Page 33 of Glad You're Here

“Psh. Why would that make me uncomfortable, Levi? I’ve seen naked men before.” All of her poise returned.

I laughed out loud. “Who says you get to see me naked?” My heart pounded in my throat. Joking about it was one thing. Thinking about it actually happening made me feel sick with guilt and thrilled at the same time.

Thea shot back, “Who says I want to see you naked?” Before I could answer, she continued, “You’re not dating anyone, right? I need to confirm that when you inevitably fall in love with me, you won’t break some cute Target and latte-loving blonde’s heart.”

“Why does she have to love Target and lattes?” I grinned into the phone. “I think you’d have more to worry about if she loved emo bands and chamomile tea.”

Thea’s laugh lost its easiness. “Whatever, Levi. Stop flirting with me.” She cleared her throat. “Did you pick any cool restaurants?”

I was starting to learn that Thea changed the subject any time I hit too close to her real emotions. I’d let her off the hook for now. “No. Only gross restaurants with one-star reviews that will definitely give us food poisoning.”

“Perfect. I knew I liked you.”

I sighed jokingly. “I knew you liked me, too.”

fourteen

Levi

Thea’s hair was deep purple again. Her ripped jeans hugged her gorgeous curves like a second skin, and her baggy My Chemical Romance sweatshirt had me smiling like an idiot. It took her a moment to spot me, but I enjoyed watching her. For once, she didn’t look aloof and indifferent. Thea adjusted the straps of her backpack and smoothed her hair several times as if she felt exactly as nervous as I did.

When our eyes finally met, my heart nearly exploded out of my chest like a damn cartoon character. Thea smiled and then rolled her eyes, annoyed that she was happy to see me.

I grinned back at her and crossed the small airport baggage claim. Should I hug her? High five? Pull her into my arms and kiss her?

Thea wrapped her arms around my neck, and mine slid easily around her waist. She nestled her head against my shoulder, and there was no way she couldn’t feel my heart pounding. I squeezed her a little tighter, still thinking about kissing her. We’d never explicitly stated our feelings but flirted and hinted on the phone almost daily. Something was happening between us, right?

Before I could pull my shit together, Thea backed away. “Levi.” She smiled. Her voice sounded even huskier and sexier in person. “You look like a hiker now.”

I laughed and folded my arms, suddenly unsure of what to do with my hands. “Do I? What does a hiker look like, Thea?”

“Tan. Strong. Annoyingly happy.”

“Thank you.” I figured out what to do with my hands and grabbed Thea’s suitcase and backpack.

“Stop!” She rolled her eyes. “I can carry my own shit.”

I nodded. “I know you can, but I want to do it.” Thea wouldn’t say it, but I knew she ached from the flight. After all of our video chats, I was starting to be able to tell when she was experiencing a fibromyalgia flareup. Her eyes would get this hazy look, like concentrating required great effort. She had a mild haze now.

“You can do the suitcase, but give me the backpack,” she said grudgingly. We made our way to the parking lot, confirming our plans for the day. We’d drive from the airport to the North Rim, which was only two hours away, do a half-mile hike, and then drive to Bryce.

“You’ll have to take it easy on me, hiker boy. I don’t do tons of cardio.”

I grinned at Thea while I loaded her bags into my trunk. “You’ll set the pace, always. ”

“I need you to understand how slow I’ll be. It might drive you crazy.”

“Thea,” I flirted, “Walking behind you will drive me crazy but for an entirely different reason.”

Thea threw her head back and laughed, resting her hand on my bicep. She was flirting back, right? The hand on the bicep thing was a classic flirt, wasn’t it?

Holy shit. I was out of my depth.

On the drive, we talked about her painting and my graphic design classes. We talked about her aunt and how I needed to meet her at some point. “Don’t worry. I won’t subject you to my family any time soon,” I joked.

“I would actually love to meet your family, Levi. It would be fascinating to see their dynamic.” She smirked. “Would my hair freak them out? I have midnight blue lipstick I could break out for the occasion, you know, to complete the look.” Thea laughed and grabbed my forearm, which rested on the console between us. “I could pretend to be a Satanist! I would do that for you, Levi.”

I laughed, hoping she would keep her hand on my arm. I already knew my family wouldn’t accept this beautiful person beside me. They’d make her feel less than, and I’d never knowingly subject Thea to that experience. As tough as she was, I wouldn’t risk my parents or siblings adding any cracks to her armor. Thea was too valuable. “I honestly don’t know if they’d let you into their holy home, especially if they thought we were-”

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