Coming Home

Nineteen

As Levi and I walk toward my new home hand-in-hand, I can't stop the words from escaping me. There's something about him that makes me feel... safe. I feel like I can be wholly honest with him. Like he'll not only guard my secrets, but he won't judge me like others have done in the past. So I spill the beans; I tell him absolutely everything I've been struggling to deal with for the last five years. I tell Levi about the incident that caused my mom to leave, the argument with Uncle Dave, and how I spent the rest of that summer. I talk about that last year of high school and all the pain I went through. And by the time I'm finished with all that, we're standing outside of my grandma's house.

The two of us linger silently on the doorstep for several moments, simply soaking in the presence of the other. I can almost feel the connection between us flourishing, like a tiny rosebud blooming in the springtime after a long-awaited end to a harsh winter. It's entirely foreign to me, and yet it sparks a pleasant warmth within my chest. Unwilling to end our time together so soon, I somehow find the courage to invite Levi inside. I'm rewarded with a bright, heartwarming smile in return, and I can't stop my own lips from trying to mirror the gesture.

Levi asks about my time in New York, wanting to know everything about what I've been doing over the past five years. I'm taken by surprise at the inquiry, practically unable to process how this remarkable man isn't disgusted by my mere presence after everything I've told him. Convincing myself that there's no harm in it, I continue to pour my heart out to him, explaining the last few years with as much detail as my mouth thinks he needs, without consulting with my brain first. When I've told him just about everything that's happened in my time away from home, Levi pulls me into his arms and hugs me firmly. His touch is insanely comforting. Wrapped in his embrace, I feel as if maybe everything will be okay. Perhaps there really are some good people in this crappy town.

"You're probably the strongest person I know," Levi says softly, brushing my hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear. I feel heat rise in my cheeks at the obvious display of affection. "You've been through so much, and yet, you're still here," he continues, his gaze locking with mine. "You're still alive. You made it out the other side, and you're doing well in life. You should be proud of yourself, Kate," he says. Placing a finger under my chin, he gently lifts my face to make sure I'm looking at him as he adds, "I know I am."

If I wasn't already swooning over Levi Hutchins, well, there's no way I'm not now.

I've dreamed of being tangled in a lip lock with Levi before. In fact, I probably fantasized about it a hundred times throughout my years in high school. But nothing I've ever imagined could have prepared me for this kiss. This sweet, hot, delicious kiss. The kind of kiss that sends a jolt of electricity from your lips straight to your baby-making parts. The kind that makes you instantly want to drop your panties. Even my wildest fantasies couldn't compare to the sparks suddenly flooding through me.

Levi's lips are softer than I had expected, the plush, pink pillows molding perfectly to my own. It likely sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it almost feels as if they were made to flawlessly fit together. His tongue moves with precision, knowing exactly what it's doing as it delves into my mouth, exploring the cavern with unrelenting fervor. Every one of my senses is wholly possessed by him as our mouths move in sync with each other. One of Levi's hands tangles in the hair at the nape of my neck, his fingers twining with the strands and tugging lightly. I can't stop the breathy moan that slips from my mouth, which is quickly swallowed by Levi as he deepens the kiss further.

Before I know it, an arm wraps firmly around my waist, pulling me closer to Levi until there isn't any space left between us. I can feel his length hardening beneath me as I straddle him, my arms wrapped securely around his neck as his thumb repeatedly brushes over the bare skin at my lower back. A girlish giggle erupts from my throat as I'm suddenly aware of our position, the vision of us reminding me of two horny teenagers engaged in a steamy makeout session.

When Levi's lips part from mine, they turn upwards slightly into a sweet smile. Placing a kiss on my nose, he whispers, "I've wanted to do that since we were fifteen."

And if it could possibly get any hotter in here, I'd melt right here and now.

Levi and I spend the rest of the evening chatting and getting to know each other better; a lot can change in five years, you know. I learned that Levi also never went to college. Obviously, not for the same reasons I had, but because he just didn't have any ambition or desire for higher education. Instead, he chose to work at the mill. While there's an air of attractiveness that surrounds an educated man, it's a hard-working factory man that really gets me going. Okay, Levi. Levi really gets me going.

By the end of the night, I'm a bit reluctant to let him leave. I abstain from asking him to stay, though, summoning whatever willpower I can find within myself to keep the question from escaping me against my will. If whatever this is between us is ever going to be something serious, we probably shouldn't jump into bed together right now... no matter how badly I want to.

And I definitely want to.

Once I'm alone, I realize that I never did get my shopping done today. I sigh loudly as I tell myself that I'll just have to return to the shopping center tomorrow to get it done; if I'm lucky, there won't be any distractions this time. I suppose it's not that big of a deal, as I have to retrieve my car, anyway. I just hope I won't run into Amanda; I really could live without ever having to see her face again.

And, perhaps I should feel a little bit guilty that I just cheated on Theo, even though he had also been unfaithful... But I'll worry about that later.