Page 26 of Love Unbound
“Are you going to tell Levi?” he asked, his voice low.
Seren laughed, shaking her head. “And take that honor from you? I don’t think so.” Leaning into his shoulder, she whispered,“Levi may be my husband, but there are some things he needs to hear from his best friend, not his wife.”
“When did you figure it out?” Free asked quietly.
Serenity breathed in deeply, letting it out slowly. “I think I always knew. Little things, glances between you and Jodi when the other wasn’t looking. Then when you left so suddenly and Jodi’s reaction to it, I figured something had happened. I just wasn’t sure what.”
“I left before anything did happen, I swear it,” Free whispered hoarsely, looking over at her, his face serious. “I didn’t trust myself to stay. I never wanted to betray you and Levi the way I did.”
Serenity laughed, ducking her head and he watched as she peered at him sideways. “I knew Jodi had a crush on you for years. When Jodi decides on something, she doesn’t usually stop until she gets it. I know my daughter.” Again, she bumped her shoulder against his. “And I know you.”
“I still have feelings for her,” Free admitted quietly, the words sticking in his throat.
“I know,” Seren stated simply. Then, “Just… be careful with her, Free. Her heart is tender right now, she’s going to guard it fiercely. As will myself, and Levi.”
Free nodded solemnly, dropping his gaze to the floor again before sighing heavily and pushing himself away from the counter, picking up the glass bottle. “Here goes nothing.”
Seren patted him on the arm gently. “Good luck.”
Retreating back out onto the porch, the skyline had darkened, and in the distance, he spotted fireflies. He extended his hand, pouring several fingers worth of whisky into Levi’s glass, before sitting and doing the same for his own.
“I thought maybe you got lost,” Levi chuckled. “I know it’s been a while, but I thought you’d still know your way around the house.”
Free’s lips tilted up at the corner as he took a sip. “I ran into Seren. We talked for a minute. Actually,” Free murmured, “I need to talk to you about something. Promise me you won’t hit me though.”
“Never a good way to start a conversation,” Levi rumbled. He tipped his drink toward Free. “Go ahead.”
Free swirled the contents of his glass, his elbows braced on his widespread knees. “It’s about Jodi, Levi.”
“How drunk do I need to be for this conversation, Freeman?”
Free laughed out loud. “Finish that.” Levi did, draining the glass, then held it out for Free to refill. The older man’s eyes never left his face, and Free could feel his collar getting hot. He took a deep breath and let it slowly before saying, “I’ve asked Jodi to go to Shane’s wedding with me.”
“We were all invited… we’ll be there anyway,” Levi murmured gruffly, taking another sip of the whisky.
Free nodded. “I’ve asked her to go with me as my date, Levi. I wanted to tell you myself.”
“As your date?” Levi chuckled, but then his eyebrows lowered into a deep V. “You’re damn near ten years older than she is, Freeman.”
Sitting forward in his seat and leaning his elbows on his spread knees, Free picked up his hat from where he’d set it beside him on the porch earlier. He worried the brim between his fingers, nervousness making him fidgety. Staring out over the field, he nodded again. “I know.”
Taking another long drink, Levi held out his glass for Free to fill again. His foot tapped on the wooden slats of the porch, and Free could see the wheels turning in Levi’s head. “Is that why you left? Because of Jodi?”
Free swallowed hard, dropping his gaze to the space between his booted feet, and nodded. “Yes,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Ooookay,” Levi said on a long breath, rocking back and forthin his chair. He muttered a vile curse into the dark. “Do I dare ask why?”
“I swear to you nothing happened back then. But I had to go before something did,” Free said honestly, looking his friend in the eyes. “I respect you too much to be dishonest with you. I have feelings for Jodi; I have for a long time.”
Levi scowled darkly. He nodded brusquely. “I respect you for telling me. Doesn’t mean I like it,” Levi grumbled. He tipped his drink toward Free and said fiercely, “You better not hurt her. We may be friends, but that’s my baby girl.”
“I understand, Levi,” Free said quietly.
Levi set his glass down, leaning forward.
“Then you’ll understand this,” Levi muttered a second before his fist shot out and landed squarely on Free’s cheekbone, snapping his head back sharply. Levi leaned back in his chair, shaking his hand out. “And before you start bitchin’, I never promised not to hit you.”
“Goddamn,” Free hissed between clenched teeth, touching the tender spot on his cheekbone. He glared over at the older man, though he knew he deserved much worse. “Asshole.”
