Chapter 25
Levi
Idon’t know what happened, what changed, what spiritual lottery I won...but I have to be the luckiest guy in the world.Yesterday afternoon when I was hiding from Tate in the pantry, I was fully prepared for her to rip my face off, and she would have been within her right to do so.I was, and still am, a complete idiot when it comes to women, relationships, and handling things out of my control.The pool party was bad, the alcohol thing was worse, and the Kim thing was just straight-up reckless.I used Kim and she knew it.The thought sends a pang of guilt to my stomach.I grab my phone off the bathroom tile and punch out a text to her.
Levi: Hey, you didn’t deserve that.I’m sorry.
Short, sweet, to the point.She likely won’t answer, but I hope she does.Kim’s cool, as a friend, of course.I catch my reflection in the bathroom mirror.A dopey smile takes up about 60 percent of my face.I look happy and it makes me a little uncomfortable.Tate has completely unraveled me, and she has no idea.Who would have guessed making pasta would solve world peace?It sure fixed my universe.She was so cute reading the back of the box of noodles that I wanted to squeeze her.Still do.I wonder if she’s up yet.
The thoughts are relentless as I step into the steam-filled shower, the water hitting my skin quite literally sizzling.I wasn’t sure how long this high I’m riding would last, so I got up early, worked out, and I’m going to test my luck some more and see if Tate will allow me to take her on a real date.The show’s been gaining a lot of hype, more than I think was expected...definitely on my end.
I stopped going on social media the day after the last show.The number of messages I got soliciting my mouth rivaled all but the emoji wearing the cowboy hat.We won’t be able to go anywhere too public, so, unfortunately, that rules out most of the activities I’m aware of in LA.
I twist off the shower, running the towel over my body and then my hair.I need to do some research.Maybe get a disguise going.I throw on my joggers and head to the kitchen for a cup of motivation.As soon as I step a foot out of my room, my bare chest meets the side of Tate’s face.She rocks off-balance, and just as she starts to tip, I lunge, grabbing her by the waist before she falls.
“Tate, you okay?We gotta stop doing that.”
She smiles up at me and all the air leaves my chest.Her hair cascades down, the tips just grazing the floor.She’s dressed in baggy white overalls that are splattered with different colors of paint.Her undershirt is rainbow-striped, rolling over her shoulders in a pattern.
“Should we stand up?”Her eyes flick to where I still have her in a full tilt.I pull her to her feet, instantly missing the feeling of her in my arms.
“Were you coming to see me?”I ask, eyebrows raised.
“Maybe.What’s your plan today?Does it involve a shirt?”I follow her eyes to where my chest sits exposed between us.
“I wasn’t sure you would be up yet,” I say over my shoulder as I run back in my room, picking up a mostly clean shirt from the floor.When my head comes through the neck hole, I see Tate in my room thumbing through some books on the nightstand.Mostly biographies.I sit on the edge of my bed, entertaining the idea that this is real.She’s here.Intrusive thoughts creep in, asking, But for how long?Lucky for me, they can’t hold me for too long, because when her hand runs the length of my bicep coming to a rest on my shoulder...everything but her disappears.
“Hang out with me today?”I say once I can finally manage to speak.
Her mouth crooks up on one side.“What do you want to do?”
“Let’s go out.Have some fun.”
“Did you get Jan’s email?”she asks, taking a seat beside me on the bed.
“No.What’s the Cliff’s Notes?”
“Just that as the show hypes up, we need to be aware when we’re out in public and not to put ourselves in situations that may reflect poorly on the show.”
