Levi's Protection

TWENTY-ONE

"Your ass looks fine as hell." Jasper shouted down to amber from where he stood on the top deck steering the boat.  Levi was lounging on a chair beside him, almost out of my view, sipping a beer without a care in the world

All of us were giddy to be getting off the boat and to our new home. The sun was high in the sky and Amber and I were laying sprawled out on our stomachs on the main deck. 

"I know. bitch." Amber grumbled under her breath, not bothering to look up at him. He laughed loudly as if he knew she had responded even though there was no way he could hear her over the rush of the waves flying by our speeding ship.

"I'm about to yack too, girl." Amber turned her head to me, looking drained. "We've been on this damn boat far too long."

I agreed with a nod, my stomach had been queasy all morning as we had prepared to leave for our final destination. Right as we left I had gotten sick over the side of the boat, puking up my breakfast and most of last nights dinner. Levi has rushed to my side and held my hair back, rubbing soothing circles on my back.  Even as he picked me up and carried my weak self to the cabin below the deck he hadn't said a word to me since this morning. His silence did not help my nausea.  

"Hey! Slow down!" The man invading my thoughts was suddenly shooting out of his seat to point the hand with the beer in it at a beach not to far ahead of us. "That's it!"

"Holy." I sat up and raised my sunglasses from my eyes to rest on my forehead. 

"Shit." Amber finished for me as sat up as well to stare in awe at the paradise that was laid on the beach before us. 

A long dock stretched out into the water, the wood dark and rustic, fitting perfectly into the aesthetic of the huge, multi-level beach house that sat just behind the dunes of white sand.

"Amazing, right?" I broke out of my  daze with a start as Levi's voice spoke behind me.

I looked up into his sparking eyes as he grinned down at me, a small smile pulling as my lips. My inner turmoil took a backseat to our homecoming. 

We slowly pulled into the dock and the boys hopped out to tie the boat to the long dock. 

"Race you!" Amber shouting, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and sprinting toward the house.

I giggled and took off after her after grabbing what little stuff I had with me. 

"Hey! No fair!" Levi shouted from behind me and I could hear them scrambling to finish tying up the boat.  I could suddenly hear pounding feet from behind me coming down the dock at an insanely fast pace. 

I squealed as thick arms attacked me just as I had almost reach the house. My hair whipped to cover my face as the other boy, the one not holding me hostage, ran into the house after Amber. 

"Levi!" I struggled against him, giggling. "We have to get inside, they'll take the good rooms!"

"Don't worry about that, Baby." He whispered in my ear, his warm breath making me shiver with delight. "I own the house. Whatever room we want, we get." 

"We?" I question him, still very aware of his warm arms wrapped around my bare torso. 

"Yes, we. You really think we wouldn't be sharing a room?" Levi released me and I turned around to face him. His eyebrows were furrowed in the same confusion I was feeling. 

"I just thought-" I stopped, not knowing what to say and too embarrassed to look him in the eye. "This morning. You couldn't - didn't - say it back." 

An amused twinkle grew in his eyes, "I thought I was very clear about how I feel about you. You caught me by surprise this morning I-" 

"HEY WILLOW!" A voice screamed from above us, "You have to get up here!" Amber was leaning over the balcony edge, her hair blowing in the wind, and looking like she had just won the lottery. 

"We should go have a look around." I mumbled, backing away slowly toward the house again. The moment was ruined, and the flush that was now covering my cheeks wasn't something I wanted him to see.  

I was scared of what Levi was about to say. We had had a moment when we first set sail and it had felt like, at the time, that he was confessing his feeling for me. But now I was unsure and insecure. 

I just wanted to enjoy our new home and worry about all of this tomorrow.