evening, after I dropped Alex and Kyle at Kyle’s house, I came back and straightened up the common areas of The Palm while I waited for Levi. He’d left a windbreaker on the kitchen chair, so I thought I’d hang it in the closet. As I picked it up, something fell from the pocket. Or rather a bunch of things—photos. I bent to collect them. They must’ve been the ones he’d decided to keep. There were probably about a dozen in total, but the one on top of the pile was a close-up of me that he’d taken on the bleachers. When he’d asked if he could keep a few, I’d assumed he meant some action shots of himself. But as I shuffled through the pile, I realized he’d chosen five different pictures of just me. Me laughing. Me running. Me looking directly at the camera and smiling.
And five pictures of Alex playing. Alex celebrating in the end zone. Alex getting ready to throw the football. Alex smiling from the sidelines.
And two pictures of him and Alex together—one where they were high-fiving, and the other where Levi had lifted Alex up in the air to swing him around. There wasn’t a single photo of Levi alone.
Over the last few weeks, Levi had tried to convince me that what he felt for me was not something fleeting. He’d tried to assure me it was more than just sexual attraction. But I didn’t believe him—until now. For my part, I’d done everything I could to keep my feelings shoved down deep inside of me. I was afraid I was alone in what I felt. That seemed ridiculous now.
I was still crouched down, staring at the photos in my hand when the door opened and Levi walked in. He saw the pictures, and his eyes cautiously lifted to meet mine.
I stood and shook my head. “You really do have feelings for me, don’t you?”
Levi held my eyes and took a step closer. “I do. Big ones.”
I stared at the photos and let out a shaky breath. “I do, too.”
He smiled. “I know you do, babe. You just needed to find a way to accept them.”