Page 74 of Well Played

“These really came out incredible,” he said. “It’s hard to narrow it down.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you mind if I keep a few of them?”

“No, not at all.” I grabbed my car keys from the hook. “Take as many as you want.”

“Will you be around later?”

“I have some errands to run. But I’ll be done in time to pick up Alex and his friend from camp. Alex is staying over at Kyle’s tonight, but his mom works late. So I’m going to pick the boys up and feed them, and then drop them over there afterward for their sleepover.”

“So you’re free after that? I told a few friends I’d go to that new bar that just opened over on Main Street. They have line dancing tonight. Why don’t you come? You know most of the people going.”

A night out line dancing actually sounded like fun. Lord knows, I didn’t do it often. So I shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

Levi smiled. “Excellent. I have a couple of meetings this afternoon, but I’ll probably head out around eight.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you back here sometime before that.”

***

Later that evening, after I dropped Alex and Kyle at Kyle’s house, I came back and straightened up the common areas of The Palm while I waited for Levi. He’d left a windbreaker on the kitchen chair, so I thought I’d hang it in the closet. As I picked it up, something fell from the pocket. Or rather a bunch of things—photos. I bent to collect them. They must’ve been the ones he’d decided to keep. There were probably about a dozen in total, but the one on top of the pile was a close-up of me that he’d taken on the bleachers. When he’d asked if he could keep a few, I’d assumed he meant some action shots of himself. But as I shuffled through the pile, I realized he’d chosen five different pictures of just me. Me laughing. Me running. Me looking directly at the camera and smiling.

And five pictures of Alex playing. Alex celebrating in the end zone. Alex getting ready to throw the football. Alex smiling from the sidelines.

And two pictures of him and Alex together—one where they were high-fiving, and the other where Levi had lifted Alex up in the air to swing him around. There wasn’t a single photo of Levi alone.

Over the last few weeks, Levi had tried to convince me that what he felt for me was not something fleeting. He’d tried to assure me it was more than just sexual attraction. But I didn’t believe him—until now. For my part, I’d done everything I could to keep my feelings shoved down deep inside of me. I was afraid I was alone in what I felt. That seemed ridiculous now.

I was still crouched down, staring at the photos in my hand when the door opened and Levi walked in. He saw the pictures, and his eyes cautiously lifted to meet mine.

I stood and shook my head. “You really do have feelings for me, don’t you?”

Levi held my eyes and took a step closer. “I do. Big ones.”

I stared at the photos and let out a shaky breath. “I do, too.”

He smiled. “I know you do, babe. You just needed to find a way to accept them.”

“What are we going to do, Levi?”

He moved closer and took one of my hands, bringing it up to his lips. “See where it takes us.”

“But…you’re leaving in a few weeks, and your mother hates me, and then there’s Alex and Tanner, and—”

Levi pressed a finger against my lips. “Slow down. Let’s take ’em one at a time. Okay?”

I nodded, so he took his finger away.

“First, my mother doesn’t hate you. Second, just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean things have to end. When I pack my bags, my loyalties come with me on the road. Plenty of guys have girls back home. A lot even have wives and families. They find a way to make it work.”

I couldn’t believe we were even talking about this. Levi read the anxiety on my face and smiled. “I have more to say, but I’m starting to worry you might hyperventilate if I continue.”

I let out a big sigh and shook my head. “I’m nervous, Levi.”

“Years ago, when I was trying to decide what college to go to, I got offers from a lot of schools. There was one I’d been interested in initially. It had good academics and a solid football program. I went to visit to check it out, and when I got home they tried to push me to give them a decision faster than I was ready to make it. I hadn’t gone to see the rest of the schools yet. My grandfather said to me, ‘If you’re not scared about losing something, it’s not worth your time.’ For some reason, those words stuck with me over the years and have helped me make more than one important decision. If you weren’t nervous, I’d question if I meant enough to you.” He paused and squeezed my hand. “When the time comes—when you’re ready—I’ll deal with my brother and my family. And Alex…we can handle that however you think is best.”

I chewed on my lip. “God, Levi.”

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