Page 30 of Second to None

“I don’t know. So many things. And just… in general, I guess.”

He didn’t immediately reply, crossing the floor to perch on the very edge of the couch. Still the same. The sunlit room painted him in warm hues, his expression sad or maybe just thoughtful. “I think it’s time you stop apologizing.”

“Sorry,” I said, then caught myself. “I’m not—I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

One corner of his mouth hitched up. “Yeah, I know. But seriously, let’s just agree that we’re both sorry, okay? About different things. We’re sorry, now let’s move on.”

He was… Just… He wasLevi. Still in my head and in my blood, steady and unshakable. I ran a hand through my hair and reminded myself that after a decade of media training, I knew how to cloak my emotions. “Okay, yeah. Deal.”

His eyes narrowed, brightened to a light green by the sun. “Are you okay?”

Yeah, so much for media training. I dropped the act and reached for a deflection that rang true. “I am. Just, I really hope you feel like you could have brought Emily?”

Something flickered, too quick for me to catch it. “I know, Cass. But today’s agenda isn’t exactly kid-friendly, and she’s got surfing lessons anyway.”

“Oh. That’s cool.” Virginia Beach was my hometown, but I didn’t have the balance of a surfer. Levi knew that, though. In the brief silence that fell, the others’ voices drifted through to us, along with the hum of my espresso machine that weighed as much as a small car. Levi had picked it.

“You kept the globe,” he said abruptly, his casual tone threaded with something deeper.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and glanced away, at where the sun was casting stark shadows across the lawn. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m not trying to erase our past, Lee.”

He shifted slightly on the couch, his response delayed by a beat. “Listen, Cass. If you’re serious about coming out…”

“I am.” The words hung in the air, far more certain than I felt. I angled myself to study the pattern of sun and shade across my lawn. “I’m tired of hiding, you know? Guess that’s how you felt back then—I get it now. So, yeah. I don’t know yet how I’m going to do this, but… I will.”

“That’s really brave,” he said.

I snapped my head around. “You think so?”

“Yeah. Sure takes more guts than what I did.”

Oh. My cheeks felt warm. “It’s not a competition.”

“No, it’s not.” His gaze softened, tension warm and thick between us. Summer pressed against the room. “So, anyway. If you still want me to, I’ll help.”

“You…” I swallowed, words as bright as stars swirling through the shadows of my mind. “Really?”

“Yes.But.” He held up a finger. “Emily stays out of it. No pretending in front of her, no making her lie, and the moment she becomes even just a side note to some article, I’m walking. That’s not negotiable.”

“Of course,” I said quickly, disbelief still pulling on the edges of my vision. Levi would… God, really? He’d be there, right next to me as though I hadn’t messed us up beyond repair?

There were ways to protect Emily—NDAs, private security, and a media strategy so airtight not even the tabloids would dare to trespass. My team would have to pull every string we had to keep her invisible, but they were damn good. I’d made sure of that.

“Also,” Levi said into the flood of my thoughts, “don’t try to buy me off with tour slots or whatever. That’s not how friendship works.”

Friendship. It stung, just a little, because I wanted more. But I deserved far less. I swallowed the ache and nodded. “Thank you, Levi. That’s…Thankyou.”

“You’re welcome.” His voice had dropped to something low and private, and for a moment, I wondered what would happen if I bridged the space between us. If I kissed him.

Then Mason’s barking laugh rang closer, followed by Ellis making some remark about how it wasn’thisfault if Jace burned his tongue. “Not your minder, bro.”

I looked at Levi just as he looked at me, and this time, my smile came without effort. Almost as easy as breathing.

* * *

The first noteswere uneven before muscle memory kicked in and the harmonies clicked into place. Mason’s fingers stumbled on the guitar strings, though, while Ellis fumbled through the lyrics of his solo, Levi went a bit flat on his high notes, and I ran out of breath halfway through my part—a tribute to his attention rather than nerves. Jace jumped in to cover for me, just like we’d all used to do for each other, be it on stage or with awkward interview questions.

‘Um. Whether I’m the most likely to go solo? Not really, no.’

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