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I keep my side close to his, my cheek still pressed to his shoulder. He isn’t trying to offend me—so I choose to not be offended. “I’m not afraid of being embarrassed.” Sure, showing him my list just now had my nerves on edge. But that’s different than being afraid. Besides, I’m not immune to fear. Fear is just a chance to be brave.
“You’re better than me,” he says.
“Not better. Different.”
We peer down at my list together.
“Sixteen,” he says. “Dance. Do you want to learn a routine or—”
“No. Just dance. I want someone to hold me in their arms and dance with me.”
I feel the rumble of his throat clearing and hear his heart in his chest as it bumps, even and swift. “Eighteen. Play a team sport. What kind?”
“It doesn’t matter. Anything. And not competitively. I don’t need to win. I just want to play.”
His arm around my shoulders tightens. I might be getting too comfortable here. I’ve already stated—in my head, of course—that I like Levi’s arms. I like them even more when they’re wrapped around me. So he’s going to have to be the first to move. I’m happy here.
“Mer,” he groans. “Nineteen? Really?”
“I know.” I lift my head and peer up at him, but keep myself firmly at his side. No need to move your arm, Levi Bailey, it’s perfectly happy right where it is. “I realize that John Lennon is dead.”
“You do? Because—”
“Yes.”
“Then,” he scoffs, “how will you exactly be seeing him live in concert?”
I clamp my teeth down on my bottom lip and return my head to his shoulder—there’s no eye contact here, it’s warm, cozy, and non-judgmental. “I don’t know. That one is going to be tricky.”
“Tricky?Meredith.”
He breathes out a growlish sigh. Then he continues, mumbling aloud to himself more items from my list. “Karaoke. Try sushi. Get my own place.” His heart patters, I hear it. I feel it. I swear it speeds up. “And twenty-three: fall in love.” He clears his throat, adjusting a bit beside me. “That’s quite the list. Are you planning to do all of these things in your twenty-third year?”
I shake my head, my cheek rubbing against the cotton of his T-shirt. “No. I know some will take more time. I’m okay with that. It’s not a race. It’s about the experience.”
“Well, that’s good. I don’t know about the others but you won’t be getting a John Lennon concert until you cross over to the other side.”
22
Meredith
Iride my bike every single day for the next five days. Number eleven: exercise regularly—yep, I’m marking that one off. Yesterday Levi texted me and told me to:come by after work. Without our lessons, I haven’t had the excuse. But here is an invitation.
An invitation. Four little words that mean so much to me.
Then he took me to Magnolia Park, the same park where I met Nikki. The same park where I rode Lilac all by myself. I didn’t know why, but I knew something good would be happening. And by the end of the night, I checked off number ten:climb a tree. I may have only been six feet off the ground, but I still climbed up those branches. I’ve got the scrapes to prove it. And it was nice to see Levi.
Nice to see him on his terms, without me bugging him for a bike lesson.
I’ve hoped we were more than teacher and student, but a text and a tree are now proof that we are.
I’m baking cookies today. So, I think I’ll bring some by for him. He devoured the last batch.
But first, I’m sleeping in.
At least, I’m attempting to sleep in. Levi made it sound like a luxury—so I’m trying it out. However, it’s eight in the morning and while I know eight isn’t truly sleeping in, I’m not sure if I can snooze another minute. But I’m trying. Meredith Porter is no quitter.
I shut my eyes, wishing I had Levi’s blackout curtains. Maybe if it were darker, maybe if the sun weren’t yelling at me to get up and go see what today offers, I’d be able to rest.
