Nope on the Slope (ONC 2024)

Chapter 3: Levi's Angry (Kelsi's POV)

Levi drives us to Justin's house. He doesn't say anything to me, so I turn on some country music. The snow is still on parts of the grass the way it always is this time of year. Ice patches appear on the road and we manage to avoid slipping everywhere. As we near Justin's house Levi slams on the brakes as we hit an ice patch and his car does two donuts in the middle of the road. Without thinking I grab Levi's hand and panic. He laces his fingers in between mine and holds on tightly. He manages to avoid crashing into anything and parallel parks on the side of the road.

We sit there for a moment with our fingers laced. He brushes his thumb over my knuckles.

"Are you okay, Kelsi? I didn't mean for that to happen."

"Yeah, I'm fine. You managed to stay in control of that pretty well I'd say." Levi's staring at my lips again but quickly looks away. I have caught him staring there before on many occasions. I never say anything to him about it. It would break something in our friendship if we ever acted on that impulse.

"Well, it's my job to keep you safe." That's the second time today that he has sounded like my boyfriend.

"You don't have to do that you know," I say as I pull my hand away from his.

"Do what?"

"Protect me. We aren't...dating remember?" Attempting to ask Levi anything right now seems utterly pointless. When he gets in protective mode nothing can stop him.

"I'll always protect you, Kelsi. That's what friends are for. You mean something to me, okay?"

He looks down at my lips again and I look at his. Sometimes I wish he'd kiss me, but then what would we be? The tension between us today is different and usually, I can shake it off and stuff it down. But today, the day I'm invited to Justin's house for the first time ever, it's confusing. I need to force myself to go. The mere sight of Justin will set me back to factory settings and these passing thoughts I have for Levi will stop. That's what he'd want. The promise that we'd never date and always be friends sits there sometimes burning its way into my soul.

"Levi...do you want to skip Justin's house today? We can just practice skiing if you'd rather do that."

I have this crazy desire to spend time with Levi. It's intense today, it's burning. I usually feel this way about Justin. Scarlett would think I'm nuts to pass up my one chance to hang out with Justin. But this urge to stay with Levi is almost as intense as what I've felt toward Justin. The gravitational pull that these two Baron Boys have on me today is hard to ignore.

"But you wanted to come here. I can wait in the car while you go visit Justin," Levi replies as he turns the car off and unbuckles his seat belt.

"You'd do that?" I ask for confirmation that he's not just saying that to make me feel good about myself.

"I'd do anything for you, Kelsi." The way he says it as he stares at my lips makes my heart skip a beat or two. He's been upfront with me today. He seems to be telling me something or it's just my active imagination longing for something to be there.

The tension in the air is high and I know it's not just me who is confused. But we are best friends and we promised we'd never do anything rash in high school to damage our friendship. The hands-off rule we have makes me want to break the rules just once. What would Levi Baron do if we crossed lines together?

Instead of finding out, I unbuckle my seat belt and head up the long cement staircase that leads to the other Baron Boy's house. Levi shuts my door. I'm a jerk for forgetting to do that.

I can feel Levi staring at the back of my head. My body knows when he is looking at me. I could sense it in math class earlier when I flipped my hair back. Is it wrong to be in sync with your best friend like this? If Levi ever asked me to be intimate with him, I'd likely say yes. I'd never admit that to Scarlett. If Scarlett knew that I wanted my first time to be with Levi, she'd freak out.