Page 69 of Sunset Catchers

We bob our heads, biting our lips.

We walk Sloane to her car first, watching as she buckles her koala in the passenger seat, letting her go only when she texts the address she’s heading to Levi.

“You’re okay, right?” There’s an undertone of worry, a dip between Levi’s brows. Sloane’s face softens.

“Yes, Levi. I’m good, I swear. I’ll see you tomorrow.” We both hug Sloane, and then she’s off to her sexcapade.

Then, we walk to my car, where I slip into the passenger side. I hate driving at night anyway. I yawn my way through the conversation, feeling exhausted from the busy day and non-stop socializing. Good exhaustion; I’m glad I joined them. My skin is bronzed from a day spent outdoors, and I reek of fresh air.

Levi parks my car at its usual spot in front of my cottage, rounding the car quickly to open my door for me. He’s done this more than once now.

“I’ll walk you to your door.” His voice is the only sound for miles. In the whole county, really. I look up at him, nodding once, my nerves urging my heart to beat faster. Um, why am I nervous? He walks me to my cottage every night. A warm hand lands on my lower back.

My body leans into his touch to its own volition.

I chastised it in my head. Bad body.

The stairs squeak loudly under our feet in the silent night. Levi stops a few feet away from the door. I inhale deeply before turning around to face him.

“Today was fun.” I utter at the same time he says, “Today was great.” I can only stare as he grins big and bright, lighting up the entire field.

“Thank you,” I say softly, inserting as much meaning as I can into these two words. “For letting me tag along.”

“Of course, Win. I’m glad you were there.” I know the smile curling on my own face is somewhat foolish, too big yet shy, but I can’t help it. I feel sunshiny, and so be it if this feeling shows up in a silly way. Levi looks tenderly at me. He seems to debate internally over something, but I see it, the instant a decision had been made.

Time slows down as he leans over. My whole world is rocked by a single, chaste kiss on the cheek. A brushing of lips, really. I shiver against the feel of the dark scruff on his face, scratching against my smooth skin.

The silliness melts from my face, like ice cream on a heat wave day. He touched my face! With his lips! My fluster is a live wire that makes the air between us electric.

“Good night, Win.”

He stares meaningfully at the door.

“Right. Good night Levi.”

The door closes behind me to the sound of his low chuckles. I scoff, indignant over my body feeling like a cozy, wood-burning furnace after the sweetest kiss seen in history.

I cupped my hand over my cheek, the pads of my fingers smoothing where Levi’s lips touched me. My hand falls over my fretting heart.

Ah, shit!

Girl definitely likes boy

17

Something is wrong with me.” I whine to Junie. My phone gets dropped on the kitchen counter, freeing my hands for the task of making my morning iced coffee.

“How so?” The worry in my best friend’s voice is sharp. I wish she was here, in tangible form. As a hologram. I’d even take a life-size cardboard cut-out.

“I feel weird. Like my stomach is bobbing on a wave.” I can see the frown that is probably pulling up on her pretty symmetrical face as clearly as if she were standing in front of me while she analyzes my symptoms.

“Okay…maybe it’s something you ate before you went to bed?”

“Maybe.”

As we get caught up in each other’s lives, I go on to tell her about the day I spent with Levi and Sloane, ending my recounting with The Kiss.

“Omg babe!” My hand gripped the refrigerator handle I was in the midst of opening to grab the carton of oat milk.