Downfall | Austin Butler

Chapter 15

if you're looking
for trouble
you came to
the right place
— trouble, elvis presley

——

The moment I stepped into work on Monday morning, my lovely day of rest and relaxation maxed out.

I could practically feel the imaginary timer going off in my head, informing me that the cake was done and would be well over fried if I didn't take it out of the oven and put it to good use.

Yes, I did in fact just compare my head to a cake.

Don't question me.

And, yes, I tried to stall the cooking process and just about felt my brain disintegrating the moment Levi spotted me at the back door. I swear to god that boy jumped like a whole gazelle when he heard me come in.

I didn't even have a second to put my bag and coffee down before the question came flying out of his mouth. "Finally! You're here! How'd it go? What happened?" I closed the door behind me. "Please tell me what the fuck happened. I'm dying over here."

Quite flustered from my very humbling walk over, I adjusted a random strand of hair that kept whipping me in the face. "Dude!" I hissed, waving my one semi free hand that wasn't clutching my coffee cup at him. "It's 8am. Too early for this." I practically flapped the ring of keys at him like one of those extra soccer moms. "Let me settle."

Levi was a whole lot of trouble. The word was practically stenciled into his forehead, embedded like a crisp tattoo.

"Ugh!" He whined, taking the cup out of my hand and then sliding my tote bag off my shoulder. He placed it on the back table for me, helping me clear out all the shit I managed to end up holding in one swoop. Jesus, Jeans was quick. "You had a whole day to chill-ax, girlfriend, time for the scoop! Unless —" he gasped. "Oh my god!"

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying hard not to roll my eyes at him. "What?" I leaned all my weight on one foot, coming to terms with the fact that I'd have to be making myself  comfortable here for time with the way he was grilling me.

He grabbed my shoulders, shaking me lightly as if he was trying to wake me up. I was fucking tired afterall. "You know what I mean." He raised a brow, wiggling it madly.

Fucking hell.

"Levi! Ew!" My face scrunched up once I caught onto what he meant. He always had to find a way to make something sexual. "No!" I swatted my hands in front of my face so he couldn't see how tomato red I was turning.

"Ew?" He squinted his eyes at me, absolutely taken aback. "Are you kidding Rianne? Have you seen that man?"

"Well, he tends to end up everywhere that I am lately." I rolled my eyes. "So yeah, I haven't had much of a choice."

"You did not!" He gasped, bracing a hand on his heart. He seemed pretty fucking pained that I wasn't gushing about how hot Austin was and how much I wanted to bang him or some shit. Well, we all knew Levi wanted to. "Wait a damn minute." The realization must have hit him like a truck when I tried to walk around him and out the side room because suddenly he broke into action and blocked the door frame. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Levi," I reprimanded, dramatically flinging my hand in the air.

"Rianne!" He shot back.

"Dude, I have no idea what the fuck you are going on about. Can I just get around —" I got cut off as I tried to get around him.