Aching for His Discretion (The Discretion Dynasty #1)

46. Teegan

Chapter forty-six

Teegan

S itting in the cafe, I sipped on my mango smoothie as Abbie rambled about her night getting home in the snow. In contrast to what I thought, the labor and delivery floor was slow, and not many patients showed up for the clinic.

The ER was a wreck, but they were fully staffed and only called us when there were some pregnant mamas in need of help. It was now five in the afternoon, and I was spending some quality time with the girls on our small break as we waited to be called in to help. I thought about inviting Jacob, but he was still distant and a bit standoffish ever since I told him I viewed him as a friend.

“I started a new show,” Emma said, all giddy as Abbie had ended her story of how she almost ended up in her neighbor’s yard.

Before I was able to speak, Abbie rolled her eyes. “She’s watching Good Girls , and she won’t let me spoil it for her,” she began, and I giggled as Emma glared at her.

“You already ruined half of my favorite shows. I won’t let you do it again,” she said.

Abbie tilted her head as she ignored her once again while she looked at me. “You kinda remind me of Elizabeth, Teegs.”

“I remind you of a criminal mastermind who makes counterfeit money and moves drugs?” I asked, perplexed as Emma began laughing at my question.

“No! That’s not what I mean. I mean, you kinda have your own real-life Rio—a man who knows what he wants but doesn’t at the same time. And from what I’ve seen, he gives off a similar overall kind of vibe, you know?” She shrugged, and I thought about it for a moment. I didn’t want to admit how similar the two were in terms of their “profession,” but Abbie and Emma didn’t know the details of Levi’s work and what he’s done, so I didn’t ponder too much on it.

“I see where you’re coming from, but I’d argue that Levi is a bit more caring than a criminal on a television show for women to fantasize about.”

“A sexy criminal,” Emma said as if I had missed a key detail, and I sighed as Abbie nodded in agreement.

“On a serious note though, guys…” I began, “what do you really think I should do about my relationship with Levi?” I bit my straw nervously.

“Communicate how you feel, Teegs. That’s the only way he will understand your frustration with his behavior, and you will understand why he acted that way in the first place,” Emma advised.

I pushed my hair out of my face. “I’m just scared, you know? To be heartbroken once again or to trust him.”

“Take it slow and go at your own pace. Just remember, if you are not ready, then that’s okay. He will just have to accept that,” Abbie replied, and I nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with what they’d been telling me, yet I was just… worried about making the wrong mistake in the end.

Abbie looked toward the entrance for a moment and did a double-take as she looked over at me. “Rio’s here!” she whisper-yelled, and I tilted my head in confusion. Both Emma and I looked over, and I noticed Levi entering the cafe. Gazing down at my watch, my eyes widened.

“Oh God, have we been here for over two hours? I thought we would’ve been called back to the hospital already!” I whispered as I looked back over to them.

“What do you mean by that?” Abbie said skeptically, and I groaned.

“He dropped me off this morning, and I told him I’d finish around seven so he could pick me up,” I admitted, and they both gasped heavily.

“You failed to mention that when we were comparing him to a sexy criminal on television. These are crucial details, Teegan!” Abbie exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes at her continuous antics.

“Abigail, what does that have to do with anything right now?” I seethed and jumped as I felt a hand being placed on my upper back.

“Tesoro,” he said, and I ignored the two women who practically gushed. I also had to ignore the rush of emotions that tried to surface as a result of his proximity and touch. His intoxicating, manly scent surrounded me, and I did my best to hide my blush as I looked up at him.

“Hi...” I whispered, practically out of breath.

Abbie cleared her throat as she smiled. “Hi, Mr. Amante. I don’t believe we’ve met. We’re friends of Teegan. I’m Abbie, and this is Emma. We’ve heard a lot about you,” she said happily, and he gave them a small smile as his hand caressed my back softly.

“It’s nice to meet the both of you,” he chuckled, and I bit my lip as he leaned down after a moment and spoke into my ear.

“I’ll be in the car waiting. Take your time. No rush,” he said, and I nodded quickly as I pushed my hair behind my ear, my heart practically racing at his touch. He soon pulled away and bid the girls goodbye with a small wave before stepping out. I looked back over to see Tweedle Dee and Dum looking at me with their jaws on the floor.

“Okay. How did Daddy Levi know you were here?!” Abbie asked in a whisper, and I thought for a moment as Emma thankfully hit her shoulder for me.

“He was supposed to meet me in the parking garage…” I muttered, and Emma’s eyes widened.

“Do you think he saw Jacob? Do you think that he told Levi we were here?” she asked in a panic.

Abbie took a sip of her tea before chiming in once again. “He did come in looking for you, I think. He didn’t seem angry or jealous, though… He actually seemed kinda calm from my perspective,” she muttered.

I pondered for a moment. It would actually make sense that he was calm and collected as he’s been going to therapy to control his emotions and remain calm in tense situations.

Nonetheless, I grabbed my belongings as I stood. “I should get going. I don’t want him waiting too long,” I said, and they nodded, bidding me goodbye and wishing me well on my ride home with my own personal “Rio.” Gosh, what am I going to do with these girls?

Exiting the cafe, I was met by Levi leaning against the door of his running car. He noticed me and grabbed my belongings as the redness of my face from the cold hid the blush that surfaced once again. He opened the passenger door for me, and I snuggled into his heated seat as he closed the door.

Eventually, we were on our way back to my apartment, and I noticed he seemed rather quiet. His jaw clenched every moment or so, and his hands were abnormally tight around the steering wheel. But he remained calm and composed. Even so, I wanted to know what had been bothering him so much.

“Sorry I made you wait at the hospital… I thought we’d get called back to the ER or by our attending, but I think they let us go early. “

“It’s no problem.”

“How did you know I was at the cafe?” I asked, and he clenched the steering wheel once more but then relaxed his hands as he responded calmly.

“One of your coworkers, Jacob, saw me waiting in your parking spot, and he gave me the heads-up,” he muttered.

I rubbed the back of my neck a bit nervously. “Oh... okay,” I replied, and he nodded.

“Asked me if I was your boyfriend, too.”

My heart beat a bit faster. “What did you say?” I asked, and he glanced at me briefly before returning his gaze to the road.

“I told him I wasn’t,” he said calmly. “I can tell he’s interested in you.”

I bit my lip as I played with the end of my cardigan sleeve. “We’re just friends.”

He hummed as he rubbed his chin in thought, thinking of his next words rather carefully—something I noticed he did rather often these days.

“Not that I am in any position to ask, but have you ever considered going out with him?”

Had I considered looking at Jacob as more than a friend? Only recently did I notice that his gestures were a bit personal, and he seemed to be overly nice to me in comparison to the girls.

“No,” I replied truthfully, and he looked over at me as we reached my complex.

“Any particular reason why?” he asked, and I sighed as I gazed forward absentmindedly, focusing on the snow that began to fall softly on the windshield. It was easier to look at it. It was easier looking at anything other than him at that moment as I revealed the truth.

“None that doesn’t involve you,” I confessed only above a whisper.

He remained silent as he turned toward the windshield as well, joining me as we watched the snow fall. It created a serene ambiance inside the car as we both watched it in silence.