Page 34 of Playing the Neutral Zone

Levi: Just saying, maybe you needed an out.Am I your out, Scarlett?

Scarlett: You aren’t my out because I’m not in anything I need out of.There is no one here.

Levi: So, you’re not reconnecting with Duncan right now?

I stared at my phone.How was I supposed to answer that?Levi knew something had happened between us, he just didn’t know what it was, or how final it was.Was I just supposed to come out and say he’d passed away?

Levi: I knew it…if he’s going down on you, tell me to go away.

I buried my face in my hands at his comment, my cheeks heating.

Scarlett: Not possible

Levi: Not possible?Sure, it is.He has a tongue, doesn’t he?Oh wait, please tell me he knows how to pleasure you with his tongue?

Scarlett: This is a stupid conversation and I’m not continuing it on.

Levi: Really?Why is that?Because you’re embarrassed by the fact he doesn’t know how to pleasure you, or because you wish he was pleasuring you right now?Or perhaps you wish I were pleasuring you right now, because I will say I know how to use mine.

I wanted to scream.I should have just told him the other night what had happened, and then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Levi: Come on, the girl I used to know would have laughed at this.

Scarlett: You are the one who said we are different people now.What if I’m not the same girl you used to know?

Levi: Well, you did fit in my arms the same way and you still kiss like the girl I used to know ;)

I stared at his message.He said nothing that wasn’t true.

Scarlett: Levi, I have something I have to tell you.

Levi: Shoot!I’m all ears….and you never know, maybe tongue ;)

Scarlett: Duncan died last year.

The moment I hit send, I felt like a huge jerk.This wasn’t the way to tell someone something like this.As I waited for him to respond, I sat there staring at the screen, feeling horrible.As time passed, there was —no return message, no bouncing dots, nothing—but still I sat there staring at my screen, waiting.

I put my phone down on my desk and placed my head in my hands.I’d always known that Levi had issues when Duncan and I had announced our engagement.Scottie had told me that, and he’d told me then that maybe it was time I should reconsider my relationship with him instead of tying myself to a guy I wasn’t truly happy being with.

He wasn’t wrong.I’d never been happy being with Duncan, and I’d told Scottie that frequently.While both Duncan and Levi were extremely committed to their work, Levi had this way of always making time for you, no matter what the circumstances.

When I was away at school and he was on the road, I could remember calling him after a long day.He’d be fifteen minutes from being on the ice and he’d still take the call.It never mattered to him.With Duncan, the only time he carved out for me was right before bed, or Sunday afternoons, and if there was an emergency while he was at work, I was on my own because he was totally off-limits.

I wiped the tears that were running down my cheeks and took a deep breath.I needed to pull myself together.I reached for a tissue when someone knocked on the door to my room.I glanced at the clock.It was a little late for it to be anyone from the hotel, I thought to myself, and since I was not expecting anyone, I was certain someone probably had the wrong room and would go away if I was quiet.

I wiped my eyes and nose and threw the tissue in the garbage, got up, and made my way over to bed when I heard another forceful knock.Letting out a breath, I made my way to the door and looked through the peephole.I couldn’t see anything, which was weird.I turned the deadbolt, keeping the sliding bolt lock on, and opened the door to see Levi standing there.I quickly closed the door and removed the bolt lock, opening it up again.

“Levi?How did you know what room I was in?”I questioned, standing there, shocked that he’d found it.

“We know where all reporters stay,” he said, his eyes washing over my face.“Can I come in?”

Of course, he already knew where I was staying.How could I forget their PR team would have handled not only the tickets but the booking of my room.I nodded.“Of course, you’d know where I was staying.”I sniffled, averting my eyes from his.

He was looking at me.I could feel it, and I knew if I looked at him, there would be questions in his eyes that I’d have to answer.He’d take one look at me and know I’d been crying.He’d seen it a million times over the years.I didn’t know what I was trying to hide from him, I just knew I didn’t want to answer his questions.

“Can I come in?”he questioned again, his voice low.

I said nothing, simply stepped to the side and waited for him to enter, then closed the door.

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