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“I was told I shouldn’t have antagonized him.”
“So he got away with it?” he hissed as he turned to me.
“He always does. They never see what he does as wrong, and all I’ve ever been is in the way.”
“You’renotin the way. You’re a person too. You’re more than that.”
“To who?”
“To me.”
That did unfair things to my heart. Levi had proven time and time again that he cared, yet it was still so shocking every time.
“You know he’s an asshole, right?” Levi’s words pulled me out of my thoughts. “That this isn’t how life should be?”
“I know it’s wrong,” I whispered. “If I saw Lily getting treated the way I did, I would be on her side. But inside of me there’s still that little girl who thinks it’s all my fault. No matter how old I get, she’s still there, begging to be loved by the people who are supposed to love her. And sometimes she wins. And I go home thinking things will be different.”
“But they never are.”
“No. They aren’t. Calvin is possibly the worst person I’ve ever met. And so are my parents because they enable him.”
“I should have kicked his ass in wrestling more.”
“That wouldn’t have changed anything, but it would have been fun to see. Thankfully, he moved on to more ... manipulative practices.”
“Thankfully?”
“When I kept my mouth shut, it was easier. But him not getting the house made him worse than ever. Especially when the court ruled in my favor.”
“You needed the house.”
“I did. But I still feel bad.”
“You havenothingto feel bad for.”
“You can feel guilt and be right,” I said. “And that’s how it is for me.”
“What you experienced tonight is not how it’s going to be anymore. I’m done letting him hurt you.”
“You can’t always be here.”
“I can always be a call away. I’m telling you right now, if you need me, I’ll be there.”
“And what if ... this doesn’t last? If things change and you don’t want this anymore?”
“That’s not gonna happen.”
“How do you know?”
He opened his mouth and shut it, obviously unsure of what to say. I prepared myself to hear him correct himself and tell me he would only be here for the time we had.
“Because I like you. And I want to keep liking you. Is that so hard to believe?”
“Kinda. Most people use me as a stepping stone to get to Calvin. Ava did. And when she had him, I was dust.”
“Is Ava the woman you went after?”
“She was a friend from a long time ago, but then she was his girlfriend. And she is again. For now. I think he did it right when we got married.”