Page 120 of Haunted Spurs

"So, buddy?"

Levi's sudden amused elbow to my ribs jolts me out of my hypnotic state. I blink, bringing my surroundings back into focus.

I was completely hopelessly gone. Lost. Spellbound watching Selene, who is standing on the other side of the living room chatting with the rest of the girls.

Every so often she rolls her eyes.

She bites her lip.

She glances up at me, blushes, and quickly looks back down.

Are they... talking about me?

I turn slowly toward Levi, clearing my throat and trying to pull off a casual expression. "So what?"

He leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. He stares at me with a brotherly half-smile.

"I'm happy for you," he tells me, just like that. Without any preamble.

I look at him, struck.

Truth be told, we haven't spent a lot of time together lately, even though we're technically locked under the same roof. Since we've been here, the dynamics have completely taken over: I've been literally glued to Selene, orbiting her like a satellite, and he... well, he's done the exact same thing, not moving an inch from Emma's side.

So I guess that's okay.

"I... thanks," I murmur, dropping my voice, running a hand over the back of my neck. I look back over at Selene, my throat tightening. "I just hope that..."

"Man, she likes you. Trust me."

Levi doesn't even let me finish my sentence. He reads exactly where my tangled thoughts are heading. He says it with such unwavering certainty that for a second, the air in my lungs feels lighter.

I hope so. I hope so so much.

Selene steals a second glance in my direction.

This time I don't let her catch me off guard. I flash my best smile and, slowly, give her a brazen, promise-filled wink.

She flinches just a bit, pulling her cardigan tighter, but... the ghost of a smile—small, reluctant, and gorgeous—forms on her face before she turns back to Carolina.

I feel like the luckiest bastard in the world, just because I can make her smile.

I turn to my friend, giving an imperceptible nod toward the blonde girl in the group.

"What about you?" I ask him. "How's it going?"

You can tell he likes Emma from a mile away. It bleeds through his every gesture, the way he always places himself between her and any perceived threat, the way he drops his voice when he talks to her.

And yet, Levi grimaces. The shadow of resigned defeat clouds his eyes.

"We're friends," he states with a shrug. "I really don't think she wants anything more from me."

I arch an eyebrow, studying the scene. Emma is looking at him out of the corner of her eye right this second, her cheeks pink.

"Hmm... I think it's just because she thinks you're a player," I tease him, deciding to be blunt to shake him up.

His eyebrows shoot up, disappearing under his hair.

"Me? A player?" he chuckles, shaking his head. He sighs, staring at the toes of his boots. "We just... we work well as friends, Ron. We found our balance like this. I don't want to risk ruining everything."