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"Oh, God no," I reply, shaking my head vehemently. I don't think twice about reaching across the table and gripping his hand in mine, and he doesn't move away. Scooting forward on the seat, I need to convey to him that what happened to me was not his fault. "Please don't think that. Several things happened after you left to get me to that point, but you...you were always a light in my life. Don't get me wrong, I was so mad at you for walking away." He opens his mouth, but I shake my head again. "But I was more mad at myself for being the reason you walked away. I hated myself for what I did to us." My voice cracks and I try to pull my hand back, but he grips it tighter, preventing my movement.
He laces his fingers through mine and cups my hand between his. Leaning his head down, he rests his forehead on our joined hands and takes a deep, shaky breath. We sit like this for several minutes, neither of us saying a word. I wish I knew what he was thinking.
His eyes remain hidden from my view and he speaks softly into our hands. "I can't tell you how badly I want to have this conversation, but I really don't want to do it here." Looking up, his dark chocolate eyes swirl with emotion. "And I really want you completely sober when we do talk."
"Okay," I concede. "But can I say one more thing?"
He nods his head solemnly.
"Levi and I are friends. We will never be more than friends. Please believe me. It doesn't matter what we've done in the past, we are just friends—nothing more. I swear I wouldn't lie to you about that." I'm hoping that the conviction in my voice tells him how serious I am.
"Did you love him...when you guys were..." he trails off, obviously at a loss for how to categorize what Levi and I were.
"I wasn't in love with him, no. Do I love him? Yes. He's been my rock and he got me through those really dark times, and I will always be grateful for that. But the love I have for him is completely platonic."
His shoulders relax slightly at my words and I can see some of the tension drain from his face.
Standing up, he pulls his wallet out of his pocket and drops a stack of money on the table. "Let's get out of here."
I stare at him awkwardly and reach for my purse. "Neither one of us should be driving."
"We're not going to," he replies, reaching out for my hand. "Your place is only about a mile from here. We'll walk."
I look at him and cock my head to the side, his hand still stretched out for me to take. "How do you know where I live?"
He chuckles softly. "You texted me your address for tomorrow night, remember?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot."
"The rental house is only about a mile from your place, so I'll walk home from there." I place my hand in his, and his strong fingers wrap snugly around mine as he helps lift me from the booth. Fuck me. Even his hands are sexy. They're strong, tan, and calloused like he works outdoors, not soft and manicured like I would expect from a doctor.
My head spins slightly with the position change and I lean into Tyson for a second to regain my balance.
"Are you okay? I didn't think we drank that much, but I can call us a ride if you need me to."
I squint my eyes and cock a brow at him. "I'm not drunk. I'm just feeling good. I'll be fine to walk, but first I need to break the seal."
He barks out a laugh. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Right before we have to walk home? Usually once you break the seal you can't stop."
"Oh, I'll be fine." Patting his arm, I walk off in the direction of the bathroom.
When I return, Tyson is leaning against the end of the bar, waiting for me. As I get closer, a bright grin flashes across his face and the sheer joy and beauty of it causes me to stumble. He's so damn gorgeous.
He reaches out but I manage to steady myself. I stop in front of him, noticing that he still has that grin on his face. I look down to make sure I don't have toilet paper stuck under my shoe. "What?" I ask, looking at him questioningly.
"I was just being a rebel." His smirk grows, causing twin dimples to form on his face.
What? Maybe he's the one that's had too much to—ohhhh. Understanding dawns and I return his smile. "I knew you'd read it eventually." Swinging my purse over my shoulder, I move past him and sashay toward the door.
"I like you too," he murmurs behind me. I keep walking, but I'm sure I look like a complete idiot with my big, goofy smile.
WE STEP OUT INTO the cool air and a light breeze throws Harley's hair up around her face. She doesn't make a move to fix it but just lets it float around, landing where it may. That's one of the things I love about her—she doesn't care how she looks. Brit would have never walked a mile home from a bar, and if the wind started to blow her hair around, she would've freaked out and instantly began to tame it. But not Harley…nope, she doesn't care.
I needed to get out of the bar before I broke down and did something stupid like gather her in my arms and beg her to leave Max. Not to mention, she had me on the verge of an emotional breakdown when she spoke about how hard of a time she had after I left. When she reached out and grabbed my hand, I was floored. Harley and I have touched a lot throughout our lives, but this time it felt different. I can't explain it, but the light touch of her hand on mine instantly relaxed me, and suddenly I could think straight and everything made sense.
Goddamnit. I've gotta stop this. Reaching down, I adjust myself. I'm really just making sure my balls are intact and I didn't grow a vagina.
In a few quick strides, I catch up to Harley. I nudge her with my shoulder and she stumbles slightly to the right, causing both of us to laugh. "Tell me something random."
