So why am I here, repeating the same mistakes I made with Aiden? He’d been the guy every girl wanted—baseball player, charming to parents and teachers, with a face like KJ Apa. Fit and muscular, with a crooked smile. I’d liked him since middle school—everyone did. By junior year, I was practically glued to my table at lunch just to catch a glimpse of him heading to gym. Pathetic, yes, but I thought that was as close as I’d ever get. So imagine when he strode up to that lunch table, gave me a lingering high five—apparently, that’s a thing—and asked me out in front of everyone.
God was too important to me to date a non-Christian, but Aiden passed my test—he was a regular at youth group. Sure, he was cocky, flippant, and treated girls like they were disposable, but… it was Aiden. And he wanted me. Invisible Kit. I ignored every red flag and went out with him again and again, even though he knew nothing about me. I played into the attraction-only dating game I’ve come to hate.
And now there’s Levi—charming and confident and attractive to a fault. Here I am, doing it all over again, as if I didn’t learn this lesson painfully enough. A shadowy dread hangs in my mind, threatening, and then swoops down to cut a pit in my stomach.
What am I doing? Help.
I am your refuge and strength.
Levi slides into line with me, interrupting my dark thoughts. “What’s your coffee order? Be prepared for me to jump to conclusions accordingly.” His expression falls from half smile to furrowed brow when he sees my face.
“I, uh—iced mocha.”
He shoves his hands into his pockets, taking on my serious vibe. “Any other details?”
“Small. With whipped cream.” Is he going to think it’s a date if I let him pay for me? Too late now, I guess.
“Got it. Would you find us a spot to sit?” He gestures gracefully toward the quickly filling cafe. The underside of his arm is smooth, strong, and corded with veins. Yes, I noticed. I’m not blind.
I find a good spot by a window. Table and chairs, not a couch. Plenty of people around.
I take a shaky breath. He’s not going to touch me. We’re in a crowded, public place. This is fine. The dark tendrils of fear swirl in rebellion. I map out my exit strategy, just in case. On the way over an alarm went off at the library—another student prank—and I nearly jumped out of my skin. At least Common Grounds is on the first floor of the student center. An easy escape.
CHAPTER SIX
I studyLevi as he takes his place at the table, drinks in hand. Somehow he manages a perfect mix of high-class polish and down-to-earth charm. I thank him for my coffee with a hand on top and bottom to avoid brushing his skin.
“What did you want to discuss?” I set my mouth in a not-flirty line. No more teasing. It clearly sent the wrong signals.
Great. He’s amused again. “You, ideally. You have me curious.” Brown paper crinkles under his fingers as he holds up a cookie. “Sweet tooth?”
I eye it with desire. “You did jump to conclusions, I see.” Once my eyes reach his, they can’t move away. Gold inner rings radiate into green. Full of warmth and intelligence, but a tinge of unease. My gaze manages to jerk down but gets caught again. When will the weather cool off so he’ll cover up those incredible arms? I squeeze my cup. This isn’t going well.
It’s just research, like in chem lab. Analyze and summarizewhat I see … Based on my observations, Levi is confident and attractive. Simple. No big deal. Ignorable. “You first,” I say. “Tell me about your family.”
His posture slumps. Odd. Maybe it was my tone.
“Is your question directed toward my family’s heritage or characteristics of the individuals?” he asks.
I tilt my head. What’s with the formal speech? It doesn’t match his usual laid-back body language. This guy is Shrek with all the layers. Too bad he doesn’t look like Shrek.
“Individuals,” I say.
“My brother is traveling Europe. My father …” Yikes, his jaw clenches so hard I can see the tendons stretch around his jawline. “Enjoys sailing. My mother plans a variety of social events.”
Is that all I get?
He lets out a small sigh. “Their lives revolve around … ” He purses his lips and shifts his jaw. “Status, Yale, the right connections. None of that holds appeal for me anymore.”
I uncross my arms and squint at him. He’s a mystery already. My childhood bestie Avery had money. It caused so much strain in her family. Unreasonable expectations, insatiable wants. Even back then I knew that growing up with less was a gift. For happy parents, she would have traded her bin full of L.O.L. Surprise dolls—and then the designer shoes—in a heartbeat.
“Have I answered the question to your satisfaction?” He raises teasing brows, snapping me back to the conversation.
More questions where that came from,buddy.“Mind if I ask why you don’t want to be an Ivy League boy? Most people would kill to go to Yale.”
“I prefer to make my own choices.”
I bite my lips together lest I drool on this café table and give away how much I love that response. He sounds like a rebelwitha cause. Because of his family? “Are you going home for fall break? To visit them?”
