My eyes betray me as I look next to Levi and find Sterling. He’s leaning against the counter, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand, and that stupid, lazy smirk tugging at his lips.
That smirk is the exact reason I’d been hiding out in the first place. It’s like he’s fully aware of what’s going on in my head when he looks at me like that.
“You definitely are,” Levi says, narrowing his eyes as he studies me. His gaze darts between me and Sterling. “Did something happen between you two?”
“What?” I blurt out, a little too loudly.
“No,” Sterling answers smoothly at the same time.
The way our voices overlap makes Levi pause, brows drawing together as if he’s piecing together a puzzle he doesn’t want the answer to. A beat of tense silence stretches out before he finally exhales, the corner of his mouth tipping down in reluctant relief.
“Okay, good,” he says at last, leaning back against the counter. “Because the last thing this world needs is another Maisy-and-Sterling shitshow.”
I bristle instantly. “What does that even mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Levi shoots back without missing a beat. “The last time you two messed around, it wrecked everything. Left you both in pieces, and left me feeling like I’d lost not only my sister, but also my best friend. So, forgive me if I want to make sure you’re not repeating history.”
Heat creeps up the back of my neck, equal parts embarrassment and anger. I stab my fork into the nearest breakfast sausage like it personally offended me, the metal scraping against the plate.
But Levi turns his attention to Sterling now, his voice firm. “Or breaking promises.”
The words hang in the air and when Levi glances away, Sterling’s eyes find mine. For the briefest second, I see guilt etched across his face before he looks down, jaw flexing.
I force myself to look back at Levi. “Is there a reason you’re here,brother?” I ask, my tone a bit more aggressive than I intended.
He arches a brow at me, lowering his plate with exaggerated slowness.
“Yes,sister,” he drawls, rolling his eyes. “I’m throwing a party here tonight.”
“What?” I ask, blinking at him.
Levi lifts a finger as he chews another bite, taking his sweet time before answering. “Sterling’s leaving in a week so I figured we could give him a proper send-off this time.”
The room goes quiet, like someone’s sucked all the oxygen out of it. My stomach knots painfully, my fork frozen halfway to my plate. Has it already been almost a month of him being here?
“You’re not staying?” I ask Sterling, my voice small, betraying me.
“Why would he?” Levi answers for him, frowning like it’s obvious.
Sterling chews his food slowly, watching me the whole time before finally speaking. “Well, you know how to snowboard now,” he says, voice light. “And I don’t exactly have a reason to stay.”
Ouch.
The words reverberate in my chest like a bruise that’s spreading deeper.
“Yeah, Mais,” Levi adds, his tone mock-playful but lined with a hint of truth. “We’ve already learned that friends aren’t enough of a reason for this guy to stick around.”
He shoves Sterling’s shoulder like it’s a joke and Sterling just rolls his eyes, brushing it off, but Levi isn’t wrong. I’d been the one who said we could be friends with benefits, nothing more. So why am I surprised that he’s not giving up the life he built for himself in Saltwater Springs…just to stay here with me?
“Party starts at eight,” Levi says, rinsing off his plate before loading it into the dishwasher.
“Need a hand getting stuff for the party?” Sterling asks after a beat, his voice casual.
He doesn’t look at me when he asks, like he’s suddenly afraid of being alone with me now that Levi’s reminded him of promises and past mistakes.
Levi’s face brightens. “Yeah, actually. Let’s go.”
I watch the two of them head toward the door, leaving me behind in the kitchen with nothing but a cooling plate of food and the sour taste of regret on my tongue.
