When I'm with You (Hope Town #3)(20)

I shrug and keep chewing. I look up when I see Nikki stop her fork’s upward path to her mouth; the utensil paused halfway to her mouth as she looks at him with wide eyes, not used to seeing this side of him.

I take a fortifying breath for patience and turn so that I’m looking at him. He’s so handsome, even when he’s pissed. His blond hair is cut short, but long on the top. His blue eyes are narrowed, but that just makes the sharp edges of his facial features stand out more. Add the tan that I’m pretty sure he gets with the help of a tanning bed, and he really should be making my heart beat with desire.

But it doesn’t.

Because it only does that for the man I can’t have.

Yet another reason I can’t keep dragging this on with him. It’s very clear that I’m just not feeling like a girl should when she’s in a relationship with one man, but still in love with another.

A cold flash of rage flickers in his eyes when I continue my silence and I shake off the chill that skirts down my spine.

What the hell was that?

“I grew up with him,” I finally say, feeling the goose bumps pebble across my skin. “He’s a childhood friend and nothing more,” I assure him.

“Let’s hope so,” he says through thin lips. “How come I haven’t met this friend before?” he adds.

I look back at Nikki, her fork still in the middle of its journey to her mouth; only now, half of her fettuccini is hanging off. Her eyes say it all, but then she mouths creepy, and I can’t even deny it.

“We aren’t that close anymore, Lev. I see him once a month during the family dinner.”

“If he’s close enough to attend the infamous family dinner, I would say he’s someone I should have met by now,” he growls through clenched teeth.

I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile, not interested in having to deal with his one of his ‘dark moods’ when we’re in public.

“Don’t be like that. I told you, I grew up with him and his parents are good friends with mine. He’s just a friend.” A friend I’m in love with, I silently add.

“Maybe it’s finally time you took me to a family dinner then, babe. You’ve kept me from your family long enough, and it’s time they meet the new man in your life.”

I can tell he’s seconds away from the rage in his voice becoming a scene, so I do the only thing I can to stop the train wreck from happening. I lie through my teeth.

“Of course, it is. Next time, I promise,” I placate him.

Yeah, I’m thinking it’s definitely past time I call a stop to things between Levi and myself.

Things didn’t get any better from there. He returned to his meal after a good two minutes of just looking at me and breathing hard. He only talked to Seth and even that was with short and impatient responses. If Seth noticed, he didn’t care. By the time I had finished my food, my head was throbbing with what promised to be one hell of a migraine, but it wasn’t until the bill came that the pain exploded in a burst so painful I thought I might throw up.

“I forgot my wallet, babe, you got this,” Levi tells me instead of asking, not even a small amount of shame present. He doesn’t wait to hear my response before tossing his napkin on the table and standing. He looks down at Seth before jerking his chin toward the front of the restaurant.

“Here,” Seth says to Nikki, handing her his wallet and standing, following behind Levi as they make their way out the door.

“Stupid son of a nutcracker,” she mumbles under her breath, opening Seth’s wallet and pulling out enough cash to cover both of our tabs. “Serves him right for being friends with that tool.”

“Need I remind you, that tool is the same guy that you told me was my soul mate just a few months ago?”

She leans back in her seat, and I feel bad when I see her face get soft. “I know, I know. That was crazy intense, Em.” She places Seth’s wallet in her purse before looking back at me. “I knew he could be a jerk sometimes, what guy isn’t, but I’ve never seen something like what just happened. That was creepy as hell. More creepy than the weirdness he’s been oozing lately.”

“I know.” I sigh, rubbing my pounding temples. “He’s been doing stuff like that more and more. Getting excessively controlling and possessive the last few weeks, but ever since we slept together, he’s become … well, that,” I say and point toward the door.

“Has he ever—”

I stop her with a shake of my head, knowing where she’s going with this. “No, Nikki. I wouldn’t still be here if he had put his hands on me. I’m smarter than that,” I tell her. Even though I’m reasonably sure that’s the case, I know now the loneliness I had felt for so long was the only reason I had allowed things to get this far between us. Instead of me breaking things off when I first noticed how over-the-top he would get when it came to me.

“He got really mad when I brought up Nate. I figured he’d met him already. I didn’t know you hadn’t brought him around anyone. I mean he wasn’t just mad … he was mad. He bent his fork,” she says and points at where his discarded fork is lying on the table. Sure enough, the metal is bent slightly in the middle. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. I don’t know why you assumed he had been around Nate when I’ve been avoiding him for the better part of the last year. After Maddi had taken an instant dislike to him, I figured I would hold off on my parents. Look, I’m going to talk to him after this weekend. Since he’s covering for someone else, he’s working a double and we won’t see each other until Monday.”