Table 24 ~ Levi Jones

11

As everyone slowly began to get back to their meals around me, including the man Levi had punched. I decided first that I should at least get him a napkin for the trouble I had caused, no doubt I'd have no tip anyway.

I then contemplated about what to do next. I knew I wanted to follow Levi but I also felt I should explain to Austin and the rest of them, who'd only seen Levi react, what had actually happened. Either way, I decided I would do that later and that my priority in that moment was to find Levi.

Doubting he'd be let back inside the restaurant tonight, I went to his table to pick up the rucksack he carried and walked with it dangling from my hand until I reached outside.

The problem was now that I'd left it too long for him to be in sight when I went looking, he could literally be anywhere for all I knew. So I made the random decision to turn right and I ran looking for him.

The next few minutes passed with no sign as to where he was and I was starting to give up hope. I got angrier and angrier at Levi the longer I couldn't find him. What was he doing suddenly defending me like that when he'd been ignoring me for so long? And in front of all the customers?

Out of breath and deflated, I began walking back to the restaurant, head bowed and blood boiled. As a last ditch attempt I decided to try the car park behind the restaurant at least then I could re-enter from the back to avoid the customers gazes.

It wasn't exactly a nice place to be, it had large dumpsters pushed to the right side, an abandoned trolley, a small hut with the tiles falling off it and a few cars that belonged to the workers.

I inhaled deeply when I saw the figure pacing up and down by the back wall on the right, making up the outside wall of the restaurant. We were about 20 metres down from the back entrance to the kitchen where the others would most likely be right now but I didn't care as I spoke.

"What on earth was that?"

Levi fell back to lean on the brick wall behind him and ran a hand though his hair. With a sigh he replied relatively calmly "He was going to hurt you Amber I couldn't just sit there and let that happen"

I watched him flex his knuckles open and closed, my stare fixated on them as I spoke because I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze "Well thank you but do you realise how mad Austin is? At this rate he's never going to let you inside the restaurant again, you can kiss goodbye to your beloved table 24!" My tone increased as I went on.

"It was probably worth it"

A moment of silence passed between us. Of course, it was incredibly awkward seeing as we hadn't so much as looked at each other for three weeks and suddenly we were alone in a car park in the middle of nowhere. I shuffled nervously on my feet before gulping and speaking as calmly as I found possible.

"So, would you care to explain what the fuck you think you've been doing the past few weeks?"

"Amber I'm sorry"

"No you're not sorry are you, because you were the one that said you didn't want to talk to me anymore, you were the one that didn't give me a reason why and you're the one that has put me through hell wondering what I did wrong!" I found myself growing angrier by the second and tears started to form in my eyes.

"I never said I didn't want to talk to you, I said I couldn't talk to you"

"Oh that's what it was? You couldn't talk to me? Well I guess that makes the lack of explanation ok then, have a nice life or something Levi" I was mad now, the tears that had gathered were threatening to fall and I could feel my cheeks getting hotter by the second.

"Amber, wait" he started but I was already going.

Realising I still had his rucksack clutched in my hand, I chucked it towards the ground in front of him and was ready to turn and leave. That was before the bag hit the ground with force and some of the contents fell out from where the zip had been left open slightly.

We both ran towards it but my hesitant throw meant I was closer and I got there first. I grabbed at the contents and my jaw dropped "Levi-" now in my hand was a neatly packaged bundle of cocaine.

"You need to let me explain"

"I-" I stuttered but could only do what was fair "fine" Levi nodded appreciatively before speaking.

"I haven't used it I swear, I'd run out of money, Amber. I couldn't even afford the bus fare to get to the restaurant every week. Dad quit his job after mum died and managed to spend all the money so it got to the point where I was going to have to stop going. I was okay too, I had my closure but then you showed up Amber dammit, right on the night I'd chosen to be my last meal. Then all of a sudden I couldn't just leave the restaurant it became all about you"

"Then why do you have this Levi?" I held up the package "You know I thought you were different"

"I am, I just- I needed a way to make money quickly so that I could keep coming. All I wanted to do was come and see you every week, and make you smile because it was no longer my mums memory I was living for in the restaurant it was you and I know it sounds stupid saying it back now but I couldn't give you up like that"

"Looks like you're having no problem giving me up now" he ignored me and continued the story.

"I wanted out Amber, I realised almost straight away that what I was doing wasn't right, you made me want to be a better person but it wasn't that simple. Dealing is easy to get into but they're the wrong kind of people to mess with and I was in trouble, especially when we had our meal and I forgot about meeting them, I was late and-"

"-the black eye" I said aloud, a realisation that part of that was technically my fault even if Levi wouldn't say it himself. He nodded slowly and sunk down against the wall, I automatically went to sit at his side as both of his hands locked onto his hair.

"I'm in serious trouble Amber and they're not happy, I don't want them knowing I'm close to you or God knows what they'll do"

"I can fight my own battles Levi"

"Maybe you can but not this one, I don't want you getting caught up in this and coming out hurt"

"I said, I can look after myself. I don't like the thought of not talking to you Levi, the last few weeks have been impossible and I can't do that again"

"Would you rather they saw us together and tried to hurt you to get to me? Because I'll tell you now, if I don't find a way out that's exactly what they're going to do and do you have any idea how much that will kill me? To see you hurt like that?"

"Levi I don't want it to end like this! Why can't we just-?"

He cut my shouting off then by cupping my face with his hands and bringing my lips to his. I relaxed instantly under his touch and when he pulled away from the kiss, it was his turn to speak which was just as well considering how speechless I was.

"Because I'm in love with you Amber, ok?" and then quieter, almost like he had a lump in this throat "I'm in love with you and that's why I have to protect you"

***

the dRAMA Megs, what have you done?

(also, this just hit 800 reads thank you so much I'm in shock people actually read this hahaha big loves) x