Page 57 of Breaking the Habit

The blowup with Riley haunted him. When he shut his eyes at night, he could still see the hurt slash across her face from when he’d called her a nobody.A nobody.He was the dumbest man alive. It didn’t matter how much he believed in what he was doing or why he was hunting notoriety.

He said the stupidest shit when he was upset. Everyone in his life knew it. Now Riley did too.

Levi needed to make it up to her bigtime. After training that day, he went to the most expensive florist he could find on Google Maps and bought the darkest bouquet they had. Black and mauve roses with gray lilies. Riley would go crazy for that shit. And he could try to make light of his own stupid words. If she’d look him in the eye.

She hadn’t texted over the past three days—not that he’d expected her to—but neither had he. Part of him felt like this was a weaning process. Their sex had been explosive, but it couldn’t go further than that. So why push it?

But his own fuckup made him eager to fix things. They had more practices coming up. More matches. It would be awkward, and he hated awkward. So he loaded up the expensive flowers and headed to her house to surprise her.

Levi knocked on the front door, his entire body clenching as he waited for someone to answer. He had to knock a second and third time before the front door opened. Nikki peered out at him.

“Hello?”

“Hey, uh…Nikki?” He flashed his best smile. “Is Riley home? I really need to see her.”

Nikki blinked at the bouquet in his hands. “Oh, she’s gonna be so fuckin’ happy.”

He liked that little insight. “So, is she here?”

“Sorry. She’s at the studio.” Nikki shook her head, eyes still on the flowers. “Black roses. You really know her already, don’t you?”

Nikki’s words stuck with him as he booked it back across Los Feliz. He pulled up just when the golden hour was in full force. He hid the flowers behind his back as he trotted up to her studio. The door was open, and he pushed inside, the scent of patchouli greeting him. Low music hummed, something blues-y and sad.

Riley twisted toward the door, camera in her hand. She was with a client. Levi stilled, staying near the door.

“Oh,” she said, zero enthusiasm in her voice.

“Hey, Riley.” He kept the flowers behind his back, eyes darting between her and the client—the man—in front of her. He was probably early thirties, with an impeccable finger wave in his longish hair and a tailored suit. He looked at Levi as if he was expecting something, maybe from Riley too, and all his muscles went rigid. Like he was fucking jealous or something.

“Uh, I got a special delivery for you.” Levi revealed the flowers. His heart hammered in his chest, and suddenly he was so nervous and desperate for her that he couldn’t control himself. “I grew these, you know. It took a lot of trowel and error.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Riley’s lips. “Good one. Give me ten, okay?”

Levi nodded, setting the bouquet down on her countertop before letting himself out of the studio. A whoosh of relief flooded him—at least she didn’t kick him out—and he occupied himself window shopping and checking his phone damn near every minute.

He waited eleven minutes before venturing back to the studio. Riley was alone now, clicking through her laptop on the tall counter. Levi stuffed his hands into his pockets once he re-entered the cool, fragrant air of her studio. She crossed her arms over her chest, turning to him.

“Hey.” His gaze skated up and down her black overalls, paired with a skin-tight slate gray top and those combat boots. She looked grunge but still somehow edible. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your session. I wanted to come say I’m sorry.”

Riley tilted her head.

“I don’t know if you noticed this yet, but…I’m kind of a hothead.” Levi scratched at the back of his neck. “And…I feel like an asshole. So I thought I should get you some dark and serious flowers.” He gestured toward them. “You know, because that’s what you are. But that’s the best part of you.”

Riley looked like she was fighting a grin. “I’m notthatserious.”

“I know. I just…I had to go with the theme.” He drew a fortifying breath, surprised by how fast his heart was racing. This really meant something to him. More than he expected. “Listen, it’s important to me that you understand. Okay? The whole paparazzi thing…I didn’t mean for it to be personal. It’s sort of like…a goal of mine. Like a business goal. And you’re not a nobody because you avoid them. You’re actually the coolest fucking person I’ve ever met.”

Riley nibbled on her bottom lip, the paper crinkling around the flowers as she picked them up, admiring them.

“Besides, Gage really wants to see you again, and he won’t shut up about it.”

Riley dragged her honey eyes his way, which sent electricity sparking through him. “I miss Gage. I’ll have to hang out with him sometime.”

“And not me?”

She shrugged, but the beginning of a smile quirked her lips. She fingered the slate gray petal of the lily, then looked at Levi, something on her face shifting. “I don’t have time for the paparazzi bullshit. I’m over them. They tried to ruin my life once, and it’s not going to happen again.

Levi blinked. “What?”

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