“Ally!”
I beamed a smile at Lexi—one of my best friends—who had risen from her seat and rushed toward me. My heart swelled as she approached, still petite and slight in frame, but looking healthy now that she’d filled out some since College. Her black hair was now long and straight, and grown to the middle of her back. She was wearing a knee-length green dress with long sleeves and ankle boots.
She looked beautiful.
Reaching out, I took Lexi’s hands in mine and leaned in to kiss her on her cheek. I squeezed her fingers tightly and stepped back. I had to suppress the urge to pull her in for a hug. Lexi couldn’t be touched that way because of her anorexia. Although she was in recovery, it was still a trigger for her to be touched on her back.
“I’ve missed you,” Lexi said softly, cutely smiling up at me.
“I’ve missed you too, darlin’. I can’t believe y’all are living in Seattle now too! It’s crazy! Two Bama boys playing for the Seahawks!”
At that moment, Austin Carillo, Rome’s best friend, appeared behind his wife and leaned over her to kiss me on my cheek. “Ally,” he greeted and, edging back, wrapped his fully tattooed arms around Lexi’s shoulders and pulled her against his chest. Austin was the one exception to Lexi’s triggers, the only person who could touch her. Austin had saved her life five years ago when she almost lost the battle with her eating disorder, but their love for each other proved to be stronger. He was her reason to live, and she his.
Spotting a messy head of fair hair lingering behind Austin and Lexi, I leaned round, only to see a handsome young guy standing awkwardly. He was well built and athletic. He casted shy eyes my way, and my mouth dropped when I realized who it was…
“Levi? Little Levi Carillo? Is that you, darlin’?” I asked. I met his gray eyes as he raised his head, a deep red blush immediately coating his olive-skinned cheeks.
“Hey, Al,” was his quiet reply as I ran to him and threw my arms around his waist, squeezing him hard.
Levi exhaled a quiet laugh from above me, hugging me back. I pushed back and held out his arms, studying how much he’d changed.
“Levi, you got so big and grown up on me!” I joked, and he dipped his eyes to avoid my gaze, a shy smile spreading on his lips. “How old are you now, darlin’?”
“Nineteen, ma’am,” he replied. Rome walked behind him and ruffled his hair. Levi nudged him off.
“Well, shit! Nineteen!”
“And one of the best wide receivers you’ve ever seen,” Lexi praised as she reached up to pat his cheek with her slender hand. Levi beamed a wide smile at her, and you could just see the love he had for our little friend radiating out of his every pore.
“Just like your brother, then, huh?” I teased, seeing Austin take a seat at our table next to Rome, Molly and Lexi moving to sit beside each of their husbands.
Linking my arm through Levi’s, I said, “Well, looks like you’re my date tonight, Lev. You can sit beside me.”
Levi fell into step beside me and we sat down. “So you at college, Lev? Are you here in Seattle visiting Austin and Lex?”
“No, ma’am, I still live with them. I attend the University of Washington now; I transferred from UCLA.”
I stared at him, feeling somewhat confused. “You didn’t wanna stay in LA?”
Austin shifted in his seat as he looked at his younger brother. Levi lowered his head. “I wanted to stay close to my brother and Lexi. That’s all. The Huskie’s ain’t too bad, and we’re doing real good this year.”
My heart sank as I saw a wash of vulnerability flit across his handsome face.
“Best damn player on that field, hey, little brother?” Austin said, breaking the silence, and Levi lifted his head, blushing at Austin’s expression of pride.
“So, Al, Molls and Rome said you’re curating some fancy-ass exhibition at the University?” Austin said taking the attention of Levi, just after Rome ordered a round of drinks from the waiter who stood just out of our eyeline.
I laughed at the way he put it. “Yeah, I’m curating some fancy-ass exhibition.”
“What? It is fancy-ass, right?” Austin said, as Lexi shook her head in exasperation beside him.
“Ignore him. He’s all football, football, football, not exactly an art buff,” Lexi teased Austin, earning her a threatening scowl.
Lexi batted her hand and looked to me again. “Tell us about it, Al.”
“Yeah, tell us about it Ms. Aliyana Lucia,” Rome said dryly. I used my mama’s maiden name for business, and Rome always teased me about it. I just didn’t want the Prince Oil stigma following me around. I wanted to be independently successful, not connected with the family name.
My eyes were instantly brimming with excitement. “What can I say? It’s my dream come true. This exhibition is the artist’s debut show, and I was hand-picked to curate it. I still can’t believe it!”