If There's Something

Chapter 26

I didn't think Levi would stick out with his gloomy attitude all week. I had expected him to snap out of it after two days, three days max but since he hadn't, I had to talk to him.

I had spent the week helping out with the animals, exercising the horses, feeding the chickens, milking the cows. I spent at least a few hours with Micah every day, mostly at the lake where we swam together. I still hadn't gotten around to telling Rush and all about it. And of course, cozying up to Rush when Levi and Wes weren't around since Wes had mastered the art of pissing me off. But I knew I had to talk to Levi one day or another. I barely had two weeks of the summer left to sort things out.

I found myself knocking on his door one afternoon after another lunch of Levi not talking to anyone. Rush wasn't going to talk to him because he was so sure his brother would get over it soon. Wes acted like he didn't know what was going on because he didn't want to get involved in the 'love triangle' so it was up to me to fix the problem which apparently I was the in the center of.

"Levi?" I asked gingerly, sticking my head into his room.

He was sitting on his bed, going through culinary school brochures and I felt a pang of guilt. Had he decided to not to join us in Chicago because of Rush and me?

"Can we talk?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow and nodded.

I closed the door behind me and slowly made my way to his bed. He collected the brochures, pulled open a drawer in his bed side table and dumped them inside.

"Why're you looking at those?" I asked cautiously. "I thought you decided on Chicago."

"There are many schools in Chicago," he told me, running a hand through his hair awkwardly. "I got acceptance into Kendall College, too. I was just comparing."

"O-oh," I sighed in relief.

I was really looking forward to staying with him and Micah. I would hate it if he decided to go somewhere else because he couldn't stand to live with me.

"What is it that you want to talk about?" he asked, leaning on the headboard of his bed.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked him and his eyes widened.

"I could never be mad at you, Far, you know that," he sighed as I climbed onto his bed to sit next to him, tucking the skirt of my dress under my legs.

"You've been acting weird, Levi," I told him, staring down at my light blue, button down dress. "And maybe I know why but I-I don't know what to say."

"I just need time, Farren," he whispered. "I know you've only ever loved Rush and honestly, I knew he loved you back. I knew it was inevitable that you guys got together. I mean, my mom was waiting for it to happen, too."

"I'm sorry for hurting you," I took his hand in mine and locked eyes with him. "I'm sorry I couldn't reciprocate your feelings."

"You're still my best friend," he squeezed my hand. "I just don't know how to get over you."

"Should I leave you alone for a while?" I asked because I knew what he meant. I never had gotten over Rush either. I never knew how to. I guess some questions never really had an answer.

"No, can you stay?" he asked. "I just want to be the same with you again."

I nodded and we both lay in his bed the way we used to when we had been kids.

I had promised Micah to meet him at the lake but I decided that it was the best to cancel so I quickly sent him a text telling him that I was going to spend the day at home with Levi. Then I lay in bed with Levi as we discussed our future living plans, how we were going to go to and from our classes until we trailed off from the topic and started reminiscing about the past. We talked about riding horses, swimming, learning to ride our bikes, our injuries and how Rush and Wes used to act like they were the bosses of everything. We spent hours laughing and talking until eventually, we fell asleep facing each other, smiles still on our faces.