Now the game was Levi’s protection. It was his penance. He might have enjoyed tonight’s dinner, but he’d never in a million years find himself deserving of such treatment. Haddie had thought him worthy, though. Why?
He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and looked at the time. 11:37 p.m. When it vibrated with a text and Haddie’s nickname popped up, he legit launched the device halfway across the room.
“Shit!” he hissed, scrambling out of bed to retrieve it. Some higher power must have been smiling down on him because it landed on a small pile of laundry that hadn’t quite made its way to his basket yet.
Birthday Girl:Awake?
Dammit…why did he love that a single, usually meaningless word had become their own secret greeting?
Levi:Nope. Fast asleep. This is just a dream.
Birthday Girl:How do you know it’s not a nightmare?
Levi:Because you, Haddie Martin, could only ever be a good dream.
Why he was pushing the boundaries again, Levi didn’t know. But at the same time, he imagined her biting back a grin, her cheeks flushed, and it gave him an indescribable rush to be the architect of an insuppressible smile.
Levi adjusted his pillows against the wall and pushed himself to sitting. After tossing and turning andwantingto fall asleep, now he found himself doing whatever he needed to stay awake.
Three dots appeared and disappeared. Appeared and disappeared. Never in his many years of experience with the English language and punctuation had an ellipsis made his heart race and his palms sweat. The anticipation was both agonizing and euphoric because he knew—at least he hoped he knew—that whatever Haddie said next would leave him with the insuppressible grin.
Birthday Girl:Tell me one thing you learned from your students’ essays.
Levi’s brows furrowed. Okay…so not even close to what he was expecting. Or maybe it was. Because Haddie seemed to be the one constantly keeping them in line, reminding Levi that no matter what they felt…that regardless of what chemistry might still bebubbling beneath the surface…roommates was the furthest their connection could go.
He sighed, got his head out of the fucking clouds, and brought himself back down to earth.
Levi:McMannus is already ineligible because of Tommy’s class.
Of all his players’ responses about playing better defense or practicing running a specific play more to make it second nature, it had been Billy McMannus’s response that kept turning over in his mind:I thought Mr. Crawford’s introductory assignment was bullshit, so I didn’t do it. Now I’m benched. But that doesn’t surprise you, Coach. Does it? You believed what you heard about me, and I delivered on your expectations.
Despite Billy’s tone, his few paragraphs were articulate and well written. And his underlying accusation of Levi’s expectations were—he hated to admit—on the nose.
Birthday Girl:Maybe it’s time to dig a little deeper into Billy’s story.
She was right. Levi pictured Haddie in her own bed with a different kind of smile on her face, smugly thinkingTold you so. And then he shook his head with a soft laugh, telling himself that no scenario where he was picturing Haddie in her bed ended with him getting a good night’s sleep.
Levi:Maybe. Hey…tell me about the rainbow thing your class did today. Do you teach weather? Just realizing you have to know all the things to teach the miniature humans. All I need to know is how to unlock the equipment closet.
Birthday Girl:LOL. I think you know more things than that. My weather unit isn’t ’til spring, but I tossed in the rainbow activity for a student who started circle time by telling me he was afraid of the storm his mom said was coming tonight. Figured if I taught the class one of the upsides of a little rain, they might be a little less scared.
Levi listened to the calm tapping of rain against his window and laughed.Some storm.But then he thought of Haddie forgetting about the car wash flyer so she could prep an activity that wasn’t even on her agenda, just because she cared.
Levi:You’re kind of amazing at your job, aren’t you?
Birthday Girl:I guess I just love those little rug rats, even when they’re using my Crayolas as lip stains.
His chest squeezed, and Levi swore he felt a twinge of something like…jealousy.
Levi:They earn their favoritism pretty quickly, huh?
Birthday Girl:Yes.
Her reply came quicker than Levi could blink.
Birthday Girl:Every one of my students is my favorite the second they walk through my door on day one. They’re the only ones who get to break my wait-and-see approach.
Levi:You’re a little marshmallow, aren’t u?
