Empty Net (18 page)

“Because you don’t want all of me! You just want my cooter!”

Levi shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yes, I want it, Cupcake, but I want to spend time with you, too. Give me another chance.”

They looked deep into each other eyes as the room stayed eerily quiet. It seemed so easy to take his bait, to be his puppet for the rest of her life. She wouldn’t have to worry about the rejection from another man; she wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone who wouldn’t want kids because Levi didn’t want them at all. Levi was her out, her easy cowardly out.

But like everyone had said, she was better than that.

Standing up, Audrey shook her head before saying, “I love you, Levi Moss—”

“Now, Audrey, I’ve told you about that word—”

“No! You shut up and let me finish!”

Levi’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I love you. I do, but I am not
going to settle for crap and want more when you want nothing but sex from me. I am a good woman. I would take good care of you, and I deserve more than this. If you are ready to give me that, when you are ready to love me and give us a chance, then call me. I’ll come, ’cause I love you, but not until you tell me you’re ready to give us a real fighting chance.”

Audrey couldn’t breathe. Her heart was pounding against her chest. Levi shook his head, his hands resting on his head before looking up at the ceiling. When he looked back down, his eyes a soft brown color, Audrey thought she had won.

But then he said, “I don’t want you like that.”

Feeling beaten, Audrey’s shoulders slumped and she looked down at the desk. Willing the tears to stay at bay and begging herself to stay strong and confident, Audrey looked up and said, “Then get out of my office.”

“I’m totally messed up.”

Audrey said it to no one in particular, alone in her kitchen popping popcorn and nursing a forty-ounce beer. It had been a forty-ounce-beer kind of day. But even with her feeling like her heart was about to break, she was proud of herself for not crying. It was the first time in weeks that she hadn’t cried over Levi. Maybe telling him what was on her mind was closure or something. She had always been so agreeable, let him run things. But for once, she stood up to him, and it felt fantastic! Yes, her heart was broken because of his rejection, yet in her heart she really felt that he was coming around. He was finally beginning to understand Audrey’s mind-set, and he was finally getting that Audrey wanted what she felt she deserved and wasn’t going to settle for less than that in any relationship, even with him.

He loved her. She just knew it. Now he just had to realize it, or keep doing what he was doing and Audrey would walk away.

“I don’t know why,” Piper said. “I really don’t understand what you see in him or what you are waiting for. He doesn’t treat you right.”

“But he does sometimes, and those times are really good.”

Piper let out a frustrated breath. Audrey could just see her rolling her eyes. “Explain to me the nice things he has done ’cause every time I’m around y’all, he is a dick.”

Audrey was the one to roll her eyes this time, before saying, “When we are alone together, he is so sweet.”

“No, he isn’t. You told me that he hurts you when y’all do it,” Piper countered.

Audrey made a face. “Well, yeah, but he hasn’t done that since Lucas tried to kill him way back when.”

“Well, hallelujah for that, but still, he isn’t worth it. You need a man who is nice to you all the time, not when it is convenient for him! Plus, Audrey, he basically only wants to do you. I mean come on,
maybe he’ll want the things you want in the future
? How don’t you see that he is playing you?”

Audrey wanted to stomp her feet in frustration. No one understood Levi. Yes, he was a dick most of the time, but he had had a hard upbringing. His dad beat him as a child, his mom was gone most of the time, and his brother slept with any girl Levi brought home. He didn’t trust anyone and didn’t feel that they would stay around. Audrey understood that, and she wanted to help him. Levi had the potential to be a really good guy, but he just hadn’t had the right girl to help him get there. Audrey knew she was the girl to do it. She could love him the right way.

But at the same time, what if everyone was right? What if she was being naive and stupid when it came to him? What if he
was
playing her? What if thinking he would change was probably the stupidest thing she had ever done? Was she wrong for telling him that she would wait for him, because really she shouldn’t?

Blah, being a single woman wanting a man was so hard.

“I know what you are saying, Piper. I do, but I can’t just give up.”

Piper scoffed, “Why the hell not? He doesn’t deserve you!”

“I understand your frustration, but you just don’t understand, Piper. You can have anyone you want—”

“Oh my God, don’t you even! You can have any man and you know that. You’re just settling for crap. Stop it!”

