THE FIRST TIME SHE met Sam it felt like the world revolved around him. He was like the sun in a way, with how easily he started conversations and how his laugh danced across the room like golden rays of silk. In a way she was surprised to see she had fallen for Levi with how little they had in common, even their violence was so different, every part of them clashing like fire and ice. She supposed that perhaps had been exactly the reason she liked Levi. He washed the bitter taste of the friendship she had lost away simply by his presence, as calm as always.
Now all she could manage was a wry smile, the taste like pieces of glass between her teeth.
"I am," she said. She pointed at his eye, raising an eyebrow. "How about you? That will be a nasty bruise."
Sam shrugged, pushing his curls back with a hand as he carefully took a seat beside her. She wasn't surprised he had found her, not after all the years they had known each other. That's why she knew exactly what he felt too, even if he swallowed it all down.
"I somehow feel like I'm the cause of your fight with Levi," he began, almost cautiously.
"You aren't," she said," I am the only one who can take responsibility for my actions." A sharp remark slipped out after, cutting the silence. "Still, don't tell me you have come here to gloat."
"Of course not," he said as he slowly shook his head," I still love you, Nora, but that's also exactly why I would never want to see you unhappy. I'm sorry for saying all those things, you're right. It wasn't my place."
She was about to reply when he continued, voice soft.
"Hey Nora, do you remember our first date?"
"What?" she frowned, confused at the sudden jump to a different subject.
"We went to watch a movie," he said, nostalgia warming his eyes," you picked out a horror movie and I didn't want to tell you how terrified I was, so instead I tried to stay cool."
"You started screaming before the movie even started," she chuckled," how exactly were you playing it cool?"
"The trailers were unnecessary scary, you can't deny that," he frowned," I have a zero-tolerance policy towards clowns."
Ella stared at him with raised eyebrows until the both of them burst out in laughter simultaneously. The atmosphere had warmed, golden days tangling in the branches above like ribbons. She wanted to decorate the whole garden with them until everything felt simpler again.
"You were the first one who I truly saw as my girlfriend," he said then, words so soft she almost didn't catch them," I didn't really know what to do. You were so perfect - I was in love."
She didn't miss the past tense, but it didn't hurt as she thought it would. When she looked up at the trees around her, she could almost see the ribbons untying and flying away in the wind. He stood up then, that infatuation for her which he had started carrying almost as a shield gone now.
"You still are," he said," and Levi is a damn lucky guy to be able to be with you. I'm sorry for involving myself, I thought I could change your mind, make you see -" He swallowed his almost fervent words, continuing quietly. "It wasn't my choice to make. Not for a while now."
"I loved you too, Sam," she said, the words taking flight, far away from the pressing feeling they had given her these last years. "You deserve all the love you give."
A weight seemed lifted off his shoulders when he smiled, in that carefree way he always had.
"Levi really cares about you," he said, hand brushing over his bruised knuckles," and fuck, the guy can throw a punch. I see what you see in him."
"You regret starting that fight now?" she said amusedly.
"No," he chuckled," I needed that, actually. Somehow I'm surprised it took me this long to fight with him." He waved a hand back at the house, eyes wide. "Speaking of, who would have guessed I'd be the lesser crazy of the two exes?"
She mirrored his smile as their voices died down in the chilly air, until he finally nodded at her.
"I'm going inside," he said," see you at school, Nora."
"See you at school, Sam," she said.
Watching him walk away she could almost physically feel a chapter of her life close. She breathed out in the silence of the garden, rising to her feet and walking back. Once she entered the party she looked around, searching for Levi, but she only saw Mia, her back to the wall as three guys were talking to her. She genuinely looked uncomfortable, carefully taking the hand off her waist which one of the guys kept putting there, and Ella moved towards her immediately.
Before she even reached Mia someone pulled one of the guys away though and Ella wasn't surprised to see Will standing there, his bat resting against his shoulder and his smile gone. Whatever gentleness he usually radiated had evaporated, eyes cold and jaw set. His knuckles were white around the handle of his bat, Mia blinking worriedly at him.
"Are you alright?" Will asked, gaze only trained her.
"She's fine," one of the guys spoke up, cockily placing a hand on Will's chest as he tried to push him away," so why don't you back off now? You can have her after we're done."
A flash of fury colored Will's eyes, before he flashed a smile so bright Ella just knew everything was going to go wrong.
"Apologize to her right now," he said.
"And why the hell would -" the guy started, but he couldn't finish his sentence, because as soon as he started speaking Will smashed his baseball bat against his arm.
A loud scream left his lips, but Will simply stared at him as he fell to his feet, cradling his arm. He let his bat swing loosely, eyes on him as he tapped it against his fingers.
"Apologize to her," he said.
"You fuck -"
Will moved to swing his bat, but Mia grabbed his arm, stopping him in place immediately. His anger dissolved into concern as he focused his gaze on her, lowering his bat at once.
"Ah, I'm sorry," he said, flustered," did I scare you? I just got so angry -"
"Of course not, Will," Mia said gently," you never would scare me, I just didn't want you to get hurt - I'm sorry for troubling you."
"I am not going to accept that apology," he said," because you have nothing to apologize for. I am sorry for leaving you alone."
"No, I -"
"I think it's clear you're both sorry," Ella said amusedly, glancing at the guys with a cool gaze," let's leave it here, shall we?"
"And who are you to decide?" one of them growled at her.
Ella sighed, fist already clenched. "I am not in a good mood at this moment, so let me rephrase that. Leave before I fucking knock you out."
He parted his lips again, but someone grabbed him by the collar, a group of people suddenly surrounding them. Ella noticed who they were at once, if not by their faces then the fact that they were all wearing the same leather jackets. Jake leaned forward, a wide smile on his face as he looked at the guy.
"Don't tell me you're bothering our leader's girl now?"
Their eyes widened, one of them suddenly staring at Will in shock.
"Wait a second, isn't that Will Tyler?"
"Yeah," Will said, crouching down in front of him," and this is my house, so get the fuck out."
They practically ran away then and Ella frowned, glancing back at Will.
"Levi lives with you?" she said.
"Yeah," Will beamed, all his icy violence gone so quickly it was hard to believe he was the same person," we're brothers."
Ella couldn't help but part her lips in surprise, all the puzzle pieces falling in place. She had thought Levi had been joking when he had called Will his brother, more a fond expression than anything else. Instead of saying anything though she swallowed her questions. Levi would prefer if she asked him, she knew that. Speaking of -
"Has anyone seen Levi, by the way?" she said.
"Yeah, about that," Jake began," I think everyone has. He was quite angry and took down I believe three guys, before Will was able to tackle him. I'm not sure where he went after."
"What?" Ella said, looking at Will," how exactly did you tackle him?"
"I just jumped on his back," Will nodded solemnly," but he carried me throughout the entire room and my bat fell at some point, so I had to let go."
She almost chuckled at the sight of Levi going on a rampage like Godzilla here, already off as she waved at the others.
"I know where he is," she said," I'll be right back."
She crossed the room, her feet leading her up, until she finally stopped in front of a door. Knowing Levi, there was only one spot he could be right now where he'd be completely comfortable. So she knocked once on his door, walking in and closing the door behind her, her gaze settling on the person she was looking for.
"Hi Levi, we need to talk."