The Summer Before

Chapter Sixteen

Levi

I woke up Wednesday, already irritated. My conversation last night with Tessa left a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn't believe what she said to me. And for her to deny that she was doing the exact same thing... What the actual fuck!

The sun was creeping in through my window, telling me to get my lazy ass up and get ready for work. I knew before I looked at the time that I'd slept in later than I wanted to. This whole week, I'd been going in early and staying late, hoping to avoid Tessa at all costs.

My bosses loved it. I played it off like I was showing extra initiative. They ate that shit up. What I was really doing was avoiding any potential confrontations with the one woman who seemed to screw with my mind with just a look.

It worked out well until last night. I'd managed to avoid her until then. When she bashed into me in the hallway and almost toppled over, I couldn't help but catch her. I forgot for a minute about everything that happened- everything at the club, what happened last summer, all the reasons I'd spent the past several months angry at her.

For those sixty seconds, we were just Tessa and Levi again, and I thought I saw a familiar look in her eyes as I held onto her. It was a mirage, a nasty trick from the universe because as quickly as the moment came, it passed.

When Tessa opened her mouth, reality came slamming back, and with it came all the shitty memories and the reminders of why I was supposed to hate her. She wasn't angry or snarky at all when she asked if we could let things go and be civil toward one another, but for some reason, I just couldn't rein in my anger.

Every lousy memory that haunted me since that awful morning at the lake came rushing to my head. I lashed out, letting her feel every ounce of my venom. Was it fair? Probably not. Did I care at the moment? Hell no!

At the time, all I wanted to accomplish was making her feel as shitty as I did. And boy, did I get my wish. As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw the shift in her demeanor. Not one to let things like that slide, Tessa fired right back, calling me a whore, claiming I was the only one who fit that mold.

I was stunned. Words failed me as she walked away, leaving me to stew. She could deny it all she wanted. She and I both know who she really is, what she's truly like. I knew I had to put space between us. I bolted for my room and forced myself to stay there the rest of the night.

I wasn't going to let Tessa win, and that's precisely what would have happened if I lashed out again. Jason would have woken up to the sound of Tessa and me fighting. She'd say something to him to make me look like the one at fault. And I'd come out of the whole thing looking like the world's biggest douche.

Fuck that!

The next week and a half that she's here, I'll just have to make sure I watch myself. I won't let Jason down by getting into another hissing fight with his sister. He and Charlotte don't need that shit from anyone right now, least of all me.

Nope. From now on, I'll be on my best behavior. If Tessa wants to make herself look like an ass in front of her brother and best friend, so be it.

I rolled out of bed, bracing myself for what could be waiting outside my room. It's way too early to have to deal with Tessa already. And definitely too soon for me to test my reserve when it comes to her smart-assed commentary. Maybe I'll get lucky, and she'll still be in her room.

I got ready for work and saw a glimmer of hope when I stepped out of the bathroom. There was no sign of Tessa anywhere and no noise coming from downstairs. Shit, maybe this day will start out better than I thought.

My feet carried me down the stairs as I started to feel relieved, thinking I'd managed to avoid her again. The moment I entered the kitchen, everything changed. Tessa and Jason were chatting happily over coffee, speaking in hushed tones.

When Jason saw me standing there, he smiled and jutted his chin my way. "Well, look who decided to join us. Come on, Levi, grab some coffee. I was just telling Tess about the plan for Friday."

I could tell Tessa was watching me, keeping her face turned toward Jason. She saw as I hesitantly moved to an empty seat by her brother after pouring myself a large cup of coffee. As I sat down, our eyes met briefly. I watched as hers narrowed slightly before looking away.

Jason took a sip from his cup, watching the interaction before slowly saying, "so, about Friday...."

"What about it?" I asked, fixing my eyes on my coffee cup.

I heard Jason clear his throat. "Charlotte really wanted to have dance lessons before the wedding, so I readily agreed...."

I could sense the hesitation in his voice about what was coming next. It was enough to make me lift my eyes to his. "But to do a private lesson with this instructor, she requires a minimum number of attendees. Eight, to be exact."

My eyes narrowed. What the hell does this have to do with me?

"Okay, and?" I questioned, unsure if I wanted to hear his answer.

He gave me a strained smile, and I knew I wouldn't like his answer. "Well, we're two people short since Char's parents dropped out because of her dad's back. My parents said they had a scheduling conflict, and everyone else we asked said no."

Jason paused, giving me a silent plea. "We were thinking maybe...You and Tess... Would be willing to step in and help us out."

I was about to refuse when Tessa chimed, "I'm in!"

She gave me a triumphant smile- probably knowing I hated this, knowing if she showed her support and stepped in, it would make me look like an ass when I said no.

Screw it! Two can play that game.

"You know what, so am I. I'm happy to help you and Char out," I told Jason, not missing the way Tessa's brows furrowed. My mouth widened as I shot her a challenging smile, begging her to say something bitchy.

Beside me, Jason let out a sigh of relief. "Wow, that was easier than I thought."

I saw his eyes widen in surprise as he laughed, "I figured it would be like pulling teeth to get you two into the same room for more than a few minutes."

A light chuckle escaped me as I grabbed my best friend's shoulder. "It's no problem, man. If you need something, you know I got you, bro."

Tessa rolled her eyes, seeing the game I was playing at. Not one to be outdone, she placed her hand on one of Jason's, telling him, "anything you and Char need, J, you let me know. I'm here for you guys."

Now, it was my turn to roll my eyes. If she wanted to compete to see who would be the better best friend at this wedding and the events leading up to it, I was all in.

Let the games begin!