Page 9 of The Gift Rarely Given

“It’s okay, Livie. I like it,” he adds.

“Okay. Are you going to tell me what that wholeI’m a fanwas about, though?” I ask.

“How about we go to lunch and I’ll tell you?”

We stand there in silence, suspended in time, the world passing us by and disappearing from sight. If I read this scene in one of my romance books, I would roll my eyes and blame it on instant love, but I’m pretty sure this is insta-lust more than anything. Even if I wanted to say no, I couldn’t, because my fingers are itching to touch his skin. My lips tingle with the thought of kissing him again, and my heart is thumping fast and hard at the possibility of spending more time with him.

I take a step forward and link my arm with his. “Lead the way.”

6

HOLY SHIT, THAT’S HUGE

USE SOMEBODY, KINGS OF LEON

Alex

We walkin silence to the end of Sixth and Magnolia. I open the glass door to Ronnie’s, our local diner, and let Livie go in first. When I told Nick I was going to the Market to see Nat and Bella, I didn’t think I was going to run into Livie. What are the odds that I would see my hook up from last night in my hometown? Last night was both a blur and a dream. I sound like a poet even thinking about it, but the connection I shared with her was nothing I’ve experienced before. Hooking up with women is not new to me, but there was something different about her that screamedmore—but then one thing led to another, and I followed what I wanted. I shouldn’t have, but I did.

“Welcome to Ronnie’s! Anything to drink?” the waitress asks. I eat at Ronnie’s a lot, but I usually choose to pick up rather than dining in, so I haven’t learned allthe employee’s names. But there’s something oddly familiar about this waitress.

“Hey, Nells,” Livie greets. “Can I get the usual starter please?”

“Livie! I haven’t seen you since forever. Sorry, I didn’t notice it was you and yes, yes you can. What about you, Alex?” the waitress asks and now I feel like a douche for not remembering her name.

“Water for me, thanks.”

“You got it.” She walks to the back of the restaurant, disappearing through wooden doors.

“So, Alex,” Livie starts, both elbows on top of the table, linking her fingers together under her chin. “Do you live in Baker? First Hailey, and now Nellie know you by name. And that’s odd, considering I’ve never seen you before.”

Nellie.Of course she looked familiar—her sister Cara is one of my closest friends. I forgot her little sister is not so little anymore.

I clear my throat. “Born and raised, but I could say the same thing about you.”

“Not born and raised, but I moved here a few years ago. I grew up in Magnolia Springs, just an hour south of here, but Hailey loves Baker Oaks. So after college, we moved here. I love it and never want to leave.”

I wish I could say the sentiment was mutual, and truth is I used to love living in Baker, but tainted memories have made it very difficult to have a life here. A slow-paced life. A comfortable life. My house is what some people dream about, and I like it, but it’s missing something. Mom thinks it’s missing holiday cheer and grandchildren, and maybe she’s right. I’m afraid I might never give her what she wants, since I’m almost thirty and have not had a steady relationship with pretty much anyone.

“Back to you being famous, though. Am I going to have to Google you? Holy shit, if I Google you, am I going to find a bunch of dirt on you?” Livie asks and I flinch. A bunch of dirt on me is exactly what she will find on the Internet and I don’t want her to see any of that. I want her to see who I am now. Who I’ve always been, when I’m not trying to recover from a life-changing injury.

“You can, but I can just tell you. I used to play football, and you know people in the South and their football. They make it a bigger deal than it is, I promise.” I grab my water from Nellie’s hand as she stands right next to us, welcoming the distraction. She places a plate in front of Livie with fried green tomatoes and ranch.

“How big are we talking, though? High school, college ball? Ah, thank you, Nells. You’re an angel.”

“More like he was the QB for the Rhinos,” Nellie adds and Livie’s eyes go wide.

“Holy shit, that’s huge! Well, congrats on retirement,” she spits out before turning back to Nellie and ordering her entree. I order mine quickly and then stay quiet, hoping she doesn’t make a big deal of this and waiting for the conversation to continue. When it doesn’t, I look up and find Livie watching me with tenderness in her eyes.

“Did I say something wrong?” Livie asks, her dark wavy hair cascading over one shoulder as she studies me.

“No, why?” I reply, trying to shake off the heaviness that has settled in.

“You got really quiet , and I can’t pinpoint when or why. Was it because I didn’t know who you are? I’m sorry, Alex, I don’t watch much TV. And my family follows baseball, not football, so I don’t hear much about it.”

“It really is nothing to worry about,” I answer, the lie sliding off my lips like a knife over butter—smooth butsharp. It’s not a complete lie, just a partial one. I don’t talk much about football, but everyone around me does.When are you going to talk about your injury? Are you going back to football, even if you don’t play? What happened at that party? Did you really kill a man over a photograph? Is it true that the American Football Association paid you to quit the team?

Rumors, lies, bullshit—that’s what I don’t want, so I mostly stay out of conversations about it. Football is dead to me; but as much as I want everyone to forget I ever played, it doesn’t look like it’s happening any time soon. I can’t even get volunteer opportunities because people are afraid that I’m volatile or a liability. I don’t blame them, but I need to figure out who I am now without it.

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