Page 73 of Seeing You

“And yet…you’re back now and thriving. Don’t you miss it? Don’t you ever wish you could go back to a city with a thriving social scene? Conveniences? Better dining and entertainment?”

After letting out a long breath, Levi studied him hard. “Those first few weeks I was back and I was living with Billie, I was doing everything humanly possible to find a job. I don’t know if someone went to such extremes to make sure I never worked for a major ad company again or if my ego refused to accept that I wasn’t as great as I thought I was; all I knew was that I couldn’tget a damn job. I had no choice but to find something to do here.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “Talk about humbling. It started with Billie asking me to help Jade with some advertising for the coffee shop. It felt so beneath me, but I had nothing else to do, so…why not, right?”

“You obviously grew your client base and you’ve got this great office, a nice house, you’re clearly doing well, so…why not go back?”

That’s when Levi looked at him oddly. “Why would I do that? This is where Jade’s business is. This is where my business is. Why would I uproot our lives to move back to Alexandria where we had nothing?”

“Okay, but what if you could have your business there and have it thriving like it is—if not more—wouldn’t you do it?”

“No.”

Marcus knew his eyes went wide. “That’s it? Just no?”

“Exactly. That was my past. Being here with Jade and raising our boys is my future.”

He fought the urge to groan. Leaning forward, he asked, “Don’t you miss it? I mean…I get that the town is growing, but it’s not a thriving metropolis.”

“That’s what I thought and…” Pausing, he laughed. “I mean, it’s true. Sweetbriar Ridge will never be that kind of thing. But…Summit Ridge reopened and it’s bringing a lot of renewed interest to the area. There are three times as many shops and restaurants here now than there were three years ago and there are plans for more in the neighboring towns. Do I miss some of the…culture?” He shrugged. “Not really. And once I settled in and stopped bitching, I realized how much I didn’t miss that frantic pace. I enjoyed slowing down and having a life instead of just having a job.”

Hanging his head, Marcus sighed.

“I get the feeling you’re not really interested in me specifically. Are you thinking about moving back?”

Looking up, he shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I just…I can’t seem to fully wrap my head around leaving behind everything I built and worked so hard for.”

“I didn’t have a choice. The life I built and worked so hard for was no longer affordable for me. I didn’t save my money. I lived for whatever gave me pleasure at the moment. I loved having all the status symbols that showed everyone who met me just how successful I was. And you know what? That just made me a freaking shallow human being. And do you know how I know that?”

He shook his head.

“Because no one gave a damn,” Levi stated bluntly. “My entire world collapsed and no one was there for me—none of my friends or colleagues, no one. I had to hire strangers to help me pack up my place and move. No one from the circle of friends I thought I had ever reached out to see if I was okay. I wasn’t missed.”

Now he nodded, because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that it would be the same for him. The last two months he’d been away more than he ever had, and no one asked why. No one called or texted or reached out to see if he was okay either.

Why hadn’t I noticed that before?

“Look, Marcus, it’s obvious what you’re thinking about and you’re hoping to glean some sort of information based on my experience. However,” Levi said, his entire demeanor going from friendly conversation to a bit more somber. “Our stories are not the same. Moving back here wasn’t a choice; it was a necessity. Did things work out for me? Yes. I met Jade and it made me want to stay—not because of the town or even my family, but because I wanted to be with her. I had nothing tooffer her at that point, just myself. I wasn’t clinging to another life or another place because this was where I was.”

“I get that, but…”

“I’m not done,” Levi firmly interrupted. “Don’t youdarecome back here and get Billie’s hopes up and then leave again. Don’t do that to her. It’s not fair. She’s made a life for herself, and she deserves to be with someone who loves her for who she is and actually listens to what she wants.”

“Ididlisten…”

“No, you didn’t. You heard what she wanted, but you sure as hell didn’t listen. If you did, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now having this conversation. You had a life and a career that you wanted and for a long time, my sister was on that same path. Then she wasn’t. Instead of talking to her about it and trying to find a compromise, you put your needs first and refused to accept that she was having doubts. You can’t do that, Marcus. You can’t be in a relationship while solely being focused on yourself.”

“I wasn’t solely…”

“Dude, you were!” Levi shouted with a mirthless laugh. “Billie is the most understanding and giving person in the world. There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for the people she loves. If anything, she gives so damn much that sometimes she forgets that it’s okay to take something for herself. You weren’t a giver, Marcus; you just took.”

It was pointless to argue because he was right.

“If you move back here and all you think about is everything you walked away from, it’s not going to be fair to Billie. I was a bit too self-absorbed when the two of you broke up the last time, so I didn’t get involved. This time, I will. You’re either all in, or you’re not. It’s as simple as that.”

“I want to be,” he gruffly admitted. “You have no idea how much I want to be. I just don’t know how to turn off a dozenor so years of…this.” Motioning to himself, he went on. “I don’t want to hurt your sister. Ever. Back then, I didn’t even realize I was doing it. All I want in this world is to make it up to her and make her happy. I want to give her everything she’s ever wanted, everything she deserves. I’m not perfect, Levi. I’m going to screw up from time to time. We all do.”

Nodding, Levi shifted slightly. “That’s true, but…look, you have to realize why I’m doubtful of you being able to do this, right? I mean, it wasn’t just ten years ago, Marcus. It’s still a thing for Billie. She still has insecurities and doubts about herself—doubts that you put there. You were gone and it was like your ghost was still here messing with her. Then you waltz right back into her life and get her all confused. She won’t admit it, but…we all know she got her hopes up when the two of you reconnected. If Ashlynn wasn’t pregnant, she probably would have had your damn testicles in a vise while beating the crap out of you. Hell, I was ready to warn you off myself when I heard you were back.”

“Why didn’t you?”

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