I turn to look at her.“No, did you?”
Her entire face glitters with humor.“The girl doesn’t swear, drink, or have sex.Did you think that was all a coincidence?”
The moments filter through my mind.All of them, cataloging first to last.
“Oh my...I am a complete idiot, aren’t I?”I whisper out loud to myself.
“You most definitely are,” she responds.
“That wasn’t a question, Gabby.”
“Gabby again?Really?”She arches an eyebrow.
Just then the door flies open and Jan walks in.Even through her cat-eye sunglasses I know she has her eyes locked on the two of us.The tips of her smile lift into something sinister.
“Perfect!You’re both here.Don’t move.”We both look at each other in confusion just as several camera people rush in and set up at the bottom of the stairs.I spy Kim, and when our eyes meet, I lift my hand as if to saywhat in the world is going on?She smiles before lifting her left hand in the same way I did but pinches her ring finger.I squint, but not too hard as the diamond hanging onto her finger might as well be the iceberg that sank the Titanic.
My eyes slide back to her face just in time to catch her mouthing, PROPOSAL.
“Did she just say proposal?”Gabriella says, but it sounds far away.I look to see if she moved, but she hasn’t.The edges of her body are frayed a bit.Like I’m looking through a camera scope.Oh no, it’s happening.I close my eyes, shutting everything out.I try to picture the beach, the waves, the same imagery I’ve always conjured, but the noise around me is so loud.
“Levi?Levi?You good?”
“Yeah...Yeah, I’m good.Hey, can you do me a favor?”
“Now?”Gabriella questions.
I work to control my breath.“Yeah, it’s not a big thing,” I say in a rush.“Could you just rub circles, big to small, across my back.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
I scrunch my face, thinking to myself again that nothing is easy with Gabriella.I open one of my eyes to check my vision.Better but not clear.Gabriella’s staring at me, her nose scrunched at the center, her tiny freckles folding inward.
“I have panic attacks and I’m having one now.Tate...Tate used to do these circles.Never mind.I’ll be fine.”I let my head drop between my legs.After about five exhales I feel her palm draw the first unsteady circle.She gains more confidence with every lap until they dissolve into a palm at the center of my spine.Without realizing it, my breathing has stabilized.I lift my head to cameras on tripods and shoulders.There’s a woman in a fire-engine red two-piece suit getting mic’d up.
“Better?”
“Yeah, thank you.”
“Of course.”She smiles.
“Alright, lovebirds.”Jan climbs the steps, Kim not far behind her.She pushes up her glasses and throws her hand on her hip.“Kim, throw Levi’s stuff in his room while I give these two the rundown.”
“Excuse me?”Kim says, but it’s whiny.A voice only used when talking to a parent, and I can never unsee the resemblance.
“Just do it, please.”
She redirects her attention to us.“Welcome home, Levi.I trust you had a good visit?”
“It was fine.Thank you.”
Her eyes narrow.“Is there anything I need to know that I don’t already?”
“Nope,” I -86 the P.I think the mental games are what I hate the most.
“Great.”She claps once, and Kim reappears.“So, here’s the deal.Levi knows he messed up, but during his time back home, he realized he truly wanted...”
Tate, something inside whispers.My traitor heart.
