Page 187 of Between Never and Forever
“Nothing ever stays good for me. Everything good ends up ripped away or burned to ash, either by my own stupid mistakes or something I didn’t see coming. I’m so fucking scared this is too good to be true.”
I move my hands to her shoulders and massage gently, working at the tension with my hands. Her words hit me right in my chest. I know how she feels. I’ve felt the same way. Like I was fighting uphill. Like I couldn’t catch a break. Like I was holding everyone above water while letting myself drown.
But I know, with my whole body, that it’s going to be different now.
“I understand why you feel that way,” I say softly. God, do I ever fucking understand. “And I can’t promise that we won’t be thrown more bullshit along the way. But Icanpromise that whatever happens, we will face it together. We’re a team now, you and me. We’re endgame. You will never, ever, have to go through the hard shit alone again.”
She’s quiet for a moment, but I don’t stop tending to her shoulders until I can feel the tension melting away. Finally, she opens her eyes and meets mine, then nods.
“Okay,” she says. She sniffles and forces a smile when I move my thumbs to her cheeks, wiping away tears. “Okay, Levi. Endgame. Me and you.”
“Endgame. The universe fucking owes us.”
She laughs, and I laugh.
“It does, doesn’t it.”
I press a kiss to her lips. I taste the salt from her tears. I breathe her in. And then I smirk.
“Maybe bad things happen for a reason, after all,” I say, half-heartedly, referencing an old conversation from years ago, whispered in my dark bedroom through angry tears.
Savannah pulls back and purses her lips. She considers me for a few breaths, then arches an eyebrow.
“Nah,” we say at the same time.
She laughs again and rolls her eyes.
“Just random shit piles for random people. You just have to trudge through and hope you eventually make it to a wildflower field or whatever.”
I smirk.
“The analogy could use some work,” I joke, and she snorts.
“Shut it.” She stands, then grabs my hand, tugging me out of the desk chair. “Now come on. Cameron has to fly home tomorrow, so we’re going to meet everyone for lunch.”
I follow her out the door, hands clasped, until we’re down the stairs, then I sling my arm over her shoulder. We walk through the door to the attached garage, but when we walk past her Porsche, I slow my steps.
She smirks at me as she slips out from under my arm, then walks to the wall where her motorcycle helmets are mounted.
“Absolutely not,” I say slowly.
She pulls down two helmets wordlessly and walks back to me. She hands me a helmet, and like an idiot, I take it.
“I’m not getting on that thing. I haven’t driven a motorcycle since college, and even then, I was terrible at it.”
She twists her lips to the side in amusement.
“Who said I’m going to let you drive?”
Slowly, she pushes her helmet onto her head and walks to the Harley, then throws her leg over the beast of a machine. She flips the visor of her helmet up and hits me with that familiar, troublemaking look in her eyes.
She looks so fucking sexy, and I’m already giving in, but I don’t budge. I wait for it.
“C’mon, Levi,” she croons, “don’t be such a weenie.”
I smirk and shake my head, then just like always, I cave.
I put on the helmet and walk to her, already deciding I’ll have to hone my motorcycle driving skills. This is the only time I’ll ride behind her. After this, it’s always beside her.
