He takes a seat next to me, his width devouring the step.“It wasn’t a fling for me,” he says, not looking at me.
“And Gabriella?”
“What about her?”
“Are you guys...”
“Gee, Tate, you know as well as anyone we can barely stand each other.She’s too much 90 percent of the time and the other 10 percent she’s just difficult.”
I can’t suppress a laugh, letting my weight take my upper half down to his shoulder.I missed him, missed this.
“Levi.”
“Hmm.”
“I got signed to a record deal today.”I turn my head, so my chin is on his shoulder.I want to see his expression.His eyes go big as he turns his head to look down at mine.
“For real?”he asks, eyes wide.
I nod quickly, feeling my eyes go glassy.
“Tate, that’s amazing!”He squeezes me into his side.“Which one?”
“Centricity.”
“Is that the Christian label?”
“Yeah, curveball, I know.But this is where I think I’m supposed to be.It feels right.”
He presses a soft kiss to my forehead.“I’m happy for you.Let’s celebrate.”He pulls me to a stand and it’s like changing universes.
“What’d you have in mind?”
“That depends on how long you’re here...”
“We leave Sunday.So, two more days?”
“Alright, in the next two days, I’m going to give you the locals-only tour, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”I smile.His pocket buzzes.He pulls it out, but quickly stuffs it back in.
When we get back inside, Callie is nowhere to be found.She’s not by the railing or the bar.Something inside of me is inching towards panic.I look at Levi, and somehow, he just knows.
“She’s here,” he yells above the crowd.“Don’t worry.”He pushes up on his toes, growing another foot or so, scanning the crowd.I wait down here on Earth for him to come back down and report.When he does, it’s a quick hand hold and a tug through the sea of people all swaying to a whiskey lullaby.After a handful of excuse me, I’m sorry, and coming through, we make it to the center, and then I see her.She has her arms wrapped around, presumably, Tim’s neck, spinning in a slow circle.I let out a heavy sigh of relief.
“Thank you for helping me.”I turn to Levi to find he has his hand out to me.
“Dance with me?”he says, loud enough for me to hear, eyes glistening.
“Okay.”
We both take a half a step forward, his hand curling around my lower back, pulling me into him.My insides are screaming at touching him, feeling his warmth.I slide one hand up the hard plane of his chest until it comes to rest on a broad shoulder.The other hand meets his, locking together.He leads in slow rhythmic circles.I let my head rest on his chest.The sound of his heart and the beat of the music are a perfect melody.
“I missed this,” my body hums.
He responds in a tight squeeze around me, “Me too.”It says.
The song changes to “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere” and so does the nature of the dance.I pull back to check the time.It’s 9 p.m.
