One Choice (Hogan Brothers 2)
Chapter Twelve
Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Levi was going insane. He hadn’t seen Hayes in two days since he dropped her off at school on Monday, and even though they texted throughout the day and talked on the phone at night, he missed her like crazy.
He wanted to get as much training in for his fight next Saturday against some new guy Casper, the fucking weasel, was bringing into the circuit. Levi figured it was the son of a bitch’s way of getting back at him for calling it quits. His match against Tiny was this coming Saturday, and while he knew the other man could easily beat him, they had a plan to put Casper in his place by allowing Levi to win. Knowing that Casper was likely going to bet against him.
Waiting outside Hayes’ school for her, he’d planned to surprise her with a workout at the gym before taking her to dinner at his mom’s place. Lorraine felt horrible for the way she’d treated his girl when they first met and had been badgering him ever since to bring her by so they could officially meet.
“Hey, man,” Brett, Hayes’ friend, called rounding the side of the school dressed in football gear.
“How you doin’?” Levi asked him, not taking his eyes off the front doors.
Brett stood next to him for a couple of minutes before clearing his throat and said, “Can I ask you a question?”
“You just did.”
“A real one.”
“Shoot.”
“This thing with you and Hayes,” he had Levi’s full attention now. “How do you deal with the age difference?”
Levi got a good look at the younger man, assessing him, and what he saw was a need for acceptance. He just didn’t know about what.
“Thing is, Brett, Hayes is eighteen. Legal in every sense of the word. I don’t give two shits what anyone thinks, and I’m pretty sure the only people she gives a damn about are her folks.”
“But you did.” The prick. “How’d you move past that? How’d you know you could?” He got the sense Brett wasn’t trying to be a dick but was genuinely interested.
“Who is she?” Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the man was interested in a younger girl.
“Her name’s Allegra. She’s barely fifteen, and I can’t knock her from my mind.”
“Damn, boy.” He whistled. Quite the predicament. “You going away for college?”
“Got a full ride to Notre Dame for football.”
“She know this?”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “We’ve never spoken.”
Levi couldn’t help the bark of laughter that erupted from him. “You’re worse than me, kid. Talk to her, find out what the hell her plans are. See if she’s interested in you.”
“Can’t get her to stop shuffling when I try and talk to her. It’s like she doesn’t see the world around her.”
“Then you’ve gotta make her notice you, man. Give her a reason to.”
Before any more could be said, the bell rang, and Hayes came darting out the front doors. Dustin hot on her heels.
“I’m gonna whoop that boy’s ass,” Levi muttered as he walked forward, Brett following along.
“Shit,” the other guy said.
Hayes hadn’t seen him yet; she was occupied with trying to ignore the fool who was going to be eating his teeth for a month.
“Come on, Hayes, surely you don’t want some reject.” Dustin pleaded with her.
She spun so fast her knee tweaked, but she ignored it to blast Dustin. “You moron. How can you be so stupid to even ask again? I’ve said no to any date with you about a dozen times now, and yet you still continue. Why? Do you enjoy the rip to your ego? Do you like being emasculated? Do you get your jollies off by annoying girls? What is your damn problem?”