Devil Inside (5 page)

Harley noticed, but chose not to say anything about the way that Jamie kept looking at her phone.  Jamie was always running after a guy and Harley was always running away from one.  She half smiled to herself.  It’s no wonder they were such good friends—opposites attracted as they always said.

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The rest of the weekend passed uneventfully.  So did most of the week.  Jamie was a social worker, a thankless and stressful job that she, nonetheless, loved.  Jamie liked to save people, especially children.  Harley often wondered if it was her own past that inspired this in her friend.  Or, if Jamie was her friend because of her past and the feelings it brought out in her.  Jamie was a classic nurturer and was capable of profound empathy.  Harley was sometimes jealous of the way that Jamie could feel so much without it consuming her.  She was able absorb emotions at the same rate Harley tried to cast them off.

Harley worked at the local newspaper in the research office and it was her job to check facts and maintain the archives.  It was dusty, boring work but it gave her quiet time and didn’t require her to work too closely with other people.  She knew she would be happier somewhere else, but didn’t really have the motivation to try to find another job.  She liked collecting and maintaining the past.  She liked being the source of knowledge for the staff.  While Lexington was on the small side, it was large enough that she was able to stay busy.  At the very least, she never ran out of Wildcat facts to check for the local sports reporters.

It was Friday, late afternoon, and Harley wasn’t able to ignore the antsy feeling that had been growing all week.  Levi had gotten into her head more than she had expected.  She tried to deny it, but she really wanted to see him again.  She had had several dreams about him over the week.  In the dreams she relived their night together.  She woke up sweating, out of breath, and more than once felt compelled to finish the dream on her own before she could go back to sleep.  She didn’t have sex dreams often and they would be much more enjoyable if she didn’t keep waking up in the middle of them.  She just couldn’t help feeling like she wasn’t finished with him and it seemed like her subconscious wouldn’t let her dreams finish as a way to point this out to her.  She had accidently moved from playing with fire to stomping around in it.  Even though she knew the outcome she felt compelled to carry this through.  Kind of like picking a scab—once you got started you had to finish no matter how much it hurt.  She made up her mind and began closing down her office and putting away projects that she hadn’t been able to concentrate on anyway.

Jamie was out of town visiting her parents, but Jason was usually willing to stir up some excitement with her.  He didn’t take much convincing; they agreed to meet at Jay’s at eight o’clock.  Harley went home and made a quick dinner.  Then she straightened up the apartment just in case this night actually worked out and they somehow ended up back at her place.  Harley realized that the chances of finding Levi at the bar tonight were slim.  And even if she did, he might not want a second round.  It didn’t hurt trying though.  And it was better than sitting in the house and moping around.  Until she finished this, or at least tried to finish it, she wouldn’t be able to get him out of her head.

Harley met Jason outside the bar at eight.  He had light brown hair and cat-like gold eyes and was impeccably dressed as always.  They had been friends for years—nearly as long as Jamie and Harley.  Jason Lane was the guy that always managed to fit into whatever crowd he found himself.  He was the person who everyone liked because he was able to skim the surface of social dynamic without being dragged down and cast into a specific role.  Harley and Jamie often unconsciously relied on Jason to be the doorway to their adventures.  He was the one who was outgoing and naturally likable enough to get them invited to whatever social function they felt like attending.  People wanted him at their parties because he was never boring and he could bring the life out of any party.  Wherever he was his primary goal to ensure that he always had a good time— and as a result everyone else was sure to have a good time too.

“I hope you find Mr. Hottie, because Olivia is meeting me here.  So at least one of us will be getting action tonight either way.” Jason and Olivia Benning had been dating for months now and still going strong.  Harley had always assumed that Jason would end up with someone like Olivia.  He was so naturally charismatic that he just drew people to him effortlessly.  Olivia was sweet and calm enough that she grounded Jason.  With her soft blonde curls and huge brown eyes, she could bring out the softer side in anyone, even Harley—as much as she hated to admit it.  While Jason was still the life of the party, he wasn’t so focused on himself when he was with Olivia.

