Page 11 of Along Came Summer

When I thought about all the things I would do when I hit twenty-eight, this—chasing a bunch of girls around covered in bright coloured paint—sure as shit wasn’t one of them.

We eventually catch up to the girls and empty the entire contents of our guns on them and their friends. We down three rounds of shots served in test tube glasses and thankfully whatever they are is strong enough that I start loosening up enough to not feel so out of place.

The twenty-one-year-old me would have been in his element here, I’ve done this scene, all through college and Uni, all over the world. I’m all raved out and I’ve left my man-whoring days behind me.

I want something more meaningful than a quick fuck in the dark corner of a club. I want…

“Ah, there he is.” I'm lost in a trance, watching people dancing together to the music while I sip my vodka and cranberry when I hear Niran behind me. He resurfaces from wherever he disappeared to twenty minutes ago with a girl on each arm. “Ladies, this is my neighbour and my best friend.”

My stomach sinks. Brilliant, now I need to entertain some girl while he charms his way into her friend’s pants. Downing my drink, I turn to face them. “Levi, this is Mira and Lexi. Girls, this is my boy, Levi.” Niran introduces.

My eyes find the shorter of the two girls, and as cheesy and cliché as it sounds, I feel every drop of oxygen deplete from my lungs while the world as I know it slows and becomes a blur around me.

Fuck.

Those eyes.

I’d recognise those entrancing pools of molten gold from a thousand miles away.

It's been almost a decade, but those eyes still linger in my memory. Our eyes remain locked on one another for a long moment until she speaks. “Levi?”

Mira says my name so quietly that it’s drowned out by the loud music. But I could hear her voice reverberating in my mind because I’ve never, not for a second in all these years, forgotten the way my name sounded coming from those lips.

“Mira.”

“So, I take it you know each other?”

“Yes, we go way, way back. Levi effing King! What a small world,” Lexi sniggers, pressing her hand to her mouth while her blue eyes rake over me. Not in a suggestive manner, but one that expresses her surprise to see me after eight years. “It’s so damn good to see you,” Lexi voices with a smile and steps forward to hug me. I circle my left arm around her waist and return her embrace.

“It’s good to see you too,” I express cordially, though my eyes have yet to leave Mira's who seems to be just as taken aback to see me as I am her.

My stomach goes all tight, and my mouth dry.

I’ve not seen her in eight years, and fuck if she hasn't become even more beautiful since I last saw her.

Mira and I have been messaging back and forth since we left London. We've never really lost contact, but seeing her now, standing before me in the flesh, I can feel those old feelings I’ve kept dormant for so long starting to resurface.

“Mira Evans.”

“Hey, Levi.” Mira greets, her lips curling into a smile when Lexi steps back from our embrace, and I take a step toward her. Did I mention how much I love the way she says my name? The way every letter just easily rolls off her silken tongue. “Holy shit, look at you, you look…”

“Irresistibly sexy? Ruggedly handsome. It’s okay, you can say it.” I tease, and she laughs, stepping forward to circle her arms around my neck. I circle my arms around her small waist, and I pull her close until her body is flush with mine.

“I was going to say different, you goof.” She mumbles into my shoulder with a soft laugh. “It's nice to know your ego is still as big as ever.”

“Hey, give a man some credit. It’s no easy feat trying to stay humble when you've got all this going for you.” I josh, gesturing to my face as we pull back from the hug, and she grins, rolling her eyes in amusement.

“Wow, how do you manage to stand upright with such a big head, King?” She expresses jovially, her golden eyes narrowing slightly.

Hold on. Is sheflirtingwith me?

Licking my lips, I lean forward until my lips are a breath away from her ear and say, “It helps that I happen to have another hefty appendage further down south that keeps me grounded, princess.” When I pull back to look at her, her cheeks flush. “Or have you forgotten?”

Mira stares up at me for a long moment, her cheeks glowing redder the longer we keep eye contact until she chuckles uneasily and averts her gaze—no doubt recalling the day she came bursting into my bedroom and caught me in my birthday suit.

“Holy guacamole, my night just got a whole lot better. Someone tell me my eyes aren't deceiving me because I think I might be in the presence of the infamousLady-killerKing?” Wyatt walks over to Mira and Lexi, holding three drinks in his hands.

“Hello, Wyatt.” I chuckle when he gives me the once over and turns his gaze heavenward and mouths, ‘well done’. Wyatt James is one of Mira’s best friends, along with Lexi and my brother Devin. The four of them were tight growing up. While we weren't as close, I still adored Wyatt and how fiercely protective he is over Mira. The boy has never been shy nor apologised for who he is, and I admired the shit out of that.

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