Page 41 of Blind Date with a #FORMERPLAYER
“Can we stop talking about this as if I’m not here?” I squeak, not able to even glance in Levi’s direction.
He reaches for my hand and weaves our fingers together, but I still can’t look at him. “Gabe told me that you play baseball.”
“Yes, I do. Well, right now Layla’s helping me with an injury. I hurt my shoulder and my elbow this season.”
“Well, you have the best physical therapist there is. You should be playing again in no time.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Where are you from, Levi?”
“Originally, not too far from here. I’m staying with my Uncle Steve and Aunt Miranda. While I’m here.”
“Oh, I know your family. I’ve met your dad before too when he was visiting his brother.”
Levi frowns, his body briefly goes taut and he nods. “Yup. He’s visited a few times.”
I feel the tension suddenly radiating off him, his hand reflexively tightening its grip on mine. Tilting my head in his direction, I whisper, “Are you okay?”
He nods, forcing a smile. His phone rings and without looking at the screen, he jumps up. “I’m sorry I have to get this.” With his phone in hand, he rushes out the front door.
“Hmm. He seems nice.”
“Mom,” I mumble in warning.
“Just make sure you know all his secrets before you decide to make a commitment. The good looking ones are always hiding something and I think he just proved it.”
I heave a sigh. There’s no point in arguing, but I have a feeling it has something to do with his dad. Hopefully he’ll open up to mesooner or later. “I’m sorry, Mom, but we have to go. I have some paperwork I have to do since I missed work today.”
She flinches knowing she was the reason. “Oh, okay. Well, thanks for stopping and tell Levi it was nice meeting him.”
“I will.” Strolling over to her, I give her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
Waving, I walk out the door, finding Levi leaning against the passenger door of his car. He lifts his gaze, meeting mine and pushes off the metal. “I was just coming back inside.”
Shaking my head, I mutter, “It’s okay, Levi. I told her we had to go.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” I insist, climbing in the car.
He slides in behind the wheel and looks at me. “I’m not hiding anything, Layla,” he claims as if reading my mind.
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not.” He pauses, running his hand through his hair. “It’s just that my dad is an asshole.”
“Believe me, I get it,” I emphasize before heaving a sigh and dropping my gaze, feeling drained, defeated. It feels like he knows almost everything about me, but so much of him is still a mystery to me.
How is that a relationship? “I’m here to listen if you want.”
“Yeah, I would like that, but I just can’t right now.” His claim feels like he’s closing me out. Am I like the other women he dates? My gut wrenches, but I ignore it, his heavy questioning stare boring into me. “Do you want to maybe go to a movie? I don’t remember the last time I’d been to one.”
“Um, maybe next time. Since we already did your therapy earlier, I think I need to go home and get some work done. I’m behind on paperwork since I called in today.”
His face falls and he leans back against the seat, starting the car. “Okay. I understand.”
