“I didn’t hear anyone knock.”
“I heard it.”
I dreaded the thought of another scene with Tanner. “Okay. You stay in bed. Let me check.”
Looking through the peephole, I was relieved to find it wasn’t Tanner; it was his mom. But even though I could breathe a little easier, I still wasn’t in the mood to talk. Yet I slipped the chain from the top lock and opened the door.
Shelby smiled warmly. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“You didn’t. Alex is in bed, but he’s still awake, and I was…unwinding.”
She nodded. “Pretty sure I’d need two bottles of wine to unwind after what you were tangled up in tonight.”
I sighed. “It was not a relaxing evening.”
“I understand.” She lowered her voice. “I hate to bother you, especially at this late hour, but my son asked if I would come keep an eye on Alex so he could speak to you.”
“It’s late, Shelby. And to be honest, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to speak to Tanner right now. I need to cool off a little.”
“Oh…no.” Shelby shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean Tanner. It’s Levi who asked me to come.”
CHAPTER 32
* * *
Levi
Wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, I waited in front of the hotel and prayed no one would recognize me. Coming here wasn’t smart, but there was no way I could stay away after Presley had left the dinner so upset tonight.
The moment I’d laid eyes on her earlier, it felt like all the willpower I’d tried to muster up since leaving Beaufort had disappeared into thin air. I’d just wanted to leave that freaking dinner and take her home with me, make love to her all night long. Instead, all I’d been able to do was observe her. Presley hadn’t looked happy in the least. And Tanner’s bizarre behavior only made everything worse.
My heart raced as I continued to pace outside the hotel, hoping my mother wouldn’t return to say Presley refused to see me. A man walking by kept staring, and I prayed he didn’t come up to me. I adjusted my hood even lower over my head.
I turned and felt instantly calmer at the sight of Presley approaching through the sliding glass doors. She wore what looked like polka dot pajama pants and had a hoodie thrown over her shoulders. Her hair blew in the wind as she walked in my direction.
I waved so she would notice me, considering I was unrecognizable in this getup. When she stopped a few inches away, it took everything in me not to reach out and touch her. I had to remind myself I had no right to do that. She wasn’t mine anymore, even if touching her would have felt so natural.
Fumbling with my hands, I said, “Thank you for coming out to see me. Were you asleep?”
She shook her head. “No.”
I gently placed my hand on her back and led her away. “Let’s move to the back of the building. I don’t want anyone to recognize me.”
We walked along the grass at the side of the hotel before stopping in a quiet spot, illuminated by a streetlight.
She crossed her arms. “What’s going on, Levi? Why did you want to see me?”
“Do you have to ask? I haven’t been able to think straight since I saw you tonight. And after the way you abruptly left the dinner—I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I came to you.” I could see her face turning red.
“You should’ve just forgotten about me and taken that woman home,” she spewed.
I raised my voice. “Are you kidding? I don’t know what the fuck Tanner was even thinking bringing her over to the table. I had no interest in her whatsoever.”
“Too many choices, huh? I suppose that’s what happens when you can have any woman you want. It’s tough being you.”
My brows drew together. “That’s what you think?”
She exhaled, her tone softening. “I don’t know, Levi. I don’t know what to think anymore. I just know being around you after everything we’ve been through is too painful for me. It’s way harder than I ever imagined. And just the thought of you with someone else—”
“You think I’ve been out here messing around with women?”
“I have no idea what you’ve been doing because you haven’t reached out to me!”
My voice shook. “I haven’t reached out because it’s too damn painful, Presley. All I’m trying to do is the right thing for all of us. But if you think I can just move on and start dating random women again like nothing ever happened, you’re underestimating my feelings for you.” I moved closer to her. “I haven’t been with a single person since I got here. Meanwhile, I find out Tanner’s been taking you on dates. I’ve been freaking consumed with jealousy, even though I’m supposed to be accepting all of this.”
She shook her head. “Nothing is happening between Tanner and me. Yes, I went out with him, but it wasn’t a date. I’ve sounded like a broken record trying to drill into his head that I’m not interested in him that way.”
My pulse calmed down a bit. “I called my mother’s house the night she was watching Alex. I thought—”
“I know what you thought. But it simply wasn’t the case, Levi. Tanner and I are getting along, but it’s nothing more than that. We went out to meet Tom and Lily. And once Tom mentioned your name at dinner, you were all I could think about for the rest of the night. It’s so pathetic.”
Immense relief came over me. And that was messed up, because it was the opposite of what I should’ve been feeling. Wasn’t I supposed to want her to work things out with Tanner, for Alex’s sake? But did he even deserve her? The way he acted tonight had me second-guessing if my brother had really changed all that much.
“I could read your face tonight, could see how upset you were that Tanner brought that girl to our table,” I said. “I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression and think I went home with her or something. I somehow knew you would be worried.”
That set her off.
“You didn’t want me worrying or upset?” She lifted her arms into the air. “How do you think I felt when you shut me out of your life and took off to Denver early? Why should tonight be any different for you? You suddenly care about my feelings?”
I tried to defend my actions. “You know why I did what I did. It was a sacrifice.”
“You sacrificed me to your brother, like an object that can be passed around. You can’t just give me to someone, Levi. What you and I had wasn’t interchangeable.” Her voice cracked. “If you don’t want to be with me, then just leave me alone. You don’t need to check on me or coddle me. You can’t have it both ways. You’re either in my life or out of it.”
When she started to cry, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I took her into my arms and held her so tightly. Surprisingly, she didn’t resist. All of the feelings I’d tried to control since arriving back in Denver pummeled me at once.
I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I’m so fucking sorry.”
When she looked up at me with tears in her eyes, I lost all control, lowering my mouth to hers. A hungry groan escaped me as I savored her taste. My dick hardened as I yearned to be inside of her again. Wrapping my hands around her cheeks, I kissed her even harder. Fuck, I missed this. I missed us. In my mind, she was mine. Despite this time that had passed, there was no part of me that was okay with losing her to Tanner—or anyone else, for that matter.