Look what we sell at Starbucks, he said, holding an energy bar out to her.
Cath took it. Blueberry Bliss. Wow. This takes me back two whole months.
Months are different in college, Levi said, especially freshman year. Too much happens. Every freshman month equals six regular monthstheyre like dog months.
She unwrapped the protein bar and offered him half. He took it and tapped it against hers. Cheers.
* * *
It was really late. And too dark in the room to be reading this much. Caths voice was rough now, like someone had run a dull knife across it. Like she was recovering from a cold or a crying jag.
At some point Levi had put his left arm around her and pulled her back against his chestshed been fidgeting and rubbing her back on the wall, and Levi just reached behind her and pulled her into him.
Then his hand had fallen back down to the bed and stayed there. Except for when he stretched or moved. When he moved, Levi would bring his hand up to Caths shoulder to hold her against him while he adjusted.
She could feel his chest rising when he breathed. She could feel his breath on her hair sometimes. When he moved his chin, it bumped into the back of her head. The muscles in Caths arms and her back and her neck were starting to ache, just from being held so long at attention.
She lost her place in the book and stopped reading for a moment.
Levis chin bumped into her head. Take a break, he said in a voice that wasnt a whisper but was just as soft.
She nodded, and he held her left elbow while he reached his right arm across her to get the glass of water. His body curved around her for a second, then settled back again against the wall. He kept his hand on her elbow.
Cath took a drink, then set down the water. She tried not to squirm, but her back was stiff, and she arched it against him.
You okay? he asked.
She nodded again. And then she felt him slowly moving. Here
Levi slid down the wall onto the bed, resting on his side, then tugged Cath down so she was lying on her back in front of himhis arm beneath her head like a pillow. She relaxed her shoulders and felt warm flannel against the back of her neck.
Better? he asked in his superscript voice. He was looking at her face. Giving Cath a chance to say no without having to say it out loud. She didnt speak. Or nod. Or answer. Instead she looked down and shifted slightly toward him onto her side, leaning the book against his chest.
She started reading again, and felt Levis elbow curve around her shoulder.
* * *
Cath didnt have to read very loud when he was this close. Which was good because her voice was almost gone. (Gone. ) God, Levi was warm, and up close, he smelled so much like himself, it made her tear up. Her eyes were tired. She was tired.
When Johnnyone of the main charactersgot hurt, Levi took a sharp breath. By that time, Caths cheek was on his chest, and she could feel his ribs expanding. She took a deep breath, tooher voice broke a little more, and Levi tightened his grip around her.
She wondered whether there was any blood left in his arm.
She wondered what happened when they got to the end of the story.
She kept reading.
There were too many boys in this book. Too many arms and legs and flushed faces.
Shed expected to laugh when she finally got to the line Stay gold, Ponyboy, but she didnt, because it meant that Johnny was dead, and she thought that maybe Levi was crying. Maybe Cath was crying, too. Her eyes were tired. She was tired.
* * *
When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.
Cath closed the book and let it fall on Levis chest, not sure what happened next. Not sure she was awake, all things considered.
The moment it fell, he pulled her into him. Onto him. With both arms. Her chest pressed against his, and the paperback slid between their stomachs.
Caths eyes were half closed, and so were Levisand his lips only looked small from afar, she realized, because of their doll-like pucker. They were perfectly big, really, now that she had a good look at them. Perfectly something.
He nudged his nose against hers, and their mouths fell sleepily together, already soft and open.
When Caths eyes closed, her eyelids stuck. She wanted to open them. She wanted to get a better look at Levis too-dark eyebrows, she wanted to admire his crazy, vampire hairlineshe had a feeling this was never going to happen again and that it might even ruin what was left of her life, so she wanted to open her eyes and bear some witness.
But she was so tired.
And his mouth was so soft.
And nobody had ever kissed Cath like this before. Only Abel had kissed her before, and that was like getting pushed squarely on the mouth and pushing back.
Levis kisses were all taking. Like he was drawing something out of her with soft little jabs of his chin.
She brought her fingers up to his hair, and she couldnt open her eyes.
Eventually, she couldnt stay awake.