SWNOVELS What Are The Odds?: Chapter 7
Grace.
I waited on the doorstep, hands shoved in my jacket pockets. The address Levi had given was for a large townhouse. There were three cars in the driveway. I’d parked Stella’s on the street. She’d let me borrow it. It had been my first time driving in America. Thankfully the drive between here and campus had been short. I was still trying to wrap my head around driving on the right side of the road. Not to mention sitting on the left side of the car. Everything was backwards here. Just as I raised my hand to knock, the door opened on Levi. He looked surprised to see me. His keys dangled from his fingers. It appeared as though he was heading out.
“Grace.”
“Hey. Is Ryker here yet?”
Levi’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “He text saying he got held up at training.”
“Oh. I didn’t get that message.”
But I’d bet Stella had. We hadn’t crossed paths before I left.
“I assume you didn’t get my message either then,” Levi said. “About meeting a bit later.”
Grimacing, I shook my head.
“One of my roommates went to the dentist today,” he explained. “Long story short, I need to grab him some things.”
“Oh. Right.”
“You wanna come with? The shops are just around the corner.”
My options were limited, so I found myself nodding.
“Sweet. This one’s mine.”
Levi walked to a black SUV, with windows tinted so darkly you couldn’t see inside. It was parked beside an army green Jeep, as well as a Ute that appeared to be on steroids. The tyres were as tall as my shoulders. Apart from a gym bag and hoodie on the back seat, the inside of Levi’s car was clean. The cream, leather seats didn’t have a mark on them, and the dashboard and centre console were free of dust.
“Are you cold?” Levi asked, fiddling with the temperature.
“I’m always cold here.”
He cranked the heat. Instantly I could feel it on my toes and cheeks. Using the reversing camera, he whipped out the driveway then headed down the street. The sun was beginning to set, making it hard to see the surroundings. But driving here, I’d got the inclination this was a very nice part of town.
“Is the townhouse a hockey perk?” I asked.
“A best friend perk. My buddy’s parents own the place.” He slowed at a stop sign. “Are you staying on campus?”
I nodded. “In a dorm with two friends.”
Levi grimaced. “Sounds crowded.”
“I prefer cosy.”
In truth, I didn’t mind the dorm at all. Because Ava, Stella and I were in a three-person room, we had our own bathroom. So that was a win. And while I’d never shared a bedroom in my life, I was enjoying going to sleep to the sound of Stella’s stories and Ava’s random theories. It was like a constant sleepover, where you gossip until your eyes grew heavy.
“Am I going crazy, or is my ass heating up?” I asked.
“Heated seats.”
My eyes widened. “That’s bloody fancy.”
Levi’s laugh was a deep, lazy rumble. I hadn’t heard it until just now. So far, he’d been nothing but serious or smug.
“So,” he said, filling the silence when we slowed at a traffic light. “Why Phil-U?”
I pulled the seatbelt from my chest. I’d prepared myself to be asked this question when I applied for the exchange.
“It’s where my parents met.”
“One of your parents is American?”
I nodded. “My dad was. He moved to Australia after graduation with my mum.”
“Did you visit the states a lot growing up then?”
I shook my head. “My grandparents died when I was younger. Dad was an only child, so he never really had a reason to come back.”
Levi veered off the main road, indicating into a carpark. I assumed we were at the supermarket. I didn’t recognise the chain yet. Unless it was Coles or Woolies, I had no bloody clue.
“Are your parents going to visit you while you’re here?”
I snickered. “I highly doubt it.”
Levi frowned. “Why not?”
“Because they’re dead.”
Levi’s eyes widened and his jaw went slack.
“I’m sorry,” I said hurriedly, trying to ease the awkwardness that always followed that admission. “I’m still learning how to deliver that sentence without it sounding like a bombshell.”
“Maybe start by working on the delivery.”
I sheepishly shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“It is what it is?” he parroted. “Man, are all Aussies this laidback?”
“Compared to Americans? Definitely.”
Once he pulled into a park, I opened my door and slipped from the tall car. As we walked inside, I couldn’t stop touching the back of my legs. They were toasty, like I’d just been standing in front of a heater. I was a real big fan of heated seats. After collecting a basket, Levi reached into his pocket, taking out a messily scrawled list. He whistled in disbelief.
“Our team dietician will have something to say about this.”
I read over his shoulder. Jelly. Instant mash. Ice cream.
“Is your roommate five years old?”
Levi sighed. “Judging by this list, you’d think so.”
“What about a smoothie? At least you can add in veggies and fruit.”
Levi arched an eyebrow. “Know any good recipes?”
“A couple.”