Coming Home

Twenty-Seven

"So, I... ended things with Theo," I say casually, sipping the steaming coffee from my to-go cup as Levi and I sit side by side on a park bench. Although the words leave me as if they don't really mean anything, inside, I'm a flurry of emotions. Admitting the official end of my relationship aloud to him brings with it an intense satisfaction that I hadn't expected; as content as I had previously been with the decision to break things off, sharing the news with Levi seems to somehow exceed that. It's strange how such a few simple words strung together in a simple sentence can make a person feel so... empowered. Relieved. Utterly ecstatic.

Levi doesn't say anything for several moments, sitting beside me quietly as he processes the information I've just given him. I take the opportunity to study his features, hoping to get a read on what's going through his head at this precise moment. I'm ultimately distracted from that task as my eyes immediately lock onto the slightest of movements, the subtle twitching of his lips as he unsuccessfully attempts to suppress a smile.

The sight sends another wave of excitement through me that I can't exactly explain.

"I'm not particularly pleased that it had to be done over the phone rather than in person. Honestly, I really hate that. But... I simply couldn't put it off any longer," I confess, breaking the almost unbearable silence as I anxiously await a response from the man beside me. Does Levi have any idea how tortuous this is right now? Does he know what he's doing to me?

Levi turns to me, still struggling to keep his lips from turning upwards. Looking directly into my eyes, he covers my hand with his and asks, "Are you okay?" Concern is evident in his tone and expressed in his worried eyes; I almost feel guilty for making him look at me that way.

I'm momentarily stunned; this isn't at all the response I had been expecting. And it's definitely not what I'd been hoping for. Squashing down my slight disappointment at the fact that Levi didn't immediately kiss me or something, I simply nod before tearing my gaze away from his insanely handsome face. "Yeah," I reply quietly, my voice filled with sincerity. "Theo and I were never meant to be; I've always known that. But I probably should have put an end to things much sooner. I don't know; maybe if I had, we'd both be in happier places right now. Either way, I suppose we're both free now; that's all that truly matters."

In my peripheral vision, I just barely catch that previously repressed smile as it finally takes form, and my head instantly turns in Levi's direction. The breathtaking, broad grin that covers his face has my heart pumping double time; there's no way I could possibly miss the undiluted elation clearly displayed in his expression. Taking me tenderly in his arms, Levi kisses me carefully, as if he's scared I'll pull away from him or something. Instead, I surprise him, my free hand reaching up and wrapping around the back of his neck. With my fingers entangled in his hair, I pull him closer, deepening the kiss and devouring his lips as passionately as I've always dreamed about doing.

It's almost as if I'd been starving for him for far too long.

When our lips finally separate, Levi rests his forehead against mine, soaking in the warm glow of our unrestrained feelings for each other. "Can I take you on a date?" he asks hesitantly, his voice so low it's almost inaudible. Or maybe that's simply because I'm still lost in the lingering remnants of the delicious daze of our kiss. "I know I said we could take it slow and that I'd let you set the pace, but... Holy Hell, Lexi, that kiss..."

I can't stop the giggle from working its way up my throat; he's far more frazzled than I could have thought possible. In order to put him out of his misery, I quickly accept his date proposal, reveling in the joy of the moment. Levi's reaction to my answer is sweet and makes me feel fluttery in a way I never have before. I suddenly feel almost bashful, an unusual wave of shyness overtaking me.

This man is doing something to my heart that I can't quite explain.

A sudden strike of spontaneity hits him, forcing Levi to his feet. With his fingers entwined with mine, he gives a gentle tug, urging me to follow him. "If it's all the same to you, perhaps we could do it now?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow at me. "I'd like to take you out before you can change your mind. There's no time like the present, right?"

Anxiousness builds inside me, my nerves alight with sensations that are wholly foreign to me, yet the unfamiliarity brings with it an undeniable thrill.

I'm going on a date with Levi Hutchins.

Teenage me would be squealing in exhilaration right now. And, if I'm honest, adult me is mentally doing that exact thing. I stuff down my overwhelming emotions to the best of my ability, forcing myself to appear at least somewhat composed. Truthfully, it's an intense struggle, and I'm likely failing miserably, but I can't bring myself to care much about that. With my own face split into a wide smile, I nod enthusiastically, unable to trust my voice to not embarrass me at the moment.

That squeal is sitting right there in the back of my throat, just dying to be let out; I can feel it.

As if I've just suddenly made his day, Levi hurriedly pulls me away from the park bench, leading me in the direction of his car. I don't have any idea where we're going or what the plan is from here... And for the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm wholly okay with that.

I don't think I've ever looked forward to the unknown before.

In fact, I probably haven't been so excited in my entire life.