He shook his head as if to clear the fog. “Yeah, I’m fine. Had a really intense meeting with Wren’s social worker today. Do you think you could help me sort out what she said?”
“Of course.” Her pale eyebrows knitted together. “But I need to tell you something.”
Before either could go on, their server came and took their order, leaving them in an awkward silence.
“What did the social worker have to say?” Savvy asked as she leaned forward in her chair.
“No, you go first. What’s on your mind?”
A deep sigh escaped her lips as she met Levi’s gaze. “I think we should end this charade. It’s getting too complicated.”
Her words pierced him. “What? Why?”
“I still don’t have a permanent job, so who knows if I’ll even be here much longer.” She picked at the paper wrapper encircling her napkin and utensils. “Somebody’s bound to get hurt. And what will people think when they find out we’ve been faking this?”
“There they are.” Alexis paused beside the table where Levi and Savvy sat. “I have to say, y’all are just the cutest couple. David and I have been talking about how perfect you look together.”
“Hashtag couple goals.” David grinned, draping his arm around Alexis’s shoulders. “Hey, would you guys mind if we joined you? This place is packed.”
“Unless this is date night,” Alexis added, feigning a grimace. “We don’t want to interrupt your time together.”
Stalling, Levi swiveled his gaze to meet Savannah’s. “See that, babe? Other people want to be like us.”
Savvy gave almost an imperceptible shake of her head.
Regret tightened like a fist in his gut.
Maybe she was right. This was getting out of hand. At first, he’d wanted someone at his side for the reunion activities so he wouldn’t have to go alone. He’d hoped Savvy’s presence would spare him pitiful glances and his mother’s nagging. But if he was honest, part of him had enjoyed seeing Tori’s reaction as well. Maybe his plan to make Tori feel bad was going to backfire and make Savvy feel worse. And maybe a goal of making someone feel bad wasn’t a good goal at all.
“Actually,” he said, surprising himself, “we were just talking about something important. We’ll catch up later.”
“Sure, yeah. No worries.” Alexis and David both looked confused, but they took the hint and left.
Levi took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t want to shut this down. I know it’s complicated, and maybe it’s ridiculous, but...” He trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.
“But what?”
“I need you. Your help. With Wren, I mean.” His skin heated as he fumbled over his words.
Savannah’s eyes widened. The muffled sound of her phone ringing drew her attention toward her purse.
Please don’t answer that, he silently pleaded.
“That might be the call I’m expecting.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry.”
“Not a problem. Go ahead.”
She pulled her phone from her bag, glanced at the screen and then sucked in a breath. “I’m going to take this outside.”
Before he could respond, their server arrived with drinks, a basket of pretzel bites and cheese sauce, and a stack of napkins. “Here you go. Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” Levi unwrapped his straw as Savvy slid out from her seat and walked away, her phone pressed to her ear.
Savory aromas wafted in the air, making his stomach growl. He eyed the food in the basket on the table. He’d wait for Savvy. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too much longer. Raucous laughter spilled from the booth behind him. Sipping his soda, he bounced his knee up and down beneath the table. Worst-case scenarios spooled through his head. What if she couldn’t find a job here and decided to move away?
A few minutes later, she reclaimed her spot across from him, her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes bright.
“You look happy. Good news?”
Grinning, she tore the wrapper from her straw and dropped it into her soda. “I have an interview on Friday morning with Mr. Schubert.”
Hope took flight in his chest. “Wow, that’s great. Congratulations.” He lifted his glass and tipped the rim against hers. “You’re a perfect fit for the job.”
Her smile dimmed. “I don’t know about that, but I’m super relieved he finally called.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
She dipped her chin, spread her napkin on her lap and then plated a pretzel bite. “I appreciate your kind words. Now, where were we?”
His heart hammered. “I was telling you how much I need your help.”
She hesitated, the small bowl of cheese sauce suspended over her plate. “We don’t have to be ‘dating’ for me to keep helping you with Wren, though.”
“True.” He frowned. “Can we stick this out until after the dance at the Fairview? Please?”
Savannah quirked her mouth to one side. “All right—but then we’re staging a dramatic breakup or something because I can’t keep this up much longer.”
“Perfect.” He smiled in a desperate attempt to mask his disappointment. The dance was only three days away. That meant he had seventy-two hours to craft a plan, and find the courage, to tell her how he truly felt.
