Page 121 of Holiday on the Rocks
I stepped back and just looked up at him. He’d dropped everything and flew across the country when he learned Levi was in the same house as me. Because he knew Levi was bad, and I was stupid. This engagement was the answer for him.
I stood silent as mime while happiness buzzed around the room. Lexi and Rachel were beaming while laughter and chipper voices were crushing my eardrums. I kept my gaze from Levi, but could see him out of the corner of my eye by Evan.
Lexi clapped her hands. “Okay, as much as I’d like to bring out the bubbly to celebrate, we all have to be at the church in less than two hours.”
I grabbed Kristina’s hand and bolted up the stairs and into my room. I locked the door and turned to her.
“Allie, he proposed.”
“It’ll keep Levi away. I’ll deal with it all once I’m out of here.”
Her head tilted. “I saw Levi downstairs. The look on his face said he wasn’t staying away.”
My heart was beating against my ribs, and my thoughts were as clear as mud soup. “I need to get out of this room. He might come here.”
“The door’s locked, you’re good.”
I pointed. “He comes to my window.”
Her hand went to her heart. “He scaled a two-story snowy roof to come here?”
“It’s how he’s always come to me.” It came out in a broken whisper, and I cursed the fact that he knew with one look he had me any way he wanted me. “You get ready in here and I’ll change in your room. I can’t risk him showing up.”
“You’re engaged now.”
“It doesn’t matter. He knows he can have me whenever he wants. I’m like the wounded deer. He circles until I’m too weak to do anything.”
I grabbed my dress and makeup before heading down the hall.
FIFTY-SEVEN
LEVI
PICKLED HERRING
I did the only thing I could to prevent bodily harm to dickhead, Royce or Will; I changed and sat in Evan’s car until people came out and got into the van.
We drove through the magical Christmas town that now had a black cloud over it. The street where we kissed, got a tattoo, and her panties caught on fire in the private dining room at the Bistro; it was a punch to the gut.
“I can’t believe this.”
“They had a pretty good thing when they were together. I know it sucks, but shit happens.”
“This is all jacked up. She doesn’t want to be with him, I know it.”
“She’s a smart girl. You have to respect this.”
I stared out the window. “There are approximately 1,010,000 words in the English language, but I can’t string enough together to express how much I want to hurt you right now.”
“Levi.”
My mind was a mega maniac solution seeking vessel at the moment. It was out lassoing up anything that would help me find a way to get her alone.
The big van stopped and as if reading my mind Allie flew out of it and into the church. A few moments later the others exited, and I followed them inside.
My stomach clenched as my eyes spotted the two perfectly decorated Christmas trees on the altar causing memories of the storage room to take flight. How I missed the good old days.
The girls entered a room down the hall from the sanctuary. As pussy of a move it was, I jumped behind a large fake plant at the end of the hall and watched Will, Evan, and Clint enter the sanctuary.
