I didn’t think I could be with anyone else now anyway.
He didn’t reply, and he didn’t need to.
LEVI
When I got back to my place, she was curled up on my couch, watching the news and eating a bowl of cereal. She looked up at me briefly, but didn’t say anything. Her cat, Shadow, sat at the door, her brown tail swaying back and forth as she looked up at me as if to ask me what I had done.
Petting her head a little, I dropped my stuff at the door and went into the kitchen. Grabbing a bowl of kettle corn, and a beer from the fridge, I took off my shoes and sat down next to her. The thing I both loved and hated about Thea, was the fact that she couldn’t help but speak her mind. With each bite I took, I could tell in the corner of my eye that she was getting more and more ticked off with me.
“Can you pass me the remote?” I asked her.
“No. You are an ass,” she snapped. “An ass who does not trust me.”
I sighed. “Look I’m sorry. Yes, I’ll admit that I was jealous, but can you blame me? Why were you two alone in a stairwell… laughing together?”
“God forbid.”
I sighed, “You both just seem very close. Since day one, you both click. He’s not bad looking, and he’s closer to your age—”
She laughed. “Says the guy who was dancing all up on a pretty brunette?”
“What?”
“On
New Year’s, at your parents’ masquerade ball, you and that woman in red, you danced with her. And she was the only woman you danced with all night, I might add, but you don’t see me yelling at you.”
It took me a moment to follow.
“Are you sure you weren’t just saving it for this moment? She’s a family friend and she dragged me out to dance. I spent the whole time trying to think of how to get closer to you.”
“It was because of Vivian. I was with Atticus because he wanted to know why we weren’t speaking to each other, so he dragged us both into the stairwell. Then she left, because she can’t stand to be around me for more than ten seconds without trying to bite my head off. And before you ask, yes he knows. Will he talk about it or tell anyone? No he won’t. We all have things on each other now, so it’s fine. Here’s your damned remote,” she finished, as she chucked the remote at me.
I placed it, and the kettle corn, on the table alongside my beer. Moving over to her, I kissed her neck.
“I’m sorry,” I said again with each kiss until she laid back. Once I was on top of her, I kissed her lips. “I was jealous. I’m a jealous man, I can’t help it. I don’t ever want to lose you to another man…”
Not ever again.
“I’m not her,” she whispered as she ran her hands over my cheek. “I’ve gotten used to reading your face too. I’m not your ex-wife, no one can take me away from you.”
Her hands ran down to my chest, slowly pulling off my tie.
“How many times do I have to prove it you?”
She never looked away from my eyes as she up unbuttoned my shirt.
Her beauty, her passion, her intelligence, the look in her eyes, the way she challenged me.
Everything she was, affected me.
“I’m unconditionally in love with you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LEVI
I’m an idiot.