He hadn’t meant to kiss her in front of everyone like that, but when he’d seen how excited she was from catching that fly ball—her eyes wide with awe—he had to demonstrate his admiration.
Her gaze darted past him. “I guess that means we won.”
He shifted his weight and spotted Tori, sitting in the third row in the metal bleachers alone. His heart sank at the sight of her getting up and leaving. He couldn’t read her features from here, but the swiftness of her departure suggested she wasn’t thrilled. Levi curled his fingers into a fist. It was childish, yes, but it still hurt to have been rejected by her. They’d had plans—plans that involved a future in Opportunity together—before she’d applied to dental school without telling him. This fake relationship with Savannah seemed like a great way to make Tori jealous and regret her decision, though he didn’t want to hurt Savannah in the process.
Because that kiss had definitely changed things between them.
He retrieved her discarded mitt and passed it back to her. “You should be proud of yourself,” he said, admiring the ball she clutched in her hand. “What an incredible catch.”
She tucked the ball inside her mitt. “That was totally random. I usually try to avoid flying objects.”
The sparkle in her eyes made him want to hear more of her quick wit, so they strolled together toward the infield.
“Don’t stress over that kiss, okay? It was all for show, right?” she blurted out unexpectedly.
His heart sank. No, it wasn’t just for show. “Yeah, of course—just wanted to make everyone think we were together.”
“Well, by the way people are looking at us and cheering, I’d say our plan worked,” she said with a bounce in her step. “Are you and Wren going to stay for lunch? My parents are helping serve food.”
“If Wren doesn’t get tired soon, then we’ll stick around,” he said. “How about you?”
The families of their classmates had already set up coolers behind the dugouts and tables covered with plastic tablecloths for desserts and bags of chips.
Savannah skirted around Candace and Jasper, who were talking with some other members of their team on the first baseline. “Yeah, I might stick around for a little bit too.”
The smell of sizzling hot dogs and burgers made his stomach grumble. He followed Savannah, hoping to pass through the gate in the chain-link fence near the dugout and find Wren. Then their former classmate David stepped in front of them.
“Nice work there.” He extended his palm outward, and Savannah slapped it. “Great catch.”
“Thanks.” A smile played on her lips as she continued on her way.
Levi lingered near the entrance to take a final glance at his twin. Jasper lifted his chin in acknowledgment of the game’s result, though he certainly didn’t look pleased with the outcome.
Levi grinned. Man, Jasper really didn’t like to lose.
“Lee-by!” Wren darted toward the field, her skirt caked with dirt and her face sporting a ketchup splotch. “Did you guys kiss?”
Savannah gasped at the question. Warmth heated his neck. He hadn’t stopped to think about what his public display of affection for Savannah—whether fake or not—might do to Wren.
“Hey, kiddo.” Levi swept Wren’s hair back from her forehead. “We did kiss. And how about Savvy catching that fly ball? Pretty amazing, right?”
Okay, so maybe that was a lame attempt at redirection.
Wren’s smooth brow furrowed. “I don’t like baseball. Can you find me a juice box? Please?”
Levi placed his hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the coolers. “Sure thing. The drinks are this way.”
He didn’t regret kissing Savannah. At all. But Wren’s response was hard to interpret. As he helped her find something to drink, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that his impulsive action might’ve upset their fragile bond.
Don’t make it weird. We just kissed. No big deal.
Savannah sat in her canvas camping chair, a plate with a hot dog, potato salad and watermelon on her lap, still trying to process the thrill of that kiss. The warmth of Levi’s touch was undeniable, as well as the affection in his eyes. Was she imagining things? He dragged another chair up next to her and sat down, setting his plate on his lap. He shot her a grin, and she felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she tried to focus on her food.
“People are still talking about you over by the dessert table,” he said, popping open his can of soda with a loud crack.
Oh no. She swallowed a bite of food quickly, then reached for her water bottle. “That is not something I want to hear.”
“Why not?” His smile widened, and her stomach did backflips. “That was an awesome catch. You helped our team win the game.”
Cheers erupted from the nearby bleachers as the next team scored a run.
“Ah, I get it.” The knowing expression on Levi’s face made her pulse race again. “You think they’re talking about that kiss.”
Her heart started to flutter even more. “I mean, yeah. If it were me, I would be talking about that kiss.”
Oh, wow. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Levi chuckled softly, sending another wave of heat rushing through her body. He leaned closer. “So, on a scale from one to ten, how would you rate that kiss compared to catching that fly ball?”
She lifted her hand and used it to shield her face, as if hiding her expression might encourage him not to ask any more questions. “Oh brother. Your humility is remarkable.”
“You haven’t answered me.” His voice was low and deep. A playful reminder that he was still waiting for a response.
“Because it’s not a fair question.” She picked up her slice of watermelon and took a bite, chewing slowly and deliberately in an effort to buy time.
“No comparison, then—is that what you’re saying?”
As she fumbled for her napkin and wiped the juice trickling down her chin, she could feel his gaze burning into her skin. He was waiting for an answer. And honestly, so was she.