Icebound Hearts

42 : Strength

"Just keep swimming"
➹♡➷➹♡➷➹♡➷
Lizzie
** I recommend listening to, All I Want by Kodaline in this chapter!

"You're looking nice, Liz." Levi drawls as he spots me and Archie rounding a corner, I smile uncomfortably.

Ever since the rumours started going round that me and Luke broke up in February, Levi has taken any chance he can get to help me with anything, anything.

Whether it's errands, groceries, class, the list goes on. I'm extremely grateful for it don't get me wrong, it's just sometimes he manages to cross my boundaries.

"I'm going to go look around." Archie states, his gaze roaming around the room,

"Trying to find a girl to take to bed." I tease as he winks at me and takes off,

"Haven't seen you much this summer, why's that?"

"Haven't been in the country a whole lot, went home for a few weeks as well." I say, extending the truth. I'm not lying, I did go back to my parents which didn't go so well.

I got interrogated about Luke, my dad asked the most questions since I think he grew a bit attached to him. I felt guilty, really guilty. What made it even worse was one night when I went to say goodnight to my brother, he was on the phone to Luke.

Stepping on my tip-toes, I make sure I don't make a creak in the floor boards as I cross the landing. This was my last night at home, two weeks of avoiding reality and now I had to go back.

My hand falters outside of my brothers door, I strain closer trying to make out the faint voices.

"I watched your game the other day with dad, the pre season one." My hand catches onto the doorknob as I hear my brother talking on the phone, fully planning to storm in there and demand who he is talking to this late. But something stops me, something inside me tells me to wait.

"Mhm. Wait let me put you on speaker so I can pack my gear." I hear shuffling from inside, and then finally I hear the person at the other end of the calls voice.

"Send me a video of you playing, kid. Sorry I'm not going to be there." The familiar voice of my ex boyfriend fills my ears, I take a step back, my legs wobbling.

"I wish you were still with my sister. She really liked you, you know." Ben says, my eyes widen in surprise. He barely ever says good stuff about me and him saying this makes my heart melt.

"I love your sister Ben, but I messed up-" I step back, rushing into my room. I couldn't hear anymore, I couldn't take hearing anymore.

I blink, the memory flashing away. "Yeah well maybe we could change that." Levi smirks, I let out an awkward laugh trying not to cringe in his face.

"You wanna dance?" He asks pointing his head toward the middle where people are dancing.

I wince, I should say no but I don't have it in me to put him through that kind of embarrassment right now.

"Sure" I smile, he leads us towards the middle as he places his hands low on my waist. I take a step back trying to keep the distance between us.

"I wasn't lying when I said you looked good Lizzie." Levi whispers, my body freezes dreading the conversation that is about to happen.

"Look Levi-" My words get cut off as I someone intercepts us, pulling Levi back.

My eyes watch but my brain doesn't follow, I watch the back of the strangers head as he land a punch on Levi's jaw. What the actual fuck.