Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
She threw her purse down on a chair. “It was…nice.”
I gritted my teeth. “Just nice?”
“Yeah. You know, about what I expected.”
As she sat across from me, I felt a sharp jolt of pain in my bad knee. I started to massage it.
She looked at it. “Is your knee still hurting you?”
“I reinjured it tonight.”
Her mouth dropped. “How?”
“I banged it against the damn leg of the table.”
“Seriously? That’s crazy. At least I can’t take credit for it this time.”
“Actually, it was kind of your fault.”
Presley’s nose wrinkled. “What?”
“When you texted me, nosy-ass Fern was looking at my phone and tried to grab it. I jumped to take it from her, and that’s when I hit my knee.”
“That’s my fault?”
“No. I’m teasing. It was my fault. I was on edge about you being out, so I overreacted.” Why did I just admit that? “But tell me about tonight.”
She looked a bit confused before she answered. “Jeremy is really nice. Like really, really nice. And smart and funny…”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I said, “Okay…”
“But honestly, after I texted and you told me what you guys had done tonight—going to Iggy’s and reminiscing—I sort of lost focus. All I wanted was to be home. Which is weird, you know? That shouldn’t have happened so easily.”
My heart began to beat faster. “I wished you were with us too,” I admitted.
She rubbed her palms together. “So, you said you were on edge tonight…because of me?”
I nodded, but it took several seconds before I could respond. “I can’t properly explain it. But yeah.” I shook my head, not wanting to elaborate. “Anyway, I apologize for trying to make you feel guilty about things this morning.”
Her mouth spread into a smile. “There are worse things in the world than having a handsome football star acting all protective over you. I appreciate you looking out for me.”
“It wasn’t exactly as noble as that. But I will look out for you from now on, Presley. You and I, we didn’t know each other all that well before. But I feel like after I leave in a couple of months, things will be different. I don’t plan to lose touch with you guys.”
“I’m kind of getting used to having you around, Levi. It’s gonna suck when you leave.”
I hadn’t realized I was still rubbing my knee until Presley moved from her seat and positioned herself next to me. She placed her hand on it and began to gently massage. My body stirred.
“Does that feel okay?” she whispered.
“Yeah. It does. More than okay.”
I bent my head back, swearing at myself for enjoying her damn touch more than I’d enjoyed…well, hell, the last time I’d had sex. What the fuck was wrong with me? Getting off on Alex’s mother?
But I saw her as so much more than that now, didn’t I? And it was starting to become a problem.
CHAPTER 8
* * *
Presley
“Sweetheart, will you do me a favor and go see if Uncle Levi wants any banana-nut pancakes?” The stack on the side of the stove had to be eighteen inches high.
Alex got up from his chair, but instead of heading to his uncle’s room, he walked over and put his hand on my back. “Are you okay, Mom?”
My forehead wrinkled. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”
My son shrugged. “I don’t know. But you usually make a lot of food when you get upset. Last time Dad didn’t show up for his visit, you made like a hundred cupcakes.”
Though a hundred was a bit of an exaggeration, I did tend to cook when I was lost in my head. I’d had no idea Alex realized that. This morning, I’d gotten out of bed at six and roasted a whole chicken before chopping it up and making chicken salad. My growing feelings toward Levi had me very unsettled.
But I didn’t want Alex to worry, so I smiled. “I’m fine, sweetie. I made extra to freeze in case you’re hungry after practice, that’s all. You can just pop them in the toaster oven later when you get home.”
Alex shrugged. “Okay, Mom.” Then he walked back over to his chair and sat down.
I turned with the spatula in my hand. “Umm… Did you forget you were going to go ask Uncle Levi if he wanted pancakes?”
“No, I didn’t forget. Uncle Levi’s not home. He left already.”
“He left?”
Alex nodded.
“When did he leave?”
“While you were in the shower. I was in my room getting dressed, and he came in with his suitcase to say goodbye.”
“Suitcase?”
“Yeah. He said he was going away for a few days.”
“Did he say where?”
“No.”
Alex was completely unfazed as he shoveled a pancake into his mouth. I, on the other hand, felt oddly bothered. Levi had gone out of town for a few days and didn’t even mention it to me? It wasn’t like he had any obligation, yet it still made me feel sort of bad that he hadn’t told me or said goodbye.