Page 44 of The Love Raffle

Levi sat mutely as Amber’s eyes silently searched his for something unnamed. “So, you’renotsick?”

“I think I just overate, but you look pale. I thought maybe there was something in the steak, but I guess not. You don’t feel sick, right?” she asked cautiously. Amber learned over closer to Levi. The dim glow of his flat screen was not adequately illuminating his face.

Levi jumped when she slapped his forehead with the back of her palm. “Ah—”

“Oh sorry. Too hard. I was checking for a fever…I don’t even know why.” Amber laughed at herself.

Levi cracked a smile at the small snort she released. “No, no, Igreatlyappreciate your concern but there’s no fever, no stomach bug or any of that. I was just lamenting the fact that I haven’t checked that message that came in earlier. Guess it was kind of driving me crazy, but it doesn’t matter.” He straightened himself on the cushy sofa and twisted the tip of his blanket. “Let’s hop right back in, shall we?” He yawned.

Amber got the urge to yawn back. She’d read online it was a sign of deep connection.Aww…or maybe yawns are just contagious.“Didn’t you say that Rachel sometimes sends her most important updates in the dead of night, i.e., now?” She flung an arm towards the glass doors showing the pitch-black city. One or two building lights twinkled like stars beyond the railing but for the most part, things were dark.

“I told you that?” Levi couldn’t recall. He glanced at his phone on the center table. A lot of him was desperate to check but an equal amount served as a nagging mother saying that Amber would lose interest if he kept prioritizing work over her. No one needed to say it. It was clear as day that the whole Fiona thing bothered Amber and would keep bothering her the more they saw each other. She was his secret fling behind closeddoors.But she’s not a fling at all.Yet hetreatedher as such. Hiding her from the public and everyone he was close to. Forcing these odd date hours upon her. Her schedule would only get busier the more jobs she accumulated. And yet…here he was. Stuffing her to the back of his closet.It’s not like that.But it might appear so to Amber.

“You share a lot when we text. Seems you’re more vocal while typing. Funny, right? Since you don’t use your voice to type?” Amber rolled the end of the blanket and held it to her mouth. “Check your phone, Levi. It’s getting late anyway. I should get going.” She dropped the padded blanket to her lap and stretched.

Levi was opposed to this. “Hey, hey, our tradition is to sleep over, remember?” he joked, reaching for his phone. A shy smile brightened his face. “Don’t you want to see my room? Snuggle in bed with me?”

Amber folded her lips and playfully rolled her eyes. “Mmm…” She drew out the sound.

Levi leaned closer and closer as she held the note.

Amber held his face and moved it away, laughter pouring out of her mouth. “Levi, you’re the one who seemedextrascared for tonight.” She linked her hands in her lap. Her nails were due for a salon visit. Some of the deep purple polish on her left pinkie was chipping away. “If I leave in the morning, it’ll look weird. I should leave tonight, okay? Paps are not known for camping outside this building, right?” She got up and immediately searched for her shoes.

Half his spirit perished. “Uh…not really. I mean, there was an incident where some stalker followed me a couple of years back but…” He clapped the lights on to help out.

“Oh.” Amber saw her outdated flats beside Levi’s bright sofa. “You got a thing for orange, Marks?” She giggled after tucking her feet into them.

Levi’s cheeks turned rosy. “Well, I mean…I bought this place when I was eighteen and at the time I was into this anime and the protagonist wore orange so I kind of—don’t laugh, Amber, come on.” He ripped off his covers to stand, finally unlocking his phone.

Amber wouldn’t hide her ridicule. “You’re too cute, Levi.” She exhaled, thinking of the week ahead. Regular work, the filming she was excited for, probably more sightings of Levi and… “When can we meet again? You don’t have promotions for anything you were in recently, right?”

Levi had been reading his latest message. Just as suspected, Rachel had sent it.Wait, hold on.

“What’s wrong?” Levi’s appearance earlier had been much less startling than this gray hue now. “Did Rachel have bad news?” Amber went to his side to read over his shoulder. “On a night out with Fiona and her agent. When we’re done, we’re coming over. You and her need to take some cute pics in your place for Instagram.”

“Holy crap!” Levi exclaimed, running to his door. He stretched to his peephole and widened an eye to look through. “She sent thathoursago. They might be on their way!” He paced back and forth while mumbling indecipherable sentences.

Amber thought over what she’d read. “They want you guys to take pictures here together for Instagram?” That sick feeling from overdoing it with the steak wasn’t the only one inside her. Her chest felt like it had an expanding brick on it.

Levi couldnothave Rachel and Amber in the same vicinity. He woulddiebefore letting that happen. “Yeah, I guess because the whole world is into this? By now they’ve realized that Fiona will play Mrs. S in the next movie and you know how popular Captain Evolution is so…okay, look. Amber, you need to leave cause if Rachel comes and sees you—”

A knife slashed right through her heart.From begging me to stay to pleading that I leave in the same hour.Ouch. “Yes, yes, I know. She won’t approve and things will get messy.” She didn’t mean to sound upset but she was, and it was hard to hide. “I was just going, remember?”

Levi hated the disappointment on her face. “Amber.” He held both her hands.

Amber refused to make eye contact.

Levi heard a tiny sniff.Oh no. Oh no.He’d made her cry! “Amber, no. Baby, come on. You know I love you.” He kissed her cheek. “You know you’re all I think about.” He rubbed the tip of his nose against her face. “You know I—”

“Wait, you…” Amber met his eyes, hers wide with shock. “What did you say?”

Levi was taken off guard. He had so much more to say. “I said…” And now he remembered. “Um.” Those sparkling brown eyes of hers were shining with intrigue.

“You love me?”

Levi’s face lit up with fire. “Um…” Did he say that? Did he mean it? Did he— “Yes,” he blurted. He’d be foolish to take it back. “I-I do.” He stuck his teeth into his bottom lip and lowered his face. “I have. I have…beenin love since the first time I went to your house, probably since we danced at the club, but I would’ve come off as a total creep if I’d said it around then so I just…um…”

Amber’s pain was no more. The way his words flowed naturally while he’d fought to appease her was just perfect. So honest and true. Like saying he loved her was second nature. She smiled then kissed his lips. “I lo—”

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