Chapter 53: What Are The Odds?: Chapter 54

Levi I was going to kill Lana. She’d gate crashed mine and Grace’s afternoon swim in which I’d hoped to have a repeat of the pool sex. Then she’d coerced Grace with alcohol all afternoon. Then she’d convinced a tipsy Grace dancing would be fun. Now we were stuck at AJ’s party. Stuck might’ve been a bit of an exaggeration. But no part of me had wanted to bring Grace here. Not because I didn’t like my old school buddies, but because there were plenty of people I wanted to avoid. Particularly Serena, who was currently making eyes at me from across the room. I averted my gaze, watching Grace who was jumping around with Lana to a song I knew she hated. There was far too much RnB being played for Grace. She’d removed several layers throughout the night as the additional drinks found their way into her blood stream. Now she was in nothing but jeans and a tight long-sleeved top.

“Your stats have been off the chart this season,” AJ said to me. “Phil-U is on its way to back-to-back victories, surely?”

“Hopefully.”

“When do you need to be back in Colorado for the Eagles training camp?”

“Not long after graduation,” I told him. “It’s the same for you too, right Will? When do you need to be in Texas?”

I was deflecting the conversation onto Will because I wasn’t focussed at all. Grace’s top had become untucked, and her stomach was on show as she danced with her arms in the air, combing her fingers through her long hair. The drink I’d got her only five minutes ago was empty. She was definitely drunk.

“Who’s the girl with Lana?” AJ asked, following my eyeline.

“That’s Hughesy,” Will answered.

“Hughesy?”

“Grace,” he supplied. “Levi’s girlfriend.”

“Huh. She’s hot.”

I squished down the primal part of me that wanted to beat on him purely for the fact he’d realised Grace was gorgeous. It wasn’t his fault. It was fucking undeniable. The party was filled with plenty of familiar faces. It was good to see most of the guys. A lot had changed for all of us since graduation. It was hard to remember the Levi they all did, one that had left for college with nothing on his mind but hockey and the new wave of girls he was about to meet. That was the Levi they still treated me as, despite having introduced Grace to a few of them.

“I’m going to get another beer,” AJ said. “You two good?”

I nodded. I was the designated driver tonight.

“I’ll be right back,” I told Will.

I’d barely made it five feet before Serena intercepted me. She was wearing a strappy, tight dress. Her tits were pushed up to her fucking chin, making it impossible not to notice them.

“How was your Thanksgiving?” she asked.

“Good.”

“How’s college going?”

“Fine.”

“How’s the team this season?”

“Okay.”

She giggled. “Have you lost your ability to talk to girls Mr-one-word-answers?”

“No.”

She pouted seductively. “Whatever. I’m happy to go somewhere else if you’d rather not talk at all.”

Before I could shut her down, a body moved to stand beside me. Long blonde hair fell over my jacket sleeve as Grace rested her head on my arm.

“Hey,” I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I was coming to find you.”

Serena was watching us with interest. Her red painted lips narrowed into a thin line.

“Serena this is Grace. My girlfriend.”

I wouldn’t tire of saying that. Serena’s eyes widened. She looked Grace up and down.

“I never thought Levi Holloway would be capable of uttering the world girlfriend.”

Grace tensed. “How do you know, Levi?”

Serena rested one hand on her popped hip. “I guess I was as close to a girlfriend as Levi got in high school,” Serena answered, digging my grave deeper. She lowered her voice to a mischievous whisper. “I was his first.”

“Huh,” Grace quipped. “I didn’t know that.”

Serena waved her hand dismissively. “How could you? You weren’t around then.” She winked at me. “Or last Christmas I hope.”

Fuck me. Bringing Grace to Colorado was a mistake. If it wasn’t my parents, it was Serena. Could everyone here stop trying to scare my girlfriend off?

“Well I’m around now,” Grace stated simply.

Serena’s made-up face fell. Grace took my hand and began pulling me away.

“It was great meeting you, Serena.”

Only someone who knew Grace well would know she didn’t mean that. Not in the slightest. My lips stretched into a grin as I followed her. I loved that she’d just staked her claim. She kept moving through the party until we were breaking out of the crowd and onto AJ’s patio. It was a similar set up to mine. He had the fire going, and there was a handful of people in the hot tub.

Grace laughed drily. “No exes, huh?”

“I’m sorry. Serena was. . .” I trailed off, unable to think of the right words.

“Relax, Holloway. I don’t have the energy to get bothered by every girl you have history with.”

I jarred back. “Ouch.” I placed my hand on Grace’s face, rubbing my thumb along her cheek. “Are we good, Hughesy?”

“Mmhm.”

I studied her. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from the warm dance floor and alcohol. And her eyes were glazy, but I don’t think alcohol was fully to blame. Something was up.

“Level with me, Grace. What’s wrong?”

She hesitated, pulling her lip between her teeth. I stayed silent whilst she willed the courage.

“I overheard you talking to your dad.”

I frowned, trying to think back on my conversations with dad. Then realisation hit. Shit. I interlaced both my hands with Grace’s and tugged her closer.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

Grace had seemed fine at Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. And again all day today. Or maybe she hadn’t and I’d missed the signs.

“Because I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.

“Okay.” The word came out like a question. “Why are you bringing it up now then?”

She shrugged. “Because I’m drunk.”

Which was reason to not have this conversation. It sure as shit was long overdue. But not when alcohol was clouding her judgement. And when she likely wouldn’t remember all of it.

“We don’t have to talk about it now,” I said, pulling Grace against my chest and resting my jaw atop of her head. “Soon, yes. But not tonight.”

*

Grace had fallen asleep in the car. I’d left Lana at the party with the promise Will would drop her home later. He knew how to sneak her in. Not that he had to anymore. We were too grown up for that. After carrying Grace upstairs, I set her on my bed. I slipped off her shoes and jeans, then tucked the blankets around her chest. She looked so innocent asleep, her blonde hair fanning across the pillow. I went downstairs for some painkillers and water. I expect she was going to have a killer headache in the morning. When I walked back into my room, she was sitting up in the bed, the blanket pooling around her waist.

“Levi?”

The way she said my name caused me to freeze. I’d never heard her sound that way before. She was either about to vomit or cry.

“I don’t want to be part of your history.”

“Pardon?”

She fisted the blanket in her hands. “I don’t want to become another Serena to you. Or a Veronica. Or a Summer.”

I sat on the bed in front of her, setting the glass of water down on the side table.

“You’re nothing like them, Hughesy.”

God. How did she not know that? Those girls were fleeting moments of fun. A means to an end. Nothing more.

“I know we’re more now, but if we end things after graduation, then one day we won’t be. I’ll become some girl you used to hook up with in college. And you’ll become some guy I dated when I was overseas.” Grace inhaled sharply before lowering her voice to a whisper. “I don’t want to break up, Levi.”

Her admission caused my heart to crack. I cupped her cheek in my palm. She leant into it, closing her eyes. Drunk or not, her admission broke something inside of me. Drunken words were sober thoughts, right? This was more than she’d ever expressed about what happened next. It was a relief to hear her say she didn’t want to break up either. But that didn’t change what was coming. What decisions we’d have to make. What sacrifices one of us would need to make.

“Grace–”

“I don’t feel well.”

The change in mood gave me whiplash. She jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind her.