Yes, Audrey could have any man she wanted, but she couldn’t keep them. Piper didn’t understand that. No one did.

“I love him, Piper,” Audrey said. “I just can’t stop.”

“I know you just can’t stop, but you can damn well try. There are so many other guys out there. For example, hot goalie. It’s obvious you like him; I mean, you went home with him after only talking to him for a minute. Y’all have something, so act on it.”

Audrey shook her head even if Piper couldn’t see it. “I was drunk and we are just friends.”

“You are such a liar. I see the way he looks at you, and when you actually look at him and act normal, I can see that you like him.”

“I do not,” Audrey lied. “We are friends.”

“Whatever, friends who are bound to be more.”

“Hells bells, Pipe, he’s a baby,” Audrey stressed. “I am almost seven years older than him.”

“Who gives two shits? He’s hot, he wants you, and he’s also really funny. You like funny. He’s way funnier than Levi ever was.”

Audrey shook her head again before taking a long gulp of beer. “He may be funny and sexy, but he won’t want me for long.”

“Why?”

Audrey paused for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse, and then she said, “ ’Cause, I’m older.”

Audrey wished she could just tell Piper about her situation, but she hadn’t even told Fallon. No one knew but her mother, and she kind of wanted to keep it that way. She felt like a
failure for not being able to have children, but in a way it wasn’t her fault. It was the doctor who did her abortion who messed her up. He not only took her unborn child, but he took her future ones, too. It was the biggest mistake of her life, but she really had no choice in the matter.

“Audrey?”

Audrey brought herself back to the conversation, shaking her head. “Sorry, I was daydreaming.”

“Hopefully about making sweet love to sexy yummy Goalie and leaving Levi in your dust. Goalie obviously doesn’t care about your age so why should you?”

When a knock came at the door, Audrey wanted to drop to her knees and thank God for interrupting this conversation. “Oh, Pipe, let me let you go. It’s the door. I think Tate’s here.”

“Tate’s there? So I’ve been talking till I’m blue in the face and all along you were planning on having him over for round two?”

“For the love of God, you horny thing! He is coming over for DVR night! Sheesh.” Audrey laughed as she made her way to the door.

“That’s stupid. Round two sounds like more fun.” Piper laughed.

“We are friends,” Audrey stressed again. “That’s all. Get Tate out of your mind, and help me find another man since you are so against me being with Levi.”

Maybe she should look for someone else; maybe Levi was a waste of time. She should look for an older man. One who didn’t have an inkling to have a child. Maybe she could be like a trophy wife or something.

“Oh, I will, but I still think Goalie would be your best bet,” Piper said again.

“Goodbye, Piper!”

“Goodbye, darling, do something naughty!”

Hanging up the phone, Audrey shook her head. Piper was crazy. It was plain and simple. While part of Audrey wanted to agree with Piper about Levi and get herself an older man, her heart couldn’t. Levi just needed some more time without her, knowing that he wasn’t going to get an easy lay and that Audrey wanted more. That’s all he needed, and then he would be back.

Or maybe he wouldn’t, and she was just a big idiot.

With a heavy heart, Audrey opened the door and all thoughts of Levi, Piper, older men, and even her heavy heart disappeared as Audrey looked up into the face of her “had to be”
friend
.

Tate Odder stood tall with a carton of ice cream in one hand and his other hand tucked tightly into the big heavy coat he wore. His jeans were dark, and the shirt that peeked out of the jacket was light green. His hair was pulled back into a black beanie, with only a few of his blond locks falling onto his forehead, and his neck beard was growing in thick. For some reason, she wanted to tuck herself under his chin and run her nose through the coarse hair over and over again. Looking up into his face, she saw that his lips were curved in a lazy grin while he regarded her with a fierce look in his eyes.

For once, she felt self-conscious.

It was weird because that never happened. She loved the way she dressed and always thought she looked good. Like now, in bare feet, wearing a pair of short yellow shorts with dark blue tights underneath. A flowing, dark blue polka-dot top completed the outfit. Her hair was up in a high bun and her makeup was perfection. She never felt out of place, thought that what she put on looked good on her body. She had been a curvy girl her whole life, always ten sizes bigger than Fallon. It used to bother her when she was younger, but it hadn’t since she had the abortion.

