Page 5 of Along Came Summer

I’m not convinced. I can see as clear as day that she wants to say something, but I don’t want to push on the subject and make her feel uncomfortable, so I drop it and step away, putting a safe distance between us. “All right then.” I concede, rubbing the back of my neck tiredly. Maybe eating so much of that lasagne this late wasn’t the best idea. Carbs tend to make me sleepy, and I still have a long night of revising to do. “I better get back to my revising.”

“Oh yeah, of course.” Mira smiles, taking the dishcloth from me when I hand it to her and she dries her hands. “I’m going to head back home as well, no point staying over now Dev has passed out on me.”

I glance down at the silver watch on my wrist and frown. Shit, it’s almost three in the morning. Neither of us realized how long we were sat at the table talking while eating. “It’s quite late; I'll walk you home.” Mira gives me an odd look, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

“Levi, I live across the road. I think I’ll be all right. You don't need to walk me home.”

“Well, tough cookies.” I smile, gesturing toward the front door. “I’m walking you home. If not for my own peace of mind, for the sake of my balls. Because if my mum finds out I let you walk home at this time of night she will castrate me.”

Mira rolls her eyes playfully, her lips curling into a pretty smile that lights up her eyes as she pulls her keys out of her back pocket along with her phone.

“Levi King, if you're not careful I'll start to believe that deep down you're actually a gentleman.”

Oh, I wonder if you’ll still think me a gentleman if you knew the things that I envision doing with you.“That's classified information, Evans. If you breathe a word to anyone, I’ll be forced to erase your very existence from this earth.” I tease as we both reach for the door handle at the same time. Mira's hand covers mine on the handle and I swear a mass of tingles rush up my arm straight to my heart, causing it to beat like I’ve just run a marathon.

Though I don’t think I’m the only one who's affected. Mira seems just as taken aback as I am while we both wordlessly stare at our converging hands.

Move your hand, Levi, and don’t you even think about looking at her.

Do I pay any heed to that logical voice in my head? No, I fucking do not, and like an absolute twat I lift my eyes when I sense her turn to look at me. Mira standing so close to me that I feel her body heat fusing with mine.

I'm suddenly hyperaware that I’m encircled by the dizzying floral smell of her shampoo and a tinge of fresh laundry detergent wafting off her clothes, sucking me deeper into her enthralling vortex.

Fuck, I hate this.

I’m stuck between wanting to do the right thing and all these bizarre feelings I have developed for her.

Why, why must she smell so good and look so damn beautiful all the fucking time. It’s exasperating. I have never understood the term ‘a sight for sore eyes’ until I started seeing her as more than the next girl next door or just a friend.

Mira breaks eye contact as her hand slips off mine. My body immediately misses her touch and I find myself almost reaching for her again but stop myself. Instead, I force myself to shake off the lascivious thoughts invading my mind and pull the door open for her. While Mira walks out of the door, I do a slow inward count to five to get a grip of myself. Reminding myself that she’s three years too young for me to be thinking of in such a manner.

She’s a kid.

If she was eighteen and I was twenty-one it wouldn’t be an issue.

But she’s sixteen and not only my brother's best friend but his first love.

We stroll side by side across the street toward her house. The street is well-lit and quiet this time of night, save for the rustling of the leaves on the trees against the gentle breeze. “Will you be coming to the barbeque this weekend at ours?” Mira probes as we reach her front door.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I shake my head. “No, I can’t. I’ve made plans with my friends for this weekend. We're going to spend the weekend blowing off some serious steam in celebration of completing our exams.”

Mira smiles prettily, nodding in response while holding my gaze inch for inch. “I’m so jealous. I’ve still got an entire week of exams. After tomorrow, you may never have to sit another exam again.” She states with an adorable groan. Oh, that's right, she and Devin are taking their GCSE exams also.

“Jealous?” I ask incredulously, “Honestly, Mira, I would quite happily spend my days studying and taking exams. Now that my days at college are coming to an end the thought of stepping out into the world without a clue of what comes next is quite daunting. Doesn't help that my dad has given me a year to figure out what I want to do with myself or I’m going to be forced to work with him at Evans and King.” I admit, kicking a small stone around with my foot to keep myself distracted, otherwise I might do something stupid.

Mira folds her arms over her chest and regards me closely, the corners of her eyes thinning. “Levi, come on, you've known you want to be an artist since you were old enough to hold a pencil. Youarean artist and an incredible one at that. It’s your passion. When we were kids, you spent hours upon hours drawing away on your sketch pad, remember? When Devin and I were out playing hide and seek you always had your nose in that pad.”

My eyes lift and instantly lock with hers, “Of course I remember, and that is still the dream, but do you know how hard it is to make it as an artist, Mira? Who's to say I'll even make it? Is it worth dedicating my entire life to pursuing a dream that may never become a reality? Only to wind up working with my dad at E&K?”

Mira smiles and unfolds her arms to rest her right hand on my upper arm. “Who's to say you won’t make it?” she counters, momentarily impeding my doubts. “Dreams don’t become reality by magic. It takes talent, commitment and more importantly ambition to pursue it and you have all those qualities, Levi. Art is not a choice, it's an innate part of who you are and always have been.” She expresses, her eyes glowing with earnest. “Don't sell yourself short. I believe with my whole heart that you’re going to make it. In fact, mark my words Levi King, you will be the next big thing.”

“Oh, you mean like the two years you believed with your whole heart that you were Tinkerbell and thought you could fly?” I laugh and she smacks my arm playfully with a girlish giggle.

“Hey, that was you, you convinced me I could. What do you want from me? I was six years old, and I loved Tinkerbell.” Mira protests, her cheeks flushing.

“Oh please, you're just as gullible now as you were back then, Mira.” I cackle. “It was only last week that I tricked you into thinking you won ten grand.”

“That ticket looked real. Anyone would have believed that!”

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