I watched, in awe, as this shy boy who was stealing my heart, kept his head down as his teammates jumped on him in congratulation. I watched as he kept his head down as the crowd cheered his name. Then I watched, heart melting, as he removed his helmet. His eyes met mine from way down on the field and he pressed his hand over his heart, lowering his head. I struggled to breathe as I shakily lifted my hand and mimicked the motion; my action of thanks and his acknowledgment that I was here in the crowd. He had set me apart from the tens of thousands of adoring fans.
“Aww,” I heard someone say, and glanced to the side to see Molly with her eyes on me. I blushed and bowed my head.
“Somehow I think he might get MVP today,” Austin said, and winked at me when I looked to his smiling face. I blushed again, just as the whistle sounded.
Three hours passed, and by the end, the Huskies had won. And, as predicted by Austin, Levi was awarded MVP. If I thought the stadium had been loud before, the sound of the crowd when the final whistle blew was ear-shatteringly thunderous. Within minutes, the crowd began to disperse. Servers brought food and drink into the private box, and everyone sat round and waited.
Taking their lead, I sat down at the table sipping a coffee. I looked to everyone in the room and felt a huge sense of loss cave in my chest. Levi, he was lost and lonely, like me. But as I watched these people—his family—who had all gathered for him today, to watch him achieve his dreams, I wondered if he realized how truly lucky he was? They loved him. Each and every one of these people adored him.
It only made me realize how truly alone I really was.
I took another sip of my coffee to push down the lump that was clawing up my throat, when someone filled the chair beside me. A hand immediately began tracing the top, a heavily tattooed hand that still wore the remains of what looked like white dust—Axel.
I shuffled on my seat, nervous at being so close to this hard and dangerous looking man. When his hand stopped, he said, “I don’t know what he’s told you about his life, but it’s been a fucking tough one.” I froze, my hands gripping the mug tightly. Axel softly cleared his throat. “I done wrong by him, Elsie. I fucking made that kid, and he was a kid, do things that were fucked up and wrong.” Even with my eighty percent hearing I could hear the tone change in Axel’s voice, as he admitted his wrongs against Levi. I thought of that sculpture of the boy being forced to shoot. I squeezed my eyes shut.
“The final nail came when our Mamma died and I got sent away.” For the first time, I glanced his way, the black tattooed cross on his left cheek catching my attention. “I did five years, Elsie, and let’s just say that Levi fucking suffered through them all. Fuck, the kid’s been suffering since he was seven years old.”
My chest ached on hearing the pain in Axel’s voice, in imaging Levi being lost all of those years. Placing the mug down, I linked my hands together. Axel leaned forward, running his hands through his long dark hair.
“That kid brother of mine has the fucking purest heart I’ve ever known. But he don’t speak much, he don’t do much of anything but keep to himself and his studies and football.”
I kept my eyes down, until he added, “But he’s fucking changed all that since he met you,” and my gaze crashed with his. “Don’t know you, Elsie, I hope that changes. I get that you ain’t had it good too, and fuck, I’m real sorry if your life has been anything like Lev’s. But I’m begging you one fucking thing.”
I waited, on tenterhooks, for what he would say, when he whispered, “Please don’t break his fucking heart. Seeing that kid so closed in, pained me every damn day. I won’t see him destroyed by the first person he’s ever let in.”
I thought I would cry at the plea in this intimidating man’s deep voice, but I pushed it aside to lean in and reply, “I could never hurt him. I…” I shook my head and lowered my eyes, “he means too much to me.”
“Good,” Axel rasped, then sat back in his seat.
Seeing everyone was still talking amongst themselves, I forced myself to say, “Your sculptures are beautiful. The angel,” I inhaled, thinking of how to put its beauty into words, when Axel’s attention darted to me.
He coughed, then asked, “Lev showed you it?”
I nodded my head, hoping I hadn’t said something I shouldn’t have. I knew I hadn’t when Axel’s eyes glossed over—it meant the world to him.
“He goes there a lot,” I explained, “to your warehouse. He’s… he’s afraid he’ll forget her if he doesn’t.”
“Fuck,” Axel swore. “I swear that kid’s gonna kill me.” I smiled, when suddenly, I heard Levi’s name being called from the back of the room.
Turning, I saw Levi walking in the door, Austin was the first to meet his little brother. “Lev, fucking game, fratello,” he said and wrapped Levi in his arms. Levi smiled, ducking his head, and I watched as, one by one, his family congratulated him on his win. Axel’s embrace held just a second longer than all the rest. I saw a flicker of confusion mar Levi’s face, questioning why, but it passed the moment he saw me at the back of the room.