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I smirked through my tears. “You're not nearly as lazy as he is.”
“I bet. But that won't stop me from asking you to do chores.”
“Does work keep you that busy?”
She shrugged while scooting a box across the floor to join the ones in the center of the living room. When she was done, she stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “Most days, I'm pretty busy. That's why I've always been envious of your job.”
“I get busy, too.”
“But your job is fun.”
I laughed. “I bet you have fun at your job.”
“On a good day, sure.”
I went back to the closet to see that I had grabbed everything. There was a pink box on the top shelf decorated with flowers. As I reached for it, the doorbell rang.
I shot Laura a confused look. “Are those the guys?”
“I don't know. I didn't expect them this early. I'll go check.”
When she disappeared, I went back to packing. I tossed all of my clothes into the bags I had gathered and then hauled them into the living room. Laura had returned with our guest.
And it was Levon.
I stared at him.
He seemed like he hadn't aged since I last saw him. He had the same tan skin, appearing as golden as it had the summer we had broken up. His dark hair was short, as always, and his eyes were like dark pools attempting to suck me in. I felt vulnerable and soft until he cleared his throat.
And then I felt angry.
I frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“I was coming by to see Gabe.”
“I'm surprised you came back home.”
He chuckled lightly. “Well, Jenisgetting married.”
“I'm surprised you even came back for that.”
He parted his lips to speak but nothing came out. His mouth opened and closed silently for a few seconds like a fish that was attempting to determine its surroundings.
He cleared his throat again. “Good to see you, too.”
“Well, Gabe isn't around, so . . .”
“Why not?”
“He's just not here right now. Can't you tell?”
Levon perked up, his eyes looking sharper than when he had walked in. “And why isn't he helping you? This looks like a daunting task for one person.”
I laughed. “You've been gone for years. Don't try to come back and fix everyone, okay?”
Laura lingered in the background. She looked like a kid lost in a grocery store. When she walked past me, she gave me her familiar concerned expression. I patted her shoulder to let her know I was fine.
When I turned back to Levon, he looked slightly hurt.