AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I remember that. I mean, who wouldn’t? The lead football star living in the room next to me for three whole months. I remember putting a cup to the wall almost every night trying to eavesdrop on anything he was doing.
“From there on, he just stuck by me. Stepped in as my father figure and helped me make the right decisions along the way.”
“And what happened to your dad?”
“He showed back up years later when scouts were calling. I’d been in my second year of college. They’d gotten his phone number somehow and started sweet talking him with money and boats and fame—all the shit that would come my way if I signed with a certain team. Of course, my father ate it up. Made commitments behind my back. Thought he was going to get a piece of my hard-earned pie.”
He pauses, and I raise a brow, eager for him to continue. “And?”
He laughs. “Your dad, once again, stepped in. Gave me the advice I needed, and I took it. I knew my dad would always be there trying to rob me somehow. And a small part of me felt I was robbing myself by not taking the road less traveled. So, with your dad’s help, I chose to complete my education. With no money piling in, my dad, once again, was in the wind, along with my NFL career.” My somber expression doesn’t go unnoticed when his eyes peek back open. “Don’t give me that pity look. I chose this path, and I don’t regret it. Not for a single second. Being the teacher’s pet was the best thing to ever happen to me.”
I want to sit here and dwell on how hard his life had been, and how he felt the need to keep it a secret. I would have never thought Levi Dent had it any way but good. I want to tell him how sorry I am for the hardships he faced and hug my dad for being such a great figure for him.
“So, you going to enjoy the sun or block mine all day?” His smile, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, extends to his eyes, burying any dwindling emotion I was beginning to harbor. I decide it’s best to drop the topic and refrain from saying any more. I lay down, pressing my back against my sun-heated towel and close my eyes, allowing the warmth of the sun to relax my mind.
The rest of the day pans out to be quite lovely, a constant chatter fluttering between us. We stay away from any deep topics and avoid the I-thought-I-was-having-a-sex-dream catastrophe. He shares funny college stories about some of his old teammates, while I try to counter-share, failing miserably since my college experience was less exciting. We eat the snacks I brought while he listens to my playlist. He laughs at my Kindle library, wanting a detailed summary of each book. Of course, he picks out only the ones with the smutty covers. We enjoy the day, the sun, a place where we both spent most of our childhood.
It’s late afternoon when I sit up, pressing my fingers against my skin.
“You’re getting burnt. Give me the sunblock.” Levi sits up with me and reaches for the bottle of lotion, nodding for me to give him my back, though I’m not sure having his hands on me is the best idea. We’ve had such a great day, I don’t want to ruin it by things getting weird. He seems at ease with the situation, so I hand over the bottle and pivot.
The second his hands touch my sunned skin, I shiver. “Oh, that’s cold. But it feels fantastic. I may have waited too long to reapply,” I say, closing my eyes. His strong hands work me slowly, gently, reaching the top of my neck to my lower spine. I feel guilty for enjoying it as much as I do, but lean into him anyway.
“You’re probably going to need some aloe later,” he says, his voice sounding a bit off. I wonder if he senses the same electricity between us. Or is it just me and my wishful mind?
His palms wrap around my hips, his thumbs dipping just below my bathing suit bottoms, continuing to work in the lotion. If I were honest, I’d admit the lotion soaked into my skin ages ago, but I wonder where his hands will go next. Will they move up my back, possibly to my front…touch me below my waist?
Before I have a chance to wonder any further, his hands are gone. Levi clears his throat. “You should be all set.” He pulls back and stands, facing away from me.
“Did you…uh, want me to get your back—?”
“No! No, I’m good. It’s actually really hot. I’m just gonna dive right in.”
And with that, he jumps headfirst into the lake.
