“Metaphors are my specialty,” she said. “Sometimes they make sense, other times, not so much. The secret is to sound smart, so the listener believes you know what you’re talking about.”
Reluctantly, as though the process bordered on painful, Levi’s lips curled upward. Piper felt a surge of satisfaction.
“Can I ask you a question?” Levi swallowed. “One I couldn’t ask anyone else?”
Piper wanted to make Levi feel better. But when his arms tightened around her, she was the one whose heart magically felt lighter.
“You can say anything to me,” she said as she snuggled close.
“What if I fail.” Levi let out a shuddering sigh.
Piper didn’t want to lie. If she only said what he wanted to hear, if she piled on the false comfort, she might make him feel better today. But could she be considered a true friend? Carefully, she chose her words.
“I don’t know what will happen on Sunday,” Piper said. “But whatever happens, at least you finally get to take your shot.”
“This season, for the first time, I finally gave up.”
Piper wanted to look into Levi’s eyes so she could understand his meaning. But when she tried to raise her head, he cupped the back of her neck, holding her in place. She could have persisted because she knew that rather than take a chance on hurting her, he would have let go. Instead, she quieted, breathed in his scent—citrus blended with warm male—and let him have his way.
“Gave up?” she asked.
“For the first time, I didn’t question my place on the team,” Levi explained. “I didn’t chafe at the invisible bonds that perpetually held me in my place. My job was to be the backup quarterback. No more, no less.”
“You weren’t happy,” Piper insisted. “You were never happy playing second fiddle to someone like Monte Oliver. Someone who didn’t have half your talent or brains.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t happy.” Levi nodded. With each bob, his chin tapped the top of Piper's head. “However, I’d achieved a Zen-like state of mind. I was able to watch Monte fuck up the offense without drowning in the desire to shove the football down his throat.”
“Or up his backside?” Piper asked with a laugh.
“You know me well,” Levi said. He shrugged. “When training camp started back in July and continued through summer, I was good. Though I admit, my copacetic attitude began to fray at the edges after the season began and Monte’s ineptitude climbed to previously unseen heights.”
“He was bad,” Piper agreed.
“And yet, the itch to take his place—to prove that I could do better—had faded to almost nothing.”
“Bull.” Piper gave Levi’s thigh a light pinch. “I know you never completely lost hope.”
“Hope is failure’s best friend.” Levi took a breath then slowly exhaled.
“And, his worst enemy.”
“You were never a failure,” Piper said, her words gaining heat.
“Yes, I was.”
“You can’t fail when you were never given a chance to succeed.” She squeezed his arm. “Sunday is the beginning, Levi.”
“Or the end,” he said.
“You’re not a fatalist,” she insisted. “If you were, we wouldn’t be friends because I’d have dropped you long ago.”
“Life without my Piper?” Levi asked. “How would I survive?”
“You would barely get by, hanging by your fingernails to the edge of a cliff,” Piper told him, only half-joking. “And with many, many regrets.”
“True.” Resting his cheek against the top of her head, he sighed. “I need you for a lot of reasons.”
“Name one,” Piper urged him.
“Today, my sanity tops the list,” Levi said. “Half an hour with you on the couch beats hours with a shrink—any day.”
“Does my Levi feel better?” Piper asked.
“Mm,” Levi agreed with a contented sigh.
“Then let’s eat cake.”
When Piper tried to disengage herself from his embrace, Levi shook his head, his arms holding her close like two bands of steel—warm and inviting steel, but impossible to break. Not that she made much of an effort.
“Five more minutes,” Piper warned, her smile hidden in the soft cotton shirt that covered Levi’s chest. “Then, I need chocolate.”
“Deal.”
Inch by inch, Piper could feel the muscles of Levi’s body relax under her. Encouraging him, she lightly rubbed his arm. He was such a rock, steady and true, always there for her, always willing to put her first. But every now and then she was reminded just how human he was.
Like everyone, Levi needed a place where he could let down his guard and allow himself to be vulnerable. Piper said a silent prayer of thanks that he saw her as his safe haven.
“Happy birthday,” he whispered.
“Thank you,” Piper said. “In all the excitement, I almost forgot.”
“I didn’t,” Levi assured her. “I’m glad there’s a special day when I can give thanks that you’re in the world.”
Piper’s eyes stung and she knew if she weren’t careful, she would turn into a blubbery mess any second now. Blinking, willing the tears not to come, she slid from Levi’s embrace.
“For such an educated, sophisticated man, I wonder at the sugary, sentimental mush that sometimes comes out of your mouth,” she said, her lip curling into a sneer. “Sheesh. Get over it already.”
Chuckling, Levi rolled to his feet and followed Piper to the kitchen.
“You can’t fool me. Outside, you’re a tough businesswoman. Inside, nothing but gooey, marshmallow fluff.” Levi nodded toward the cake. “Perfect example number one.”
Piper lit the candles before setting the five-layer chocolate fudge cake on the counter in front of Levi. Licking a bit of frosting from her thumb, she frowned.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Every year, Darcy sends you a birthday cake. And like every year, you’ve found a reason to make someone else blow out the candles.” Shaking his head, Levi tugged her hand until she stood next to him. “This time, you do the honors.”
“In twelve months, my birthday will come again,” Piper pointed out. “On the other hand, making your debut as an NFL starter is a once in a lifetime moment.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn,” Levi growled. “Fine. We’ll extinguish these suckers together. Okay?”
“Okay,” Piper agreed, always happy to get
