I snap up. Like he heard my prayer.
He twists his lips, embarrassed. “Now I know you earned every bit of it. You’re just like a zebra, after all,” he teases.
I roll my eyes to cover an flattered smile.
“But I did—I prayed for the enchanting stranger,and here you are, stunning and selfless, and also brilliant and fun and inspiring. You’re so much better than I’d hoped.”
I try to breathe. He prayed for me and here I am. Why would God say yes just to let this disaster with Levi blow up in my face?
“In conclusion?—”
I laugh at his official tone, and it melts the tension growing in my chest.
“— you are exquisite. And I don’t want to hear any more comments about Varas, or whatever you said.”
Exquisite?
I tug his backpack strap. “Thank you.”
As we step off campus, Levi shifts between me and the street, a silent shield. I dart a glance upward, half-expecting storm clouds. Instead, blue sky and wispy clouds greet me—a profound relief. But the road we’re on is risky, unpredictable. Hopefully there won’t be any alarming interruptions.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
“Where are we going?”I ask.
“To a playground," Levi says. "It’s a mile that way.”
“Only if you’ll swing with me.”
“Only if you’ll show me your best jump off.”
I spurt out a surprised laugh.
“I’m not half as cocky as you seem to think I am,” he says.
“Maybe I think you deserve to be.”
He lights up.
Our walk winds down quiet neighborhood streets to a deserted playground nestled in a thick pine forest. I let out a happy sigh. Just what I needed. Birds chirp, and the branches sway with the cool wind.
Your creation … It’s beautiful.
In one smooth motion, Levi sheds his backpack, clutches it in an arm, and jogs backward, pine needles cracklingbeneath his feet. He glances behind him to avoid running into a tree. “Think you can beat me? I’m giving you a handicap.” He grins.
I scoff and take off as fast as I can. He spins forward when I catch up and runs casually, matching my sprint with ease. I push him on the arm without thinking, and he pretends to fall over, letting me win.
I shouldn’t have done that. But no darkness appears.
He rolls onto his back in the pine needles, refreshingly uninhibited, and pulls up to his elbows to watch me. I wiggle in a silly victory dance but stop shyly when his eyes widen in enjoyment. He pats the ground next to him, and I join him there in the pine needles, no care for the cold ground or the poky pinecones. I get to be close to him.
“Velociraptor,” Levi says, pointing at a cloud, moving his head to see around the tall trees.
I clap my hands together and point at a different cloud. “Blender?”
“Great Wall of China.”
“Magic carpet.”
