Falling For Seconds

Chapter Eight

Levi had promised to be around. In the three weeks after the attack, I had seen him once. And In that one moment, I was walking out of the back room as he left the bookstore. No words were exchanged.
  I couldn't figure out my feelings toward him either. I hated him for what he was associated but in the same skip of a beat, I couldn't get enough of him. The secret's of his life kept drawing me in.
  I shook my head. Don't think of him right now! She was right. The phone in my hand had a voice flowing methodically from the speaker. That voice, a voice I hadn't heard a lot of lately, belonged to my boyfriend.
  "Yeah, I bet you're absolutely exhausted." I squeezed all the sarcasm I could from my words but only a few drops seeped through.
  Greyson laughed. "I fall into bed every night and pass out. There aren't enough energy drinks in the world to keep me awake past 10."
  "Ah," I spoke. My open hand rested against my chin, my elbow resting on knee.
  "It's insane, Hadley, but by next semester I should have the approval from the dean to move elsewhere."
  Was that what I still wanted? I opened my mouth to respond, but Greyson had continued, starting his explanation of his classes and all the extra time the fraternity was asking of him. I rolled my eyes.
  Dale had been the only person to ask about where I'd disappeared to after the incident. I had lied, not wanting to tell him I was basically cheating on my boyfriend and chasing a guy who thrived on committing crimes. I didn't want him to see me in that light.
  To him, I hoped, I was a perfect and precious angel who could do no wrong. Thanks to my mother, I knew how to hide most of my emotions well. Or so I liked to think. Then my facade crashed to the floor in front of me as Dale informed me that Levi had called and explained the whole situation.
  I was ashamed, but furious. I was never the expert when it came to lying to people, but Levi had no right to call on my behalf. It wasn't his duty to take care of me. And yet, there he was... playing doctor for five days.
  "Are you still there?" Greyson asked.
  "Yeah," I sighed. "I'm still here."
  If my voice was any indicator that I was over the conversation, I prayed he took the hint. "Well, like i was saying..."
  I began to slowly realize that I may not ever have another chance to see my boyfriend before he graduated. The thought was supposed to make me feel some certain type of way, but I didn't. Just break up with him, Damn it. My subconscious was becoming a real sass master.
  The sudden knock on the front door caused me to yelp like a lap dog. I hadn't been expecting anyone. "What was that?" Greyson asked.
  My mind played scenarios over in my head of me opening the door just to get kidnapped again. I stared at my bedroom door like it was going to explode. "Hello?"
"Yes, I'm here. Sorry, it was just the mail guy." Would they leave if I didn't answer? Another series of knocks echoed through the apartment. I guess that answered that question.
"Give me a second." I stated and cautiously I set my phone down on the mattress. I had no idea of who was going to appear behind the door and the past events left me a little apprehensive. I hadn't ordered anything and unless my mother was sending me a random care package, I didn't have any mail coming for me. As I tiptoed from room to room I longed for something to arm myself with. Quickly, I realized all I could use were decorative pillows.
  I cracked the door only a quarter of my face shown through. Standing in the crisp morning was, of course, the man who'd promised to been around more. I should've known by now he would show up at the least expected times. "Oh, it's you."
The door swung wide. Levi looked just as stunned as I, but I didn't understand why his eyebrows were raised. Unless he had been sleepwalking and had woken up as I opened the door.
  "No need to be nasty." His eyes traveled over my body. "Do you always open the door dressed like that?" He asked cheekily.
  I stood in front of him wearing a long sleeved shirt that was ungodly tight with no bra and my underwear was also a little too provocative for anyone but my own eyes to see. "I mean it's incredibly sexy and I'm flattered you want to wear that for me, but I'm not sure I deserve to see you like that." He winked, still smiling widely.
  My cheeks flushed. How could I forget I wasn't dressed appropriately? I bit on the inside of my cheek as I fought to find the right words to say. "I, uh... I just woke up not too long ago...I was—"
  "Yeah, you're fine. I've seen girls answer the door in a lot less." He said as he pushed past me, letting himself in.
  "I didn't let you in." I stated rather taken aback that he'd been so bold. Levi tugged his jacket from his body and slung it over the back of my recliner before taking a seat next to it. His arms fell over the back of the chair and he propped his feet up on the coffee table, making himself even more at home.
  "It's a good thing I'm not a vampire then."
  I rolled my eyes. "Why would that make a difference?"
  "I would have had to be invited in." I let the door slam closed. His eyes were glued to my body as I played with a strand of my hair. "What are you doing today?"
  "What are you doing today?"
  I crossed my arms over my chest while a smirk played on his lips. He looked me over once more. "Don't know yet. Let's do something."
  There was a hidden meaning in the words he spoke, but I kept it as innocent as possible. "You can't just show up out of the blue after disappearing for three weeks and expect me to just welcome you back." I responded.
  He shrugged, "why not? I told you before, I have a job. I work just like you do except my hours are more...sporadic."
  "I don't believe you."
  "I don't need you to." He dismissed me as if I was a student at school. "Now, get your little ass back to your bedroom and go get ready."
  My mind replayed what I'd been doing before he came so rudely into my apartment. Greyson!
  My body turned on a dime. I tried to wash the look of Levi's lustful eyes from my frontal lobe as I sped to the room where my phone laid.
  I smashed the device against my ear. "Hey, I'm back."
  I expected Greyson to be waiting, not so patiently. Or maybe even have a little rant ready to go complaining about how I took so long, but there was only silence. "Hello?" I asked a little louder.
  Nothing. "Okay, we'll I'm going to go. I love you..." Then I heard it, the faint sound of laughter, but it wasn't Greyson's voice. It was more feminine. Like I'd been electrocuted I tossed it back onto the sheets after ending the call. He has a roommate and his roommate had a girlfriend.
  I clung tightly to that thought like my life depended on it. And if not, we have Levi.... Do we? Look it me, I squared my shoulders. I did have common sense in me somewhere.