Page 58 of Blind Date with a #FORMERPLAYER
My throat clogs, not ready to have this conversation, but apparently we don’t have a choice. Clearing my throat, I tell him, “Okay, sounds good, but I’m going to go shower first.”
He scrunches up his nose. “Good! I was gonna say something…”
“Ha. Ha,” I mutter, monotone.
“Oh, and by the way, I have a travel baseball camp thing I volunteered for this week a couple towns over. They have a fall break, so there’s no school. It’s long hours, so they’re housing us. I can’t back out now.”
“It’s all right, Gabe.”
“You sure? I won’t be around until the weekend.”
“Like you said, you can’t back out now, so what else couldyou possibly do?”
He sighs, shrugging. “I don’t know, but this is why we have to find something. Once I’m back to baseball my schedule is rigid.”
“I know. It’s fine.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s not, but any chance you can check on mom more this week?”
“Of course, I can. Maybe I’ll even be able to get some help too.”
“You think Levi would help?”
“Maybe,” I admit, but is that too much to ask someone you just started dating? It feels like it is. “But I was thinking I could ask Chloe too. I’m sure she would help.”
“Oh, yeah. Her boyfriend is a nice guy. I had fun talking to him the other night at the hayride.”
“Yeah, I’m really happy for her. I like Beck and I like having her here.”
“And what if we end up moving?”
My frown deepens. “I’m not sure, but I do know Chloe will always be in my life no matter where I am. She’s stuck with me forever.”
As for Levi, the possibility of moving is one of the biggest reasons I don’t want to ask him for help with my mom. We’re barely into a relationship yet we both might be moving to separate states soon. Is it fair to depend on each other when we can only offer right now? My own question slams into me like a tsunami inciting more doubt.
Is that what we are–temporary?
Heaving a sigh, I shove down the chaos attempting to take root in my head before it takes over. I just need to take things one day at a time with my mom, with Levi and with my future.
I can’t stop the niggling voice in my head and my heart telling me that I want Levi to be a part of both my present and my future. Maybe that voice is not as insignificant as I’m pretending.
What if it’s right?
Chapter 30
Layla
Stepping through Levi’s back gate, I gasp at the beauty. Walking through their yard, tonight, looks like a pixie garden with fairy lights draped around the fence, sweeping along the roofline and hanging across the bar. The pool lights are glittering, looking like a tropical haven with the waterfalls flowing. White, electric candles flicker inside beautiful, black, wrought iron lanterns placed on every table throughout the space.
“Wow, it’s beautiful,” I murmur to myself, momentarily in awe.
Levi’s voice brings my attention back to them. “Hi. Sorry, to interrupt,” I say, cautiously approaching Levi standing with his Uncle Steve.
They turn towards me. “Hi, Layla,” Steve greets me.
Levi grins. “Hi, you came back.”
“I did. Gabe and I got everything done, for now anyway and I just left my mom’s.”
