Page 72 of Levi

Does it still hurt?

Obviously. It's been years of pain.

But I'm starting to understand my uncle a little better…and Ally.

And suddenly, when I look at my sister, I don't see this big, mean monster that's been bullying me for years. I see the misguided nine-year-old I used to look up to, and I just want to hug her.

Standing up, I surprise both of us when I embrace her. Wrapping my arms around my sister, I give her a hug for the first time in years.

It's cathartic, and before long, we're both teary eyed.

“I love you, Quinn. I'm sorry I've been the worst sister ever.” Ally sobs into my shoulder.

“I love you too, Ally,”

Before long, she pulls back, wiping her tears and steeling her face. “Now, for the second reason I'm here. You have a lost puppy that's been looking for you,” she says with a smirk.

A puppy? What the fuck? I don't have a dog.

“I don't have a dog,” I say, and Ally laughs at the confusion in my tone.

“No, but you have a Levi, and that man is just as bad as a lost puppy when it comes to you. Apparently, he couldn’t get ahold of you and skipped practice to find you.”

She looks down at her phone ringing and picks it up with a smirk I don't miss. “Hello, Cooper,” she says, her ice queen tone on display. “He's on his way up? Okay, that's fine,” she says and then hangs up.

“In fact, your naughty puppy should be at that door in 3…2…1.”

CHAPTER28

LEVI

“Can I go up there yet?”I ask Cooper, who stands between me and the elevator, refusing to let me up until Ally texts him the okay. It’s annoying, and I’m irritated that he’s listening to her over me, but that’s not something I’m willing to get into today. Right now, the only thing I care about is getting up there to my girl.

She’s not your girl.

She may not know she’s my girl yet, but if we’re being honest, she’s always been my girl.

And today, we won’t be leaving that room until it’s ingrained in her mind, body, and soul.

Quinn is mine, and I am hers.

Cooper just crosses his arms and glares at me.

“Cooper,” I whine, knowing it’s useless.

“Not yet, Levi. Ally gave us specific directions and as you know…she scares me sometimes.”

“Yes. I know. Isn’t her time almost up though?”

“Nope.”

Ally said she would help me, but she asked for twenty minutes with Quinn to try to clear the air. She wanted to apologize and at least let Quinn know that she knew she fucked up. She thought that would help Quinn with whatever was going on in her mind that sent her here instead of back home with me. Ally surprised me when I talked to her. It felt like a lot of her actions came from a place of hurt—which doesn’t take away the frustration, but it does make me wonder if there might ever be a friendship there again.

I’d hope so, given I’m in love with her sister.

“How about now?”

“Levi. Has the timer gone off?”

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