Page 130 of Falling in Reverse

Peter is tall and scrawny, reminding me of a younger version of Reeve minus the ink, hazel eyes, and confident persona he holds.

Though, he appears as if he’s going to shit his pants. Especially when he glances behind me.

“Hello,” I greet with a smile, trying to gain his attention. “You’re Peter?”

He doesn’t answer me right away, and that’s when I hear the soft clap of wood against a palm, hinting at Levi’s strategy of intimidation and a promise that he’ll use it if he needs to.

“Hi, Peter,” Ellie quips. The sound of her voice drawing him back to her. “Is that for me?”

“Y-yeah,” he quickly replies, shoving the pretty flower at her. “I hope you like it.”

“I do?—”

“Did you buy that or pluck it from Mrs. Morrison’s house down the street?” Levi asks. “I don’t allow my girl to go out with little punks who steal.”

“I bought it,” Peter quickly retorts, wrapping his tan coat tighter around his body. “At The Bloom Room on Tuler.”

“I’d like to see a receipt.”

I gently give Ellie a little push out the door so I can end Levi’s interrogation. “Have a really good time, you guys. Peter, she needs to be home by midnight on the dot.”

“Of course,” Peter quickly replies. “We’ll be back by then.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Levi adds as Ellie gives me one last nervous look. Her blue eyes aren’t as excited as they were an hour ago, and I believe it’s because Levi won’t shut the hell up.

“Have a really good time,” I remind her, giving my sister a hug before whispering in her ear, “Text me if you need me. I’ll be here.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you more.”

Ellie and Peter take off down the cement porch, but I keep the door open when I pivot around to face Levi. And, what do you know, he has that Louisville Slugger in his hands, still tapping away at it.

“You wanna wait out on the porch?”

His unamused expression clashes with mine. “You wanna tell me why you weren’t home last night and Nessa said you weren’t hangin’ out together like you said?”

Motherfucker.

Rule number one of lying; make sure your alibi knows that you’re using them.

“So, where were you?”

Standing in front of Levi and his no-bullshit stare is pretty close to the hardest thing I’ve had to do this week.

But I’m still on the fence about telling him anything Emilio-related and the little tiff I got going with the boys.

“Out,” I deadpan, knowing damn well that it’s not going to cut it.

Levi doesn’t remove his emotionless features. “Out where?”

“Okay, this possessive boyfriend role you’re playin’, you can stop now. We’re not in front of Tweedle-dee or Tweedle-dumb.”

He treads closer to keep the TV in the living room as the only thing Dad hears. The foyer’s wall blocks us from Dad’s view as well. “You’re right. Because if you were my girlfriend, I’d have you handcuffed to your bed right now for giving me these vague-ass answers.”

One of my brows quirk as I try to shove away thoughts of Levi, a bed, handcuffs, the possibilities…and that’s when that friend zone kicks in.

“I honestly can’t see why girls like you, Levi.”

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