Page 90 of Going the Distance
It made me think of Levi, and the fact that we didn’t have this kind of thing between us. That spark. Although, right now, it was definitely not a good kind of spark. Maybe I was better off without it.
I looked up at him, unimpressed when he didn’t move out of my way. “What?”
“Elle, I just…”
“Just what?”
He clamped his mouth shut, looking away.
Fine. If he wasn’t going to talk to me, then I’d…I could…
I didn’t know what.
“Why don’t you go play football with the boys, son?” Matthew said, appearing behind Noah and clapping his hand on Noah’s shoulder.
Noah looked at me again, with those electric blue eyes searing right through me, and then he strode away. The door to the backyard banged behind him.
I gave his dad an awkward smile. “Uh, thanks.”
“You two will sort things out,” he said, looking as uncomfortable as I felt.
“Oh, I…I really don’t think we’ll ever get back together,” I mumbled, looking in the direction Noah had just left. “I don’t think either of us could go back after all this.”
“I just meant you guys will both get over it and move past it. Eventually.”
“Oh.” I rubbed a hand across the back of my neck, which felt like it was burning just like the rest of my face. “Well, yeah. Someday.”
Matthew clapped me on the shoulder, then left the room with the remainder of the turkey on the dish in his other hand.
I looked at the few things left on the table and back in the direction of the kitchen, where I could hear Amanda’s laugh.
I really,reallycouldn’t do this.
I walked toward the front door, pulling on my ankle boots and already calling Levi.
“Hey,” Levi said, answering on the second ring. “What’s up?”
Whatwasup? I couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. I just needed to see him and get out of here for a while. I needed to not be around Noah, or Amanda, and pretending I was fine.
I told him so. “Can you meet me at the park? I just need to get out of here for a while. I can’t handle this.”
“Sure. I’ll leave in a couple minutes.”
“Great. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”
I hung up and turned to grab my coat off the hook on the wall. I jumped when I saw Lee standing in the hallway. “Jesus, Lee,” I gasped, putting a hand over my racing heart. “You scared me.”
“Going somewhere?”
I hadn’t even considered asking Lee to get out of here with me. I’d just gone straight to Levi.
I was feeling shitty enough without having to think into that one, too.
“Um, yeah. I’m just going to go to the park. Get a little air. You know.”
“On your own?”
“Yeah.”
Lee raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms. The sleeves of his green woolen sweater rode up his arms with the motion. “Shelly, please don’t lie to me.”
I slipped my arms into my coat and walked up to Lee. “Fine. I’m going to see Levi, but I…I really don’t need to hear anything about that from you right now, that’s all. I’m sorry, but I really need to go. I can’t handle this like I thought I could and…” I sighed, and kissed his cheek. “Go see Rachel, huh? I’ll be okay.”
“Elle…”
I was already grabbing my purse and opening the door.
“Shelly!” he yelled after me, but the door closed before he could finish saying my name.
