Page 75 of One Last Time

“Yeah,” Levi murmured, then said, like everyone else, “but he didn’t kiss Amanda.”

I glanced at Levi. His cheeks were flushed pink and he hastily withdrew his arm from around me, looking away.

I could feel the awkwardness radiating from him and hated it. I never should have kissed him on Thanksgiving. It really hadn’t been fair of me.

But like I said, I wasn’t perfect.

Hoping to at least lighten the mood a little, I nudged him in the side. “Hey, listen. Thanks for coming to check up on me and putting up with me while I just off-loaded all my stupid stuff onto you like that. You know you can tell me your stupid stuff anytime you need.”

“Yeah, I know.” He smiled at me. There was something withdrawn about it, which I assumed was due to the lingering awkwardness of him mentioning our kiss. We were close, but I didn’t know him as well as I did Lee: he wasn’t always as easy to read.

“Speaking of coming by the beach house,” I went on, “you’re definitely coming by for Fourth of July, right?”

Levi sighed. “I…”

“Oh, please? Please, please, please? The whole gang is coming! Everyone’s going to be there and it won’t be the same without you! Please, Levi?”

He made a show of sighing and rolling his eyes, and then broke into a smile. “Of course I’ll be there. Anything for you, Elle.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

That night, after I helped clean and close up the restaurant, I sat back on the rocks for a while, where just a few hours ago I’d taken a long-ass break from work to have an admittedly very one-sided heart-to-heart with Levi.

I checked my phone, having ignored it until now.

A few messages from Lee, but none of them too important or pressing.

A couple from my dad. How about dinner next week with Linda? Did I mind that she would be joining us for Fourth of July? He really thought I’d like her if I got to know her but he understood I had a lot going on right now and he understood this might be weird for me….

Two from Levi. Some baking joke in meme form, followed by:Glad we got to chat earlier! Hope your day got better x

Nothing from Noah, but I was surprised to see one from Amanda. In all caps.

WILL YOU AND YOUR DUMBASS BOYFRIEND PLEASE SORT YOUR SHIT OUT. I CAN’T KEEP LOOKING AT HIS STUPID POUTY FACE. ALSO I’LL BE BACK AT THE HOUSE TOMORROW AND WILL BRING MORE WINE—SHALL WE KICK THE BOYS OUT AND HAVE A PROPER GIRLS’ NIGHT?

Then:Sorry for all the caps, his stupid face and all the whining just make me kind of nuts. Like, why is it so hard for him to just TALK TO YOU?????? Also, you SHOULD TALK TO HIM TOO. Love ya! xxxx

I laughed a little. There was a definite irony to be found in the fact that while Amanda had been such a big part of me breaking up with Noah last year, she was the one trying to help pull our relationship back together now and looking out for us. She really was a sweetheart.

And…I really did need to talk to Noah and clear the air.

I was just turning my car on when a headlight swept around the corner of the road and the familiar noise of Noah’s motorcycle drew near. I blinked, startled, killing the engine and jumping out of my car as he parked his bike and climbed off, tossing the helmet aside.

“Noah—”

I barely got his name out before he crossed the distance between us in a few strides, wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me into a searing kiss that set my entire body on fire. All the tension and the irritation that had been hanging around me for the last couple of days went up in the flames, too, scattering like embers on the breeze, and I forgot everything that had been bothering me as his mouth moved over mine.

When we finally stopped for breath, I uncurled my fingers where they’d fisted in his jacket.

“Hi,” I whispered.

He chuckled. The sound reverberated through his chest against my palms. “Hi.”

“Is this the part where you apologize and I apologize and we try not to do this again?”

He smirked, his mouth still against my skin. “It is. Should I have music? Roses?”

“You’re telling me you didn’t bring a boom box, John Cusack?”

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