Stevie shoves her mom again while Lucy rolls her eyes. The words catch me off guard, but their actions are logical.
“Understood.” I nod and point toward the kitchen, offering them something to drink.
Both shake their heads while my new roommate takes up my offer of lemonade.
“Don’t have too much sugar before bed, Stephanie,” Evelyn calls out.
Shit, she wasn’t exaggerating when she said overprotective. Stevie waves her hand dismissively, and I follow behind her, anything to get away from Evelyn, when I feel somebody tugging my forearm. Lucy lets go of me quickly but shifts her head to the back of the living room, giving me the signal to talk to her.
I hesitate, but follow a second later.
“The glasses are in the closed cabinet on top of the sink, and the lemonade’s in the fridge. Help yourself to any snacks you want,” I say casually to Stevie, who nods and smiles, turning her back to us.
When I reach Lucy, who is thankfully shooing Evelyn away, she turns to look at me, and her friendly demeanor becomes serious. “Levi, this might be a lot to ask, but I need you to keep a special eye out for Stevie.” I tilt my head, thinking it has something to do with her safety around the neighborhood, till her next ominous words roll off her tongue. “Stephanie has some health issues. Normally, I’d tell anyone close to her exactly what they are, but my daughter is stubborn and insisted on telling you herself.” She hands me a piece of paper. “Please call either one of us if anything happens. She will tell you everything. Give her some time.”
I nod with what I’m sure is an extremely fucking confused face.
“Can you handle that?” she whispers, noticing Stevie’s suspicious gaze on us.
I hesitate for a second, not knowing what I’m getting myself into, but I incline my head either way because the look she’s giving me isn’t saying,My daughter’s insane.It’s a pleading look from a loving mother genuinely worried about her daughter’s health.
The only question is, what the fuck is Stevie dealing with?
Chapter Two
STEVIE
My moms say their final goodbyes before leaving Levi and me alone in awkward silence. I’m still standing by the front door, glass of lemonade in hand, tapping it nervously.
“Do you need help unpacking, or do you want to order some food?” Levi asks softly, catching my attention.
I move my gaze upward and see his starkly handsome face. His dark blue eyes, soft smile, strong jawline, dark hair, and muscular body make him look like a young Clark Kent.
I’m sure that if it weren’t for the fact that I found my ex-boyfriend screwing our friend three weeks ago, and that I’m going to be living with the guy,andthat he is gay according to what my moms read, I’d be interested in him. Unfortunately, all the previous statements are true, and although he seems like a kind person I’ll get to know eventually, I just want to make my bed and go straight to sleep.
“I think I’m going to head to bed.” I point toward my open door.
His body relaxes, seeming relieved by my answer. “Yeah, of course, totally understand.”
We stand there quietly. The only sounds that fill the room are his shuffling feet and my index finger tapping on the glass.
Okay, enough.
I walk to my door, and right before we both shut ourselves inside our rooms, I try to lighten the mood. “Good night, roomie.”
His eyes widen a little in surprise, and he chuckles. “Night, roomie.”
“Edge of Seventeen”by Stevie Nicks plays through my massive headphones while I mix the batter and throw some blueberries in. The unfamiliar kitchen is smaller than the one in Andrew’s apartment, but it still has some decent counter space. The apartment itself is relatively small yet clean and somewhat homey. Hopefully, Levi won’t mind me putting some of my decor around the living room.
The chorus hits, and I take a second to move my body. I probably look a little crazy since I can’t dance for shit. Turning to the stove, I pour some of the batter into what I hope are perfect circles onto the preheated pan. I woke up at seven, having gotten my much-needed eight hours of sleep, and then unpacked my room and kitchenware. I also went to the local small grocery store a block away. You can tell that only guys used to live here because of the lack of kitchen essentials and food in the fridge. Thankfully, my moms and I went shopping for everything last weekend when Mom finally got her Christmas bonus.
Unfortunately, I can’t work this semester. My moms officially prohibited me from doing so because classes and extracurriculars are already stressful enough, and taking on ajob on top of that could lead to health issues.So, my dad and moms give me a monthly budget, and it’s up to me to manage it.
I made enough batter for both Levi and me. Since his bedroom door is closed, I don’t know whether he is home. But something needs to be done to break the ice. Why not let it be breakfast?
I’m trying to be as quiet as possible while I sing and awkwardly swivel my hips, my old nightgown riding up until it’s right under my butt. Usually, I’d be more careful around strangers. Still, since Levi is only interested in men and might not even be here, I felt comfortable enough to wear my usual pajamas in the open space.
Once I finish tossing ten pancakes, I put them onto a large platter and add butter to five of them. I turn to the counter and find Levi with disheveled hair and pink cheeks.
