You Know Me Well David Levithan Novels & Stories

I was in the middle of an arrangement everyone else had understood except me. Vanessa was the mother of David’s child. Leo was the son they all protected. Evelyn had already made her choice about who belonged. David was standing in the center of all of it, asking me to accept crumbs of truth like I should be grateful for them. My throat burned. “So who am I, then?” I asked. The words came out quieter than I expected, but the room still went still around them. David looked up. Leo lowered the phone slightly, confused.

Before I could respond, she shoved me. Hard. My books scattered across the ground. The girls laughed. My cheeks burned with humiliation. I bent down to gather my books. Then another hand appeared. A masculine hand. Strong. Steady. One by one, he picked up my books. The girls immediately fell silent. I looked up. And my breath caught. David Blackstone. The most popular guy on campus. The heir to Blackstone Holdings. The man every girl wanted. He handed me my books. Then turned toward the girls.

That hit harder than I wanted to admit. He glanced at me, gauging my reaction, but I only nodded for him to continue. “It started making sense the summer I was sent to leadership camp. I was fourteen,” he said, eyes softening at the memory. “That’s when I met David.” I tilted my head, watching his face transform as he talked. Like he was lifting a photo album buried deep inside him. “Spending time with him was the best part of every day. Everyone thought we were just tight friends, maybe even like brothers. But we knew. We knew it was more than that.”

He had the easy grin of someone who didn’t take life too seriously. “Not bad, Rossi,” he said. “You made Chike grunt. That’s basically applause.” Selena blinked. “I thought he hated me.” “He hates everyone. But he respects sharp answers. You gave one.” He extended a hand. “Name’s David. Second year. If you need notes, ask me. If you need friends, well…” His grin widened. “I’m choosy, but you might qualify.” She shook his hand hesitantly. His palm was warm, steady.

"It's true. I don't deserve it, not when I still think about the girl I was—the girl I probably still am but who I've convinced myself I'm not. I-I still think about leaving from time to time, and it kills me because I don't want to hurt you. But I don't want to leave to be free either. It's not about freedom anymore. I don't even know what true freedom is." "Why do you think about leaving, then?" His voice remains calm, and I try to match his state. "I'm not a good person. I'm selfish and judgmental and—and my favorite part of this whole meeting is convincing everyone that I'm someone I'm not. I-I'm evil." David wipes the single, rebellious tear from my temple before it slips into my hair.

But even now, the memory crept in, uninvited. He blinked hard, pushing the thought aside. Focus, Walker. “Do you think David’s really gone?” he asked quietly, his voice barely louder than the wind. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but the question had lived in his chest ever since the truth had come out inside Thorne’s vault. The image of David’s warped face (half-boy, half-machine) still haunted him. A twisted echo of someone he had once loved like a brother. Leah stood beside him, her shape outlined by the city lights. She didn’t answer right away. When she finally turned to him, her eyes usually sharp and clear held a heavy kind of sadness.

David gently laid her down on her bed and left her door slightly open as we headed to his bed in the next room. As we entered David's room, he pulled me close, his arms wrapping around me like a warm embrace. The soft aqua glow of Rivi's aquarium filled the room. I felt his heart beating against mine. I melted into his arms, surrounded by unconditional love. We sank onