Her sister was still sizing Cath up. “Great,” Wren said, deciding something. “Okay. Great.” Then she turned to Levi and punched his arm. “All right, Lieutenant Starbuck, since you’re here, you might as well take me to FarmHouse. And you might as well get us White Chocolate Mochas on the way.”
“Might as well leave now,” Levi said gamely. “I’m parked in the fire lane.”
Cath picked up her bag again.
“And I want you both to know,” Levi said, opening the door—Cath peeked out to make sure Nick was gone—“that I know that was a Battlestar Galactica reference.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Wren said, “you’re a first-class geek.”
*
When they got to Jandro’s frat house, Levi got out again to help Wren. He only sometimes helped Cath in and out anymore. Usually she was already there before he got a chance. When Wren got out of the truck, Cath reluctantly slid away from the driver’s seat and buckled her seat belt.
Levi started the truck and shifted gears without looking at her. He hadn’t really looked at her since they’d left her room.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yeah. Just hungry. Are you hungry?” He still didn’t look at her.
“Is this about Nick?” she asked. She realized that she was waiting for it to be about Nick.
“No,” Levi said. “Should it be? You seemed like you didn’t want to talk about him.”
“I don’t,” Cath said.
“Okay. Are you hungry?”
“No. Are you jealous?”
“No.” He shook his head, like he was shaking something off; then he turned to her and smiled. “Do you want me to be?” He raised an eyebrow. “I can throw a big tantrum if you like that sort of thing.”
“I don’t think so,” Cath said. “Thanks, though.”
“Good. I’m too hungry to rage. Do you mind if we stop somewhere?”
“No,” she said. “Or I could make you something if you want. Eggs.”
Levi beamed at her. “God, yes. Can I watch?”
Cath smiled. “You’re ridiculous.”
*
Levi wanted an omelette. He got the eggs and cheese out of the refrigerator, and Cath found a pan and butter. (This kitchen almost didn’t remind Cath of the missing blond girl anymore. That girl had no staying power.) Cath had just cracked three eggs when Levi tugged on her ponytail. “Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Why doesn’t your sister like me?”
“Everyone likes you,” Cath said, whisking the eggs with a fork.
“Then how come you only hang out with her when I’m not around?”
Cath glanced back at him. He was leaning against the sink.
“Cheese,” she said, nodding at his hands. “Grate.” When he just kept looking at her, Cath said, “Maybe I like having you all to myself.”
“Maybe…,” he said, raking one hand into his hair. “Maybe I embarrass you.”
She poured the eggs into the pan and reached for the cheese grater herself. “What am I embarrassed by? Your rangy good looks or your irresistible personality?”
“Alejandro is a Regents Scholar,” Levi said softly behind her. “And his family owns half the Sand Hills.”
“Wait … what?” Cath set everything down and turned back to him. “You really think I’m embarrassed by you?”
Levi smiled gently and shrugged. “I’m not angry, sweetheart.”
“No, you’re crazy. I didn’t even know those things about Jandro, and anyway, who cares?” Cath reached up to his chest and clenched her fists in his black sweatshirt. “God. Levi. Look at you … you’re…” She didn’t have words for what Levi was. He was a cave painting. He was The Red Balloon. She lifted her heels and pulled him forward until his face was so close, she could look at only one of his eyes at a time. “You’re magic,” she said.
Levi’s eyes smiled almost shut. She kissed the corner of his mouth, and he moved his face to catch her lips.
When Cath heard the eggs start to snap, she pulled away—but Levi took hold of her waist.
“Why, then?” he asked. “Doesn’t Wren like me? Do I cramp your style? I can tell you don’t want me around when she’s there.”
Cath pushed against his chest, away, and went back to the stove, quickly grating the cheese over the eggs. “It has nothing to with you.”
Levi tried to move into her line of sight, leaning against the counter next to the stove. “How do you figure?”
“It’s just … nothing, it’s weird,” she said. “It’d be different if you’d grown up with us, or if you’d met us both at the same time—”
“What would be different?”
Cath shrugged and scraped at the omelette with a wooden spatula. “Then I would know that you had enough information to choose me.”
Levi leaned over the stove, trying again to catch her eye.
“Get back,” Cath said, “you’re going to burn yourself.”
He backed up, but only few inches. “Of course I chose you.”
“But you didn’t know Wren.”
“Cath…”
She wished there was more to do with omelettes than watch them. “I know you think she’s pretty—”
“You know that because I think you’re pretty.”
“You said she was hot.”
“When?”