“Fair enough,” Harley laughed and followed Jason into the bar.

Harley didn’t see Levi when she first scanned the bar, but it was still early.  Her plan was to keep an eye out for Levi and if she saw him she would give him an open and friendly acknowledgement.  She would leave it up to him to approach her this time.  This way there was little risk to her ego.  If he didn’t take her up on the subtle invitation then she wouldn’t completely look like an idiot.

The first band was just getting warmed up when Olivia arrived and threw her arm around Jason.  “Hey sweetie,” she greeted Harley with a kiss on the cheek.  Harley tried not to cringe away.  Olivia was a sweetheart who refused to be rebuffed by personal bubbles.

“Hey Olivia,” Harley laughed uncomfortably.

It wasn’t long before Olivia and Jason were dancing off to the side.  Jason would have normally been the type to jump onstage and dance.  Olivia preferred not to dance at all.  So this was their compromise.  Harley smiled indulgently at them.  They made such a cute couple. 

Without warning Harley was suddenly very aware of her surroundings.  Like an electric current in the air the space directly behind and to her left buzzed with enough intensity that she couldn’t ignore.  The reason for the vibration became immediately obvious when she felt her body hum of its own accord.

“You know, it’s rude to leave without so much as a ‘see ya later.’”  The rumble in the voice vibrated through her ear and she struggled to not openly shiver.

Without turning, Harley responded smoothly, “Well, you were just so…wore out…that I just didn’t have the heart to wake you.”  She wasn’t able to stop the smile from spreading across her face.

“Oh, I had just intended on letting you get some sleep.  I figured you needed to recoup before round two.”

“Hah!”  Harley finally turned to look up into his face.  He was doing a remarkable job keeping a straight face with only a hint of laughter threatening to break through the usual hardness of eyes.  He held a bottle of beer out to her.  “How many of these before you are ready to get out of here?”

Accepting the beer, Harley wasn’t sure what to make of that comment.  “What are you trying to imply?”

Levi smirked a bit.  “I’m
saying
that you only had the guts to come talk to me after drinking last weekend.  I didn’t know if it was going to take being drunk before you had the guts tonight.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t do anything drunk that I wouldn’t do sober,” she retorted, trying not to laugh at his antagonizing.  “I just have the nerve to do it after drinking.  But hey, I already know you are a sure thing now—so it’s not going to take that much effort on my part.”

Levi barked out a rare, full, laugh, “Fair enough.  They both watched the dancing and the band play for a while.  “So do you want to stick around here for a while?  Or do you just want to go?” Levi asked after they had both finished their beers.

“Let me just tell my friends I’m leaving.”  Harley made her way across the dance floor to Jason and Olivia.

“Whooo hooo,” Jason laughed playfully.  “Go get you some!”  Olivia punched him half-heartedly and Harley laughed good-naturedly at his teasing.

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This time, they didn’t jump each other immediately upon entering Levi’s house.  Instead, they sat on the back porch and drank a beer first.  In the quiet neighborhood Harley was able to make out the chirping of insects.  That and the dampness of the air reminded her of her childhood and of the times that she had sought refuge with her dog.  She had spent countless hours sleeping in the dog house with her beloved pet.  For a moment a spark of sadness threatened to creep its way into the mood but she quickly brushed it away.

She watched Levi staring out into the darkness for a while.  He really was an incredibly attractive man—all darkness and rough edges.  He was much hotter than the guys Harley was used to being with; normally she wasn’t able to find the self-confidence to go after them.  Not even after drinking.  But something about Levi put her at ease.  He was intense and imposing, but not because he was so good-looking.  Instead, it was because of an inner strength he exuded.  He made her feel hot in comparison.  Not just because he was attracted to her physically, but because she was strong enough to take control of her own wants and needs.  He seemed to recognize her strength and appreciated it.  She smiled to herself.