The abortion that changed everything.

But now, looking up at Tate, watching his eyes roam her body, she couldn’t help but wonder if he liked her outfit. Did he like her hair? Did he think she was sexy in yellow shorts?

Even Levi’s constant verbal abuse hadn’t truly made her question how she looked. She took care of herself, except when she binged on cupcakes, but then again, what woman didn’t? She loved who she was. So why was she second-guessing herself now with Tate? What was so different about Tate?

Ah, this friend shit is so hard, she thought, letting out the breath she was holding.

“Hey, Tate,” she forced herself to say. “Come on in.”

He smiled, moving past her as he said, “Thanks, I was wondering how long we were going to stare before you let me in.”

Audrey smiled as she shut the door. “You were staring just as hard there, guy,” she joked as she went into the kitchen to take the popcorn out of the microwave.

“How could I not?” She looked at him over her shoulder. “Yellow is an eye catcher,” he went on. “Your ass looks fine, by the way. Very fine. You’re okay?”

She blinked a few times, then turned back to see that she’d poured all the popcorn on the counter, totally missing the bowl. She let out a frustrated groan before muttering, “It’s just fine,
friend
.”

Audrey proceeded, angrily, throwing the popcorn in the bowl as Tate came around the island. The light green long-sleeve shirt he wore was tight around his shoulders and arms. Seeing every muscle and delectable line of his body through the thin fabric, she shook her head in disgust. How could she want to follow her selfish thoughts and give in to the undeniable attraction between them? It was wrong. It was selfish. Hello! She knew better. Maybe this friend stuff was a bad idea. She wasn’t sure she could restrain herself from ripping off his clothes and
having her way with him.

“Oooh, cupcakes,” Tate said, pointing at her large cake stand. “Can I have one?”

“Sure,” Audrey said with a nod as he opened the top and took one. “They are cinnamon toast crunch cupcakes.”

“You had me at sure,” he said with a mouthful. “God, these are fantastic.”

Audrey giggled as she went to the fridge to get him a drink. “Do beer and cupcakes go together?” she asked.

Tate shrugged his shoulders. “They do in my book.”

“Mine too,” she said with a grin, handing him a beer.

“Thanks,” he mumbled around another mouthful. He reached for another cupcake and smiled at her. “I like sweets.”

Audrey giggled. “I know.”

“Did you have a nice day?” he asked, still stuffing his face.

“It was long, how about you?”

Tate nodded. “Lucas and I have been at practice since six this morning.”

“Sheesh, that’s crazy.”

“Yup,” he said with a nod, licking his lips free of frosting.

Looking away, she asked, “Wanna go watch TV while you stuff your face?”

Tate nodded, taking another cupcake and his beer as he followed her. Audrey sat down on the couch, bringing her legs under her bottom, the bowl of popcorn in her lap. Tate fell beside her, leaning against his knees as he devoured another cupcake. With a shake of her head, she turned on the DVR and the theme music to
Storage Wars
filled the room. But instead of singing along and watching the opening credits, she watched the muscles move in Tate’s back.

Her fingers had been there.

Audrey closed her eyes, willing herself to forget the image of him naked as Tate asked, “What’s this show about?”

Telling herself over and over again not to think about it, she opened her eyes to see him looking at her, his eyes and grin playful. Audrey smiled. How could she not? He was just so cute, and sweet! Frosting lined his lips and crumbs were all over his shirt. Even with the desire to lick every morsel of frosting off those succulent lips, she found a way to say, “It’s basically the best show ever.”

Tate nodded. “Is it? How is that?”

“Simple,” Audrey said. “You follow four sets of bidders at this storage auction through the mission of finding the perfect storage locker. It’s amazing, each bidder is hilarious, and I just love it. You will too, I know it.”

Tate laughed. “How do you know?”

“I just do,” she said, pushing into him with her shoulder. It wasn’t planned, and after she did it, Audrey regretted it. Her whole body sizzled from that simple touch, and with one look into his lust-filled eyes, she could tell Tate’s had too. What the hell was wrong with her? There needed to be rules when it came to him.