“I do,” I say. “And I’m learning what mine are, too.”
I lean in, closing the distance between us, and press a gentle, lingering kiss to his lips. Soft and quiet. When I pull away, his cheeks are flushed.
Levi exhales and squeezes my hand. “Let’s head back in. I saw them bringing out bacon-wrapped dates and I amstarving.”
“You’re a menace.”
He grins lightly and pulls me toward the patio door. But my eyes catch something familiar…a flash of floral fabric and carefully coiffed hair across the patio.
“Go ahead,” I say, touching Levi’s elbow. “I’ll be right behind you.” My shadows coil; the old life never knocks, only appears.
He pauses, confusion threading his voice. “You sure?”
“I just need a moment.”
Levi eyes me for a second but nods, squeezing my hand once more before disappearing inside.
I take a steadying breath as I cross the patio, shadows coiling in on high alert.
“Lorraine,” I call out, stopping in front of the woman leaning against the railing.
She smiles, too knowingly for my liking. “Hayden. And how are we enjoying our mortal amusements these days?”
“What are you doing here?”
She tilts her head, regarding me quietly. “Checking in. Your threads have gotten tangled lately. Quite tangled indeed.”
I glance toward the restaurant, where I’m sure Levi is mingling and smiling at everyone he meets. “My threads?” I ask. “Don’t you tire of weaving your riddles, Lorraine? What do you really want?”
“You know, Hayden, mortal hearts are fragile things. You’ve always been proficient at handling others’, but are you ready to confront your own? Tangling yourself so completely with this one…” She pauses, eyes appraising me. “It could complicate things.”
Frustration simmers beneath my skin. “He has nothing to do with this.”
“Oh,” she murmurs, amused, “he has everything to do with this. Careful, Hayden…once you’ve tasted true vulnerability, true connection, stepping back becomes impossible.”
I swallow hard, fists clenching. “Is that a warning or a threat?”
“Neither. Merely a truth. Your heart is awakening, which makes your threads delicate. Be careful how you weave them.”
She slips into the darkness, leaving me alone with a haze of thoughts.
I exhale, steadying myself before heading back inside. Across the low hum of conversation, I spot Levi. He’s smiling, eyes gentle,utterly in his element. Delilah laughs loudly at something he’s said, and I catch the ease in his posture, the brightness that always seems to follow him. He’s so vividly alive it makes my entire being ache to share in that brightness.
I move toward him, smoothing the tension from my expression.
“There you are,” he murmurs when I reach him.
I return his smile. “Here I am.” My shadows slip toward him, offering comfort where my words falter.
Levi studies my face, the joy in his expression dimming just slightly. “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” I say too quickly, reaching for my drink to disguise the lie. “Just a work thing.”
He nods slowly, though I can see the gears turning behind his eyes. The way he tucks the question away for later as if he knows I’m not telling him everything.
As the evening winds down, laughter softens into murmurs and lingering goodbyes. Dominic, with a mischievous grin, leans into Levi. “Come on, just one drink at Franny’s. Keep the night alive!”
Elijah elbows Levi playfully. “Besides, we’ve still got stories from college you haven’t heard yet, Hayden.”