“What?” Levi asked without turning looking at her. 

Busted
.  “Nothing,” Harley answered sheepishly.

Levi finally turned to look at her with a small smile that still didn’t quiet meet his eyes.  She smiled back at him.  He held his hand out to her and when she took it he pulled her into his lap.  She straddled his waist and stared down at him and him up at her.  It sent tingles all down her spine as he ran his hand over her—up her sides and down her arms.  There wasn’t anything overly sexual about it—it was just his need to feel her and her skin that turned her on.

Later, as they lay in bed catching their breath Harley felt Levi watching her.  Her back was to him as they both lay on their sides.  She realized how much she enjoyed laying here with him and it made her uncomfortable.  Levi insisted that he wouldn’t be here long and it was pointless to start an impossible relationship.  Harley also realized that his leaving was probably one of the reasons she found him so irresistible.  Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the relationship would end—and end peacefully—was the easiest way to have a “portion controlled” relationship.

             
Deep down she knew that the reason she pushed people away was because of her parents.  Even before they died they hadn’t been the best parents a girl could have.  Before her father set that fire that had killed both him and her mother they had both been drug addicts.  Nefarious characters came and went through their house regularly and she became very good at keeping people at bay.  She had learned at a young age that you couldn’t rely on people.  If you couldn’t rely on your parents how could you rely on anyone else?

             
Eventually, Harley felt Levi settle down behind her.  He wrapped his arm around her waist and sighed into her hair.  It was a resigned sigh and she couldn’t tell if it was the result of him being resigned to her, their situation or something else.  Harley left it alone.  She didn’t want to begin a conversation that she didn’t want to finish.  She resisted the temptation to lean back into Levi’s chest.  She still found it surprising that he was the type to cuddle.  He seemed so guarded that she would have guessed him the roll over and go to sleep kind of guy.  Getting to see a softer side of Levi made her soften to him even more and Harley resented it a little.  It was like he was playing a game after all, and not playing fair.

             
Harley came awake with a start, at first she wasn’t sure where she was.  She nearly panicked when she realized something was holding her down.  As sleep faded away, she realized that it was Levi’s arm.  Light peeked around the edges of the dark curtains so she knew morning was well advanced.  Glancing at the clock at the bed side she saw that morning had come and gone—it was almost noon.  “Shit!”  She rubbed her face clearing her thoughts.  It was Saturday, so she wasn’t missing anything important.  But she had slept half the day away.  She tried to sit up but Levi’s arm weighed her down.

             
“Hey,” she croaked, nudging his arm.  He jerked, and grunted when he realized who was tapping on him and immediately covered his head with the blanket.  “Hey!” she repeated louder. 

             
“Humph” he grunted.

             
“I’ve got to go,” she pushed at his arm again.  He groaned and pulled his arm away from her and burrowed deeper into the blankets. 
Someone certainly isn’t a morning person
.  Harley managed to roll out of the bed and out from under his arm and began searching for her clothes.  While she was relieved he wasn’t making a big deal out of her leaving, she was slightly offended that he couldn’t even be bothered to wake up.  He was the one who had tried to cuddle all night.  She located her shirt next to Levi’s side of the bed and began to pull it on.  Suddenly a hand snaked out from the blankets and grabbed her ankle.  Startled, she nearly fell.

             
“Leave your number this time,” Levi grunted.

             
Harley paused.  Finally, she answered with a quiet, “OK.”  She quickly collected the rest of her things and called for a taxi.  She had left her phone number under a magnet on his (empty) fridge.  Part of her hoped that he wouldn’t call.  Another part of her hoped that he would.  She tried to not think about it too much.  She knew he was leaving and if she did think about it too much, it would only complicate things further.  She ignored her voice of reason and decided to see things through to the end no matter what.  Sometimes it was worth the hurt to live a little.