She laughs. “You’re quite the Boy Scout, aren’t you?”
I grin at her, putting the condom on. “Always prepared?”
“Hurry,” she murmurs, reaching for me.
“I’d rather not hurry. I want to go slow. To take my time. But you’ve got me feeling like a teenage boy, so I’m not sure either of us will have much say in the matter.” I lower onto her, pressing a kiss to her mouth. “You’re sure?”
Nodding, she runs her hands down my back and lifts her hips to meet me. “Yes. Please.”
“No regrets.” I hold her gaze. An owl cries in the distance and the frogs sing, but the whole world seems to quiet as I slide into her.
I press deeper and she throws her head back. Her eyes close and a moan escapes her lips. “Levi,” she whispers, and I fucking love the sound of my name when she says it like that—laced with pleasure and gratitude. As if in this moment I’m everything that matters in her world.
I don’t move at first. Our bodies are connected. How did we get here, and why the hell did it take us so long?
“I’m in love with you,” I whisper. She gasps, and her eyes fly open and meet mine. I lower my mouth to cover hers before she can speak, kissing away her worry and questions. “I’m not looking for you to say it back. I just love you. I’ve been in love with you for a long time, and I wanted you to know.”
She wraps her legs around my waist and squeezes me tighter. Threading her fingers through my hair, she guides my mouth back down to hers. I know it’s the best response she can offer me right now—being here with me, giving herself to me. I won’t ask for more. Not yet.
I’m greedy to get her caught up to where I’ve been for years, but all I can do is show her what my love feels like and hope hers comes with time.
Ellie
Friday, October 26th
Levi told me he loves me.
Something about the sun setting over the lake triggered memories of the night Levi brought me here. I was walking back to the car when the context for “No regrets” came to me so clearly that my knees nearly buckled. Since that moment, I haven’t taken my eyes off him.
Today, we were damn near naked, and he pulled away after a single kiss. But when we were here in August, he didn’t exercise so much control. “I’m in love with you.”
The words were braver than I felt—not a mercy kill to our friendship, but a promise I didn’t deserve. He loved me. Whatever happened, I wouldn’t be alone.
I might not have said the words in return that night, but I felt them aching in my chest all the way through to my fingertips. I just didn’t know what to do with my love, or how to handle the fact that it wasn’t new. My feelings for Levi have grown and evolved since the night we met, from lust for a stranger, to affection for a friend, to love and loyalty for a man who was my rock. He carried me through some of Colton’s roughest patches, was there to pick me up when Colton couldn’t. I didn’t tell him how I felt, but we made love. That was my way of saying he meant something to me when I wasn’t in a position to make any promises in return.
The memory of his body over mine sends chills of anticipation up my spine and makes me want to reach for him. I can’t blame him for pulling away today. I walked away from Levi after we slept together. I took Colton back and put on his ring.
Is Levi right? Was that decision based on the baby alone? When I slept with Levi, I didn’t believe being with Colton was the best thing for my child. Quite the contrary, in fact. Why did I change my mind?
The drive home is quiet, and Levi keeps taking his eyes off the road to steal glances in my direction. “Are you okay?”
I saw Colton. He told me to stay with Levi, then he disappeared into the woods before I could see his face. As if he’d never been there. I should tell Levi, but some deep-rooted protective instinct makes me keep my encounter in the woods a secret, and I lean into the ache of gnawing guilt. I can trust Levi, and so can Colton, but something holds me back. “I just have a lot to think about.”
He nods. “I’m always here to listen if you need to talk.”
I lean my head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
We’re nearly back to Jackson Harbor when Levi’s phone rings through the Bluetooth in his Mustang. He taps the button on the steering wheel. “Hello?”
“Where the hell are you?” Shay’s voice comes through the speakers. Her words blur together so much I’m guessing standing up straight isn’t among her talents at the moment. “Your family is celebrating, but you’re MIA.”
Levi grins. “I thought the celebration was tomorrow. You know, the wedding, the monkey suits, the fancy decorations, and the band?”
“Pshh! Everyone knows the real party is the night before. Where are you? We’re all hanging out at Jackson Brews and trying Jake’s new IPA.”
Levi snorts. “That explains why you sound like you’re already three sheets to the wind. Did anyone warn you it’s almost twelve percent ABV?”
“I don’t need warned about beer,” Shay says haughtily. “I’m a Jackson. Not some lightweight college girl.”