Page 33 of Sunset Catchers

“Well, he was sort of rude,” I admit. Levi frowns as if I’ve betrayed twenty years of friendship. I shrug. It’s payback time. He shakes his head, his lips curving up.

“You’re not giving her more trouble, are you?” Kit inquires with pinched brows.

“I’m not.”

“He really has been pleasant ever since,” I reiterate to help the guy out. Levi smiles brightly at that. I look away; the sight kind of hurts my eyes.

I finish off my coffee and muffin while I listen to more stories.

I’m ambivalent about learning more about Levi. He’s becoming bigger than only being the guy I’m working with. He’s more fleshed out.

I can’t tell if it’s a good or a bad thing.

I take my leave, declining Levi’s offer to walk me out.

Brunch wasn’t too bad, I think as I drove back to the cottages.

Even without the flash cards.

Hours later, I close my book with a long, content sigh, sitting up on my blanket and taking my headphones off.

“Hey.”

I turn around quickly with a startled yelp.

Levi, again.

He watches me as I get up on my feet, taking in my appearance attentively. I changed into a more comfortable outfit to read on the blanket I laid at the back of my cottage.

He seems almost offended by the cropped, cream t-shirt that leaves my midriff out, with the words good girl printed in pink font on the front.

His frown appears as he takes in my brown legs left mostly bare by the pair of shorts I’m wearing, which looks like a pair of man’s boxers. I slipped an escaped curly tendril back into my low ponytail.

“Hey.” I twist my mouth as I await his answer. I fold my arms over my stomach while he scans my face. What the hell is up with him? I blink six times before Levi even says something.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” he blurts out.

“Do I—No, I don’t. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Fair enough. No, I don’t.”

“Glad we could clear that up.” I offered him a sarcastic smile and a thumbs up. “Is that all you want from me on this sunny Saturday? Are you here to drag me to another family meal?”

He scours my face with ambivalence.

“Sort of. Do you maybe want to do something? Like right now.”

“Does ‘doing something’ involve spending time with the likes of you?”

“Obviously..?”.

“I don’t know about that. This is my Levi-free day, and you’ve already stolen some time from me.”

“I swear it’ll be worth spending a few hours with me.” My lips form a tight line. Levi rakes a hand through his hair. “Did I say hours? I meant one singular hour.” The corner of my mouth twitches.

I consider his offer. I don’t have anything planned for the rest of my day. Even more so; I realized I assumed I’d be eating dinner at his place, no matter that it is the weekend and that he might have plans. I feel foolish over it.

It’s not that I love eating dinner with him; as I said, I’m a creature of habits, and this has become rooted in my routine. That’s all. My arms fall along my body as I shrug.