The Game (That Girl, #2)(31)

My alarm clock is flashing nine forty-five. Fifteen minutes to get ready. Does he think I’m a miracle worker? A shower is a must this morning. I don’t really remember making it home last night, and when this happens it is usually because of alcohol. Last night it was from sheer exhaustion. I came to life when Tiny picked me up from the couch, but went straight back out on the drive home. Lincoln carried me in, and then I was out from there.

Shower, coffee, fishing. Shower, coffee, fishing. I keep chanting in my head to get my ass in gear. Thirty minutes later, I’m rushing into Lynlee’s garage, and I run straight into Thor. Thor, or Thorby as Lincoln calls him, is the fattest Jack Russell terrier you’ve ever met. When I first moved here, he had a broken leg from jumping off Lynlee’s bed. My leg slams into his side, and he doesn’t move. My body is sent sailing over him. I use the shelf to catch my fall, and land semi-gracefully on the garage floor.

Mentally, I praise myself for not breaking my neck, the shelf, or Thorby.

“You fat little bastard,” I say, sending him a death glare.

We are both lying on the floor. He only exerts enough energy to growl at me. I’ve never met a more spoiled dog. He’s very loyal to Lincoln and is always giving Lynlee hell. I hear some faint voices and realize the door leading into the house is slightly cracked. The closer I listen, I realize there are three voices. Lynlee, Lincoln, and Levi.

I sit straight up and try to convince myself it’s wrong to sit here and listen. But for some reason I can’t force my feet to stand and walk in. I want to know what they’re talking about. The horrible situation yesterday? My problem with cutting? They better not be talking about that. I promised Lynlee I’d stop.

“Levi, you should give her a chance,” comes Lynlee’s voice.

Her?

“Fuck no,” Levi roars.

“Calm down, brother. I’m with Lynlee. Maybe by letting her in your life will re-open the door for love for you.”

“That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. How do you figure?”

Lincoln doesn’t back down. “Guess you’ll never know if you won’t even give her a chance.”

“I’m f*cking over chances and letting people in my life,” Levi growls.

A loud sound outside the garage causes Thor to bark. Not just one bark, but a set of howls and growls. The door flies open. I lock eyes with Levi.

“What are you doing?”

“Well, uh, I um, uh…”

Lynlee pushes past Levi. “Are you okay, Jou Jou?”

She rushes down the three or four steps to reach me. Picking myself up, I notice I did scratch my knees when I fell. I guess I was so excited I hadn’t made a ruckus and no one witnessed my stumble over Thorby, I didn’t notice the little streams of blood running down my kneecap.

“I fell,” I reply.

“How long have you been in here?” Levi asks.

Lynlee cuts him off, as she is more worried about my knees and feeding me.

“Did you have coffee yet?” she asks.

“Just a cup.”

“Well, come on, honey.”

Levi seems cold as I pass by him to get to the kitchen. Maybe I’m imagining things, or the words he just spoke could be taking effect. If he wasn’t into the love thing before, I sure as hell realize it now. I’m still in shock over how horribly he talked about me and not wanting to even open the door. Then why ask me to go fishing or snuggle with me last night?

“Your knees okay?” Levi asks.

I stare at him, shocked as hell he even has the nerve to talk to me, but then again he has no idea I heard everything, and probably didn’t earn the nickname Captain Dickhead by being a saint.

Lincoln pipes up. “Just slap some dirt on it and move on, Jazzy.”

“It was your damn dog, Lincoln. Tripped over the little fat bastard.”

“Again?” Lynlee asks.

“Shut it,” I say.

“That a boy, Thor, tripping up the ladies.”

“Lincoln,” Lynlee squeals as she runs off to get some bandages.

An awkward silence fills the kitchen. Lincoln’s cooking up all kinds of shit, and Levi’s standing right next to me. I’m left speechless and gutted after hearing his words. The only thing I can think is I should have left.

A hand grabs mine, and I mindlessly let it lead me to the couch while I berate myself for not leaving. The next thing I know, I’m sitting on Levi’s lap, and he’s wiping one of my knees clean with a wet paper towel. Jumping back, I let out a yelp and try to scramble off of Levi. He grabs my arm, making me sit back down.

“Let me go,” I whisper.

“Sit, I’m going to clean you up before we go over to the pond.”

“I’m not fishing with you.”

“I don’t care if you’re fishing or not, but you’re going, and getting this cleaned first.” Levi smiles up at me. “How in the hell did you trip over a dog, anyway?”

My eyes are hypnotized as I watch how carefully his hands clean up my skin. And I’m blown away how devious the man can be. There’s something his hands do when they touch my skin, and I want to believe all of it because I feel Levi Wilks, the man, when he touches me like this. Not the football player or the captain of the orgy train, but I see and feel the man. I take both my hands and grab his.