Page 30 of Between Never and Forever
“I might.”
Then I turn and walk out the door, working to tame my giddiness when I hear Levi stand and follow.
“This is a closet.”
Levi leans on the door frame to the room I rent from another dancer at the club as I dig through my “dresser” to find the outfit I want to wear tonight. It’s actually a plastic bin that I got from the resale shop, but it works as my dresser and nightstand. Even a desk, in a pinch.
I stop my digging and glance around the room, trying to see it how he’s seeing it. The paint is dull. The ceiling light flickers. The window AC box barely works. And yeah, it’s super tiny.
But it’smine.
I go back to shuffling through my clothes as I respond.
“I can come and go as I please. I don’t have to be locked in from sundown to sunup. I can close the door when I use the bathroom. I can walk through the front door without listening for danger first. I don’t have to tiptoe around for fear of getting the shit kicked out of me.”
I pull out the outfit I was searching for and toss it on my mattress, then put the plastic lid back on the bin.
“Maybe it’s not big or luxurious, but I don’t need much space, and it works just fine for me. It’s mine. I like it.”
I push myself to standing and meet his eyes. His brow is furrowed with contrition, probably seconds away from apologizing. I wave him off.
“Forget it.” I give him an honest smile. “Only forward from here.”
He purses his lips and nods, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. It’s unsettling, and I don’t like feeling unsettled.
“Turn around so I can change, perv.”
“Why?” he asks as he obeys. “I already saw your tits.”
I bark out a laugh, stripping out of my tank and sweats.
“Since when do you say tits?”
His chuckle rumbles through the room, and I have to fight off a shiver. I’m thankful his back is turned because now my nipples are hard and my face is hot, and I’m not ready to deal with whatever that means.
“I’m eighteen, Sav. I say a lot of things I didn’t used to.”
I flick my eyes to his back, taking note of the way the fabric of his t-shirt stretches over it. His shoulders are broad, his arms larger than I remember. He’s not fifteen, anymore. That’s for sure.
“Is this the obligatory sheltered church boy rebellion? You gonna join a frat or date a goth girl, next?”
He laughs but doesn’t answer, which means I’m right. A Levi Cooper rebellion. How fun. I think I’d like to see how this plays out.
I finish dressing, then I toss my discarded clothes into my small hamper in the corner.
“Alright, I’m good.”
Levi turns around smiling, but the minute his eyes land on me, his smile disappears. His gaze slides from my face to my lips, then down my body slowly, sticking on certain places that make my nipples pebble again under the tight fabric of my push up bra. I bite my lip and squirm a little under his heated attention, but then his eyes turn angry, and my defenses shoot up.
“What the hell are you wearing?”
I gape, and then I’m pissed.
“Just what exactly is wrong with what I’m wearing,Leviticus?”
His nostrils flare at the old nickname, but then he drags his hand down his face.
“Don’t you have anything that doesn’t make you look like a stripper? Put the damn sweats back on.”
