Sweet Soul (Sweet Home #5)(74)

The girl that, every night, haunted my mind.

The sound of a man clearing his throat came from the doors of the dining room. “If you’d all like to take your seats, please. The dinner is about to start.”

Levi glanced down at me with his eyebrows pulled together. I knew he had felt my shaking hands, but I forced a reassuring smile. I would have to tell him the deeper reason why I hated speaking so much, why meeting new people—especially girls my age—caused cold shivers to race down my spine and my stomach to flip. But I wouldn’t do it tonight. I didn’t want to pull any attention. I would get through tonight, then I’d tell him.

I took a deep breath—I’d tell him it all.

Clara’s echoed words filled my mind when I told her to fight against the damage done to her by her bullies. And her response couldn’t have been more accurate when she’d asked me if I had fought the damage I’d endured.

Because I hadn’t, their words were still lodged in my mind, they held the knives still piercing my heart.

Still.

After all this time.

I had to begin to try.

Tonight, I would try.

“Elsie?” Levi pushed, and when I looked about the room, I realized that all of the people had already taken their seats.

“I’m sorry,” I said as I rushed forward.

Levi pulled me back, kept me still and cupped my face. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been acting strange since we got here.”

“It’s just nerves,” I replied, taking hold of his wrists. “I’ll be fine. I…” I drew in a breath. “I’m going to try tonight.”

Pride engulfed Levi’s expression. “I’m so proud of you, bella mia,” he rasped. “So proud.”

I fell into his chest, when Jake appeared at the doorway. “Alabama, you best get in here. Coach is about to start and you know your ass’ll be doing sprints into senior year if you come in late.”

“We’re coming,” Levi called in response and pulled me, hands clasped together, into the room. My feet faltered at the sheer number of people filling the huge space. But Levi kept tight hold as he threaded us through to the table. And he didn’t let me go as many pairs of eyes stared at me—the girl that had won Levi’s heart.

A hand signaled which was our table, and I saw it was Jake. When we arrived at the table, there were two empty chairs, our names written on place cards. We quickly moved to sit down when the coach stepped on to the small stage. It wasn’t until I sat down that I realized I was sitting beside Stacey. Harper sat beside her and the other girls I had briefly met were on her other side.

Stacey leaned in close. “I refused to sit with Jake in place of sitting with the girls. I see him all the damn time.”

I laughed with Stacey, shrugging at the fact she’d refused to sit with her boyfriend. Then Levi’s hand squeezed my own. “You okay?” he mouthed. I melted, knowing that he mouthed the question because he was sitting on my deaf side.

I nodded my head. Coach started talking about the rest of the season. He referenced certain players’ efforts, in particular Levi’s school record for receiving yards and touchdowns scored. Levi ducked his head in embarrassment as the coach focused the spotlight on him. This time it was my hand that held his steady. He shook his head at being the center of attention, and I laughed when his friends wouldn’t let him live it down.

The coach sat down and, after prayer, announced the beginning of the meal. The people on our table chatted amongst themselves, until Stacey sat forward looking my way. “So, Elsie, how did you meet Lev? We didn’t even know he was dating anyone until we saw you at the game.”

Even though Stacey seemed friendly enough, my throat clogged. It clogged when the other girls became silent, joining the clamor, all waiting for my response.

I opened my mouth, willing the words to flow, but I coughed and shifted on my seat when the panic held them back.

“Family friend,” I heard said from beside me, and turned to see that Levi had spoken for me, rescued me. I adored him at that moment, my heart falling for him just that little bit more—if that was at all possible.

Stacey glanced to Levi and then back to me. “Nice. And are you from Seattle, Elsie, or are you from Bama too?”

“Portland,” Levi answered and Stacey laughed.

“Levi Carillo, are you going to answer every question I ask Elsie or are you gonna let your girlfriend actually speak for herself?”

Levi froze, and I could see him struggling to find an answer to help me. My heart thudded too quickly and I could feel the panic setting in. But I pushed through it all to say, “He’s just trying to help me, that’s all.”

I saw it the second I spoke. Everyone was watching me that little bit closer. I saw Harper and the girls on the other side of the table glance at each other. I knew, because I’d always known that my different sound was more pronounced. It was more than Levi let on, but he cared for me, I was his girl, he probably didn’t hear it the same.

“Oh, I,” Stacey sputtered clearly uncomfortable, and I laid my hand on hers.

I freed my hand from Levi’s, then tapped my left ear. “I’m deaf in my left ear and partially in my right. So Levi sometimes helps me with communication.”

I felt eyes on me, and I wanted to do nothing more than run away and escape their collective judgment. Stacey looked to Jake and shook her head in disappointment. “You hear that, Jakey? See how much Levi does for Elsie, and I can’t even get you to make me a damn cup of coffee on a morning!”