In His Shadow [On Hold]

2: The Life-Changing Mistake

Levi's POV

As we enter the party everyone makes a B-Line for the kitchen to get drinks and I follow, but I know I can't drink tonight.

Across the room, Hayley holds onto Hunter's forearm like an accessory and exchanges looks between the both of us. The sight of them makes me roll my eyes because I know exactly what she's doing.

"Hey, how long are we going to be here tonight?" I ask Jack.

"It's only 9 p.m., and Hayley doesn't have to be home until 2 a.m. You do the math." Jack snorts then takes a shot of his favorite whiskey, Jack Daniels. The arrogance from our win earlier still lingers on him and I know it's going to be a long night.

"Whooo!" He screams as he raises his arm in the air. Yup, a very long night.

"Jack's here!" A girl shouts from the other room and before we know it, the kitchen floods with people. Everyone is congratulating him on our victory. Three state championships is a record here in Wisconsin and our team worked hard for this accomplishment too. Well, most of us. All I did was sit on the bench and watch Jack be an all-star, as I do every season.

The kitchen grows louder as people stagger in, most of them already drunk. The entire football team and other students from Baraboo are here celebrating the only way Wisconsinites know how, with alcohol.

Jake, a football player, goes around handing out shots to everyone in the room but before I can decline mine, he walks away.

Devon, another football player, climbs onto the kitchen island and looks down at all of us, "Jack motherfucking Daniels Moretti, you did it again. They said we couldn't have a freshman quarterback, and you proved them wrong. They said we couldn't have a sophomore quarterback, and you proved them wrong. They told us that three championships would be impossible."

Devon, already wasted, looks out to the crowd, building the suspense, "But this motherfucker right here, PROVED THEM WRONG. To Jack!"

Everyone shouts, "To Jack!" and takes their shot.

I also take my shot because we have five hours before we leave, that's plenty of time to drink my jealousy away.

++++++++

I sit on the couch in the living room, watching people out on the dance floor. Girls everywhere, half-naked, grinding up on guy's dicks and if there were no music playing it would seem like a mating ritual or an orgy from the 1970's.

Funny how music makes it okay for us to do that to each other but without it we would be shunned from society.

I don't know why I'm thinking about this, instead of joining them out there when the alcohol, finally setting in, is giving me permission to do so.

I've had two shots and a couple of beers and I can't lie, the buzz feels pretty good. Like that feeling you get when you score a touchdown, which I haven't done in forever because of the shadow of the person whom I live in.

"Missed me?" Hayley sits down next to me, her ass half on my lap.

I look over at her unamused, "I know you're fucking with Hunter to make me jealous."

I drink my beer, not wanting this buzz to go away, but I know this one will be my last before switching to water. It's only been an hour, but I want to make sure I'm sober by midnight because I'm still DD tonight.

Hayley tucks her blonde wavy hair behind her ear and leans in, our eyes locked on each other and for a moment the room becomes nothing but background noise.

"What if I am?" She leans in closer, "I've missed you, Levi. I miss your touch."

Her delicate fingers tracing up my inner thigh and she purrs into my ear, "I miss when you say fuck when I moan in your ear." She runs her thumb over my bottom lip, biting hers. "I miss your kisses."