Page 15 of Playing the Neutral Zone

“Levi,” she cried, holding her hands up in front of her, “I’d never do that.”

“So, you’re going to lie to me.Colton already told me.He’s in the process of having you removed from the bar, forcibly if it comes to it.If you want an interview, then go through the proper channels.”

She looked up at me, tears welling in the corner of her eyes as I continued to glare at her.Part of me wanted to apologize immediately, because I knew that her crying told me she wasn’t lying to me.I swallowed hard, debating what to do as she looked at me, when a man, about my height, came up to her and placed his hand on the small of her back.

“Everything okay here, Scarlett?”he asked, giving me a once-over.

I swallowed hard.That wasn’t Duncan, I thought to myself, not that it was any of my business who she was here with.Perhaps shit hadn’t worked out between them.I didn’t know, nor did I really care.

Scarlett glared at me and then turned and looked at the man beside her.“Everything is fine.Let’s go dance,” she said, wrapping her arm around his and pulling him away from me.

I stood there watching as they walked away from me and began dancing, confusion filling me.Not that it was any of my business, but she’d gotten engaged to Duncan a little over two years ago.I remembered seeing their announcement in the paper.Not that I stalked her, but I kept my ear to the ground when it concerned her.Plus, despite me asking him not to, Scottie always kept me up to date with what was going on in her life.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened a new chat between Scottie and me.I was about to go against everything I’d vowed never to do again.

I remembered when he confirmed their engagement.I sat there staring at my phone, the words blurring as I’d digested the confirmation he’d given me.I waited a few minutes, hurt, anger, and so many other emotions stirring inside me as Mia had cried on my lap.I messaged him back an hour later and told him never to tell me another thing about her again.Anytime he’d bring her up after that, I’d stop him and tell him I didn’t care, when in fact my words couldn’t have been further from the truth.Of course, over the years when he mentioned her, I’d stopped telling him I didn’t want to hear about her.

I stared at the blank screen, at that stupid flashing cursor, and was about to message him when I felt someone poke me in the back.I whipped around to see Dylan and Knox standing there.

“She’s gone.Come back up.They just brought more beer.We can eat and drink in peace now.The big guy has calmed,” Dylan said, pointing to the door as the two club guards removed a woman.

Regret filled me as I looked over my shoulder and saw Scarlett, still dancing, but now smiling and laughing at whatever the guy she was with said.I was such an ass.I’d jumped to the conclusion it had been her who’d come after Colton.

I shoved my phone into my pocket, turned, and followed Dylan and Knox back upstairs, where I grabbed a beer, sat down on the couch, and decided tonight was going to be the one and only night I’d allow myself to sink deep into all the feelings of regret for letting Scarlett slip away.

It feltlike someone was taking a hot poker to my brain as Mia let out another loud scream.

“Mia, can you please stop crying?”I moaned.

This was what I got for a night of heavy drinking.One hell of a horrendous headache, and one sick, crying, and very cranky child.I grabbed my mug of cold coffee and took a sip, then took a bite of my bagel, which wasn’t sitting very well, and tried to give Mia another spoonful of her oatmeal.She shoved my hand away, causing me to drop the spoon onto the floor.I let out a loud, frustrated sigh and closed my eyes for a moment while rubbing my temples, only to hear her dish smash as it hit the floor.

Oatmeal covered the tile floor, mixed in with pieces of broken glass.I looked at Mia who sat there, her eyes red and full of tears.I lifted her down off the chair and placed her on the floor, clear from the broken bowl.

“Just go into the living room and lie down,” I muttered, grabbing the roll of paper towels and the garbage.

“But….I’m….I’m hunnnnngrrrrrrrryy,” she cried again, stomping her feet on the floor.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath.

“Mia…go lay on the couch and I’ll bring you in something when I’m done cleaning up this mess here,” I said, my patience wearing thin.

I knew I should have crashed at Colton’s last night.He’d offered, but instead of taking him up on that offer because I’d felt bad asking Mrs.Fletcher to stay, I’d come home.When she left, I stupidly told her she could have today off, that I would be fine without her.Normally, she came and stayed with Mia on Sunday while I went out to get groceries and run any other errands I had, but I figured I’d give her the day off since we were travelling later this week, but now that Mia woke with a tiny fever, I was regretting my decision.

Finished cleaning up the mess of oatmeal and glass, I pulled out a pan to make some scrambled eggs for us to share.I was just about to dump the eggs into the pan when my phone went off.Grabbing it, I looked down to see a message from Scottie.

SCOTTIE: What the fuck do you think you are doing?Accusing Scarlett the way you did?What the fuck is the matter with you?

Yep, here it was.This damn day couldn’t get much worse, could it?I dumped the eggs into the pan, debating whether to answer him, when my phone went off again.

SCOTTIE: Don’t think I’ll let you off the hook without an answer.

LEVI: Look, it wasn’t my brightest moment, okay.Let’s just say I overreacted.

SCOTTIE: Overreacted?You think?Come on, man….I know things haven’t exactly gone the way you planned….

LEVI: It was a mistake, Scottie.

SCOTTIE: You owe her an apology.She called me in fucking tears last night when she got home.

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