Empty Net Read online

  Audrey let out a soulless laugh, shaking her head. “I don’t want to be friends with benefits with you, Levi, I want a relationship, I want to get married. We’ve been doing this dance for eight months; don’t you think it’s time?”

  “No, and I won’t tomorrow or the next day either,” he said standing up. He ran his hands over his buzzed hair, looking up at the sky. “I don’t understand why you are keeping yourself from me? I know you want me. I want you, so let’s do this. Why keep us apart?”

  “Because you don’t want all of me! You just want my cooter!”

  Levi shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips, “Yes, I want it, Cupcake, but I want to spend time with you too. Give me another chance.”

  They stayed looking deep in each other eyes as the room stayed eerily quiet. It seemed so easy to take his bait, to be his puppet for the rest of her life. She wouldn’t have to worry about the rejection from another man; she wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone who wouldn’t want kids because Levi didn’t want them at all. Levi was her out, her easy cowardly out.

  But like everyone had said, she was better than that.

  Standing up, Audrey shook her head before saying, “I love you, Levi Moss-”

  “Now, Audrey, I’ve told you about that word-”

  “No! You shut up and let me finish!”

  Levi’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms across his chest. “I love you, I do, but I am not going to settle for crap and want more when you want nothing but sex from me. I am a good woman. I would take good care of you, and I deserve more than this. When you are ready to give me that, when you are ready to love me, and give us a chance, then call me. I’ll come, ‘cause I love you, but not until you tell me you’re ready to give us a real fighting chance.”

  Audrey couldn’t breathe. It felt like her heart was in her throat and her heart was pounding against her chest. Levi shook his head, his hands resting on his head before looking up at the ceiling. When he looked back down, his eyes a soft brown color, Audrey thought she had won.

  But then he said, “I don’t want you like that.”

  Feeling beaten, Audrey’s shoulders slumped and she looked down at the desk. Willing the tears to stay at bay and begging herself to stay strong and confident, Audrey looked up and said, “Then get out of my office.”

  Chapter 11

  “I’m totally messed up.”

  Audrey moved around her kitchen, her phone to her ear while popcorn popped and she nursed a 40oz beer. It had been a 40oz beer kind of day. But even with her feeling like her heart was about to break, she was proud of herself for not crying. It was the first time in weeks that she hadn’t cried over Levi. Maybe telling him what was on her mind was closure or something. She had always been so agreeable, let him run things. But for once, she stood up to him, and it felt fantastic! Yes, her heart was broken because of his rejection, yet in her heart she really felt that he was coming around.

  He loved her. She just knew it.

  “I don’t know why,” Piper said, “I really don’t understand what you see in him or what you are waiting for. He doesn’t treat you right.”

  “But he does sometimes, and those times are really good.”

  Piper let out a frustrated breath. Audrey could just see her rolling her eyes “Explain to me the nice things he has done ‘cause every time I’m around y’all, he is a dick.”

  Audrey was the one to roll her eyes this time, before saying, “When we are alone together, he is so sweet.”

  “No, he isn’t. You told me that he hurts you when y’all do it,” Piper countered.

  Audrey made a face, “Well, yeah, but he hasn’t done that since Lucas tried to kill him way back when.”

  “Well hallelujah for that, but still, he isn’t worth it. You need a man who is nice to you all the time, not when it is convenient for him! Plus, Audrey, he basically only wants to do you. I mean come on, maybe he’ll want the things you want in the future? How don’t you see that he is playing you?”

  Audrey wanted to stomp her feet in frustration. No one understood Levi. Yes, he was a dick most of the time but he had a hard upbringing. His dad beat him as a child, his mom was gone most of the time, and his brother slept with any girl Levi brought home. He didn’t trust anyone, and didn’t feel that they would stay around. Audrey understood that and she wanted to help him. Levi had the potential to be a really good guy, but he just hadn’t had the right girl to help him get there. Audrey knew she was the girl to do it. She could love him the right way.

  But at the same time, what if everyone was right? What if she was being naive and stupid when it came to him? What if he was playing her? What if thinking he would change was probably the stupidest thing she had ever done? Was she wrong for telling him that she would wait for him because really, she shouldn’t?

  Blah, being a single woman wanting a man was so hard.

  “I know what you are saying, Piper, I do, but I can’t just give up.”

  Piper scoffed, “Why the hell not? He doesn’t deserve you!”

  “I understand your frustration but you just don’t understand, Piper, you can have anyone you want--”

  “Oh my god, don’t you even! You can have any man and you know that, you’re just settling for crap. Stop it!”

  Yes, Audrey could have any man she wanted but she couldn’t keep them. Piper didn’t understand that. No one did.

  “I love him, Piper,” Audrey said, “I just can’t stop.”

  “I know you just can’t stop but you can damn well try. There are so many other guys out there. For example, hot goalie. It’s obvious you like him; I mean you went home with him after only talking to him for a minute. Y’all have something, so act on it.”

  Audrey shook her head even if Piper couldn’t see it, “I was drunk and we are just friends.”

  “You are such a liar. I see the way he looks at you, and when you actually look at him and act normal, I can see that you like him.”

  “I do not,” Audrey lied, “we are friends.”

  “Whatever, friends who are bound to be more.”

  “Hells bells, Pipe, he’s a baby,” Audrey stressed, “I am almost seven years older than him.”

  “Who gives two shits? He’s hot, he wants you, and he’s also really funny, you like funny. He’s way funnier than Levi ever was.”

  Audrey shook her head again before taking a long gulp of beer, “He may be funny and sexy but he won’t want me for long.”

  “Why?”

  Audrey paused for a moment trying to come up with an excuse, and then she said, “Cause, I’m older.”

  Audrey wished she could just tell Piper about her situation, but she hadn’t even told Fallon. No one knew but her mother and she kind of wanted to keep it that way. She felt like a failure for not being able to have children, but in a way it wasn’t her fault. It was the doctor who did her abortion, who messed her up. Thanks to him, he not only took her unborn child, but he took her future ones too. It was the biggest mistake of her life, but she really had no choice in the matter.

  “Audrey?”

  Audrey brought herself back to the conversation, shaking her head, “Sorry, I was daydreaming.”

  “Hopefully about making sweet love to sexy yummy Goalie and leaving Levi in your dust. Goalie obviously doesn’t care about your age so why should you?”

  When a knock came at the door, Audrey wanted to drop to her knees and thank God for interrupting this conversation. “Oh, Pipe, let me let you go, it’s the door. I think Tate’s here.”

  “Tate’s there? So I’ve been talking till I’m blue in face and all along you were planning on having him over for round two?”

  “For the love of God, you horny thing! He is coming over for DVR night! Sheesh,” Audrey laughed as she made her way to the door.

  “That’s stupid, round two sounds like more fun,” Piper laughed.

  “We are friends,” Audrey stressed again, “That’s all, get Tate out of your mind, and help me find ano