My world stopped. Time didn’t tick for eons as I allowed his question to sink in.
It was him.
He gave me the book.
It’s crazy how the past takes flight in your mind and a different vision appears as life takes a different course. Simple memories, like the book, remind me how life can be funny sometimes. I may have loved Levi Dent my whole life, but in a strange way, I think he loved me too. There was a shift in the universe the day Levi walked through our door. As if he was always meant to be with us. Be a part of our family. Be a part of my heart.
I continue to fight the rain as the thunder above rumbles across the sky, lightening illuminating the thick, dark clouds. I finally reach our building and toss my broken umbrella into the trash, finding cover inside the lobby. With each step, I soak the floor, sprinting to the elevators.
My heart beats like a heavy drum against the envelope inside my jacket pocket. With each floor that passes, worry sinks in. Uncertainty. The unknown. When it stops on our floor and opens, I take off running down the hallway until my key is pressing inside the lock and practically fall inside.
“Levi!” I shout his name. I struggle to peel off my jacket soaked to my skin. Tugging at my arms, I become free, pulling the envelope from the pocket. “Levi?” I call again, shoving my soaking wet hair out of my face. Where is he? He should be home. He said he was going to be home. I called him and told him I had something very important to talk about. But he said so did he.
Breathe, Hannah.
I’m in such a frenzy, I slip on something on the floor, thinking it’s just the water dripping off me. “Shoot.” I balance myself. When I look down, I realize it’s not water. “Shoot.” My eyes slowly lift up, following the trail of rose pedals, until my eyes find two feet. I gaze up and up, until they connect with Levi, who’s leaning against the wall.
“Did you know not all raindrops are made of water?” he speaks first.
My heart stops. The way he casually rests against the wall, his strong arms crossed over his built chest, the way his hair has grown out some, brushed back in perfect, full dark waves. A hurricane of emotions strike me. I’m not sure if it’s the extra weight of water threatening to tip me over or the way his eyes pull me in.
“Did you know in a single minute, a billion tons of rain can fall to the Earth?” I reply with another fact, unsure what else to do or say. Neither of us move. We simply stand there, our hearts resonating for one another. The silence becomes too much for me, so I’m the first to speak. “I got my letter.”
He still doesn’t move, and it worries me. “And what did it say?”
I begin to chew on my lower lip. Afraid. Excited. My answer will be a game changer for us, and I’m not sure which way he’s going to play. “I got accepted.” The words are shaky off my tongue. I wait for his response. Not showing his cards, he slowly pushes off the wall and walks toward me. Each step causes a vibration down my body. I love this man with everything I have to give, and if he doesn’t want this…
When he reaches me, I’m dizzy from holding my breath. The scent of his cologne offers me the safety net I need, but he doesn’t touch me. He’s so close, I bask in the warmth from his body, aching for his arms to comfort me. Answer me. Too much time passes. His silence becomes suffocating. His eyes lock me in this possessive hold, and another wave of dizziness hits me. The intensity of his stare worries me. “Please say something.” There’s anxiety in my soft tone, but still, he doesn’t ease my worry. His cool detachment has me in a sheer panic. His hand lifts and brushes against my cheek. In a slow manner, he bends down. “Oh sweet Jesus, what are you…?”
“I told you, wherever you go, I go.” He reaches for my hand. “I’ve wanted so much in life. But nothing compares to how much I want you. How it feels to be so addicted to you, I know I’ll never get enough. I love you. But there’s no way to truly explain how deep that love runs. So, I’ll say this again and again, until those worried eyes fade away. Where you go, I go.” He stops to retrieve something in his pocket. Pulling it out, my eyes take note, my face not wide enough for how big my smile is. “I know you’re still not ready. We have so much more to take on before I make you Mrs. Dent, but for now, I want to make you a promise. This is it. This is us. Only us. My life starts and ends with you. So, what happens next, we do it together. Understand?”