Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Where Levi was concerned, he still felt like an ass. That was his single motivating reason in moving forward with Erin’s idea. At the very least, Thane planned to make up his bad behavior to the man. On the flip side, he desperately wanted a repeat of their night together. A lot of repeats. He couldn’t explain what made Levi so different, but there was no denying Thane wanted Levi right there beside him, wrapped inside this blanket, watching the snow fall.
That never-before-experienced need for another person resulted in uncertainty that turned into anxiety as his chest constricted and his heart ached. Instead of letting his mind run wild and ultimately freak him out, he opened his JHU social media site on both his laptop and his phone and spent some time familiarizing himself with the website. It seemed to have a Reddit feel—public message boards where anyone could ask a question and get a plethora of answers. There was also a private messaging option.
He completed his brief profile and made all the information about himself private. He absolutely didn’t want to talk to anyone but Levi. He then sought out Levi’s profile. Levi had the one picture he’d seen this morning, probably a school ID photo. Levi was extraordinarily handsome; his look just did it for Thane, and he saved that photo to both his laptop and his phone.
Now, with the messages option open on Levi’s page, Thane sat ready to fire off his message, yet he hesitated. It was vital to get this first interaction right. The stakes grew higher by the second because he couldn’t stop thinking about the man. Levi never left his head. He lingered there no matter what Thane did, even when he purposefully tried to push the guy out.
Maybe that was what caused this most recent bout of desperation. Levi had been so angry. Thane closed his eyes, his memory drifting to the old, run-down house. Seeing Levi’s disheveled, skinny brother. Remembering the minute Levi came around the corner, carrying his brother’s bowl and the instant exasperated look that appeared on his face.
Levi had taken his impromptu visit as an insinuation that Levi was in fact nothing more than a rent boy. That was where everything blurred for Thane. He’d caused Levi embarrassment and pain. He’d never meant to do either of those things.
Instead of lingering on those thoughts, Thane reached for his cell phone and called Julian who answered with a quickly stated, “I’ll call you back.”
Julian never did that. If he couldn’t talk, he didn’t answer. Thane looked at the phone, confused, then stuck it back to his ear. That was when he picked up the faint sounds of a voice. Thane increased the volume and stuck a finger in his other ear, trying to listen to the conversation on the other end.
“I think it’s better that I quit. I can put in a two-week notice. Whatever you need.”
Thane’s heart lurched as he heard Levi’s deep tenor. Thane’s eyelids drifted closed, and he bent his head, concentrating on listening to every single word.
“Levi, stay. We’ll work with you. If something comes up and you can’t make it, the guys are always looking for shifts. Quit the PT clinic, but stay here. You’ll make more money with us.”
Good boy, Julian. Thane had no idea the circumstance, but Julian had done real good with that answer.
“My brothers need me at home more,” Levi said, his tone of voice changing, becoming sadder maybe, and Thane’s brow furrowed. “The clinic has sites all over the United States, and I can move with them.”
“We’re part of a much larger company. We have an employee assistance program that’ll help with expenses and offer all those same benefits as the clinic. You’ve got a lot going on, I understand, but your sales are crazy good. Your tips have to be great,” Julian countered.
“They are. It’s not just that.” He heard nothing but silence, and Thane strained to hear, hoping he wasn’t missing anything. “I can’t take a bunch of bullshit right now. My brother’s freaked out, but we hit a turning point this morning. I’ve gotta stay balanced, and I can’t deal with all that crap Thane put me through last week. I just can’t do it again. I find myself thinking about him and not my family. They don’t deserve it.”
Thane’s heart sank at the turmoil he heard in Levi’s voice. The man that had brought so much emotion out in him, emotion he didn’t even know he could have, now suffered because of his stupid actions. How had he let things get so out of control for the both of them?
“I’ve gotten his word that he won’t bother you.” Julian’s voice became clearer in the receiver. “He’s seen the error of his ways, and he’s gone. We only see him every few months, and that’s usually just a brief stop in. Now that we’re up and running, I expect to see him even less.”