AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Me?” he says, his brows furrowed. “I wouldn’t let anything hurt you. I mean, you fell off your bike that first time, and yes, that was all my fault. But I was being stupid and I didn’t understand and—and that’ll never happen again.”
“I know you won’t let anyone else hurt me. Butyouhurt me, Levi.You did. You broke my heart.” My voice cracks as I gulp down my sob. “And while I’d never take that experience away. I don’t want to repeat it.”
“Right,” the word is a whisper. A quiet cry. “You deserve more,” he says, his eyes falling.
“I deserve to have a say,” I tell him. And I mean it. My voice is so much stronger as I speak this truth. “To be happy. To try for what I want in life.”
“And—”
“And,” I shut my eyes and speak my truth, “what if I wantthis?” I blink my eyes open and lock my gaze on his.
“What if I’m not enough?” he says, and that big strong man sounds so very small in this moment.
I peer up at him, feeling every bit of his hand in mine—skin on skin. “You don’t get to decide that. Am I enough for you?” I say and all I want is truth.
“Yes,” he whispers. “Meredith, you are.But—”
“No buts.” I swallow, my chest pounding. My heart bursting. He does want me. “You don’t get to say what is enough for me. That’s my choice. I deserve to have a say in my own life.”
“You do. Of course you do. But Mer, we’re different.”
I know that. I’ve always known that. That doesn’t change the way I feel about him. “I’m a people person,” I say, and I’m not sure why—I’m only proving his point.
“And I amnot.” His lip curls.
I wrinkle my nose and nod. “I’ve noticed.”
“I’m pretty sure I could go out every night and try something new.” I blow out a breath—I do have a lot of time to make up for.
“I like staying in.” He gives half a shoulder shrug. “Usually.”
I nod—I know that too. “I want to travel.” And while Levi said once that he’d like to travel, he’s also always wanted to be close to his family. He’s been taking care of things for a long time.
“I wouldn’t mind traveling.” He clears his throat. “Anywhere but Brazil.”
I laugh. I can’t help it. “Levi.” I shake my head. “You’re confusing me. Are we too different or not?”
“I’m confusing myself.” But his eyes are clear, and they speak so many things he refuses to say.
“Did you miss me?” I ask, mostly because his eyes say that he did. He missed me. He wants me. But I don’t know if it will matter in the end. Still, I’m trying my best to live. I don’t want to be masochistic. I don’t want repeated heartbreak. But I don’t want to give up on him either.
He runs his free hand over the length of his face. “Yes, Meredith. I missed you.” He looks as though it’s painful to say as much.
“I thought so.”
“You’re killing me, here. You know that right?” His beautiful brows cinch with the words. “You’re so hard to stay away from.”
“I am?”
“Yes, Siren. You are.”
I tug on Levi’s hand and start up our walk again, toward an empty bench just yards away that looks out over the lake.
“I’m not trying to be difficult,” I say, taking a seat. “I just want to live the best I can. I want to make my own choices, my own mistakes, my own goals.”
Levi lets go of my hand to wrap an arm around me, resting it on the back of the bench, moving his side flush to mine. “As you should.”
“You agree?” I ask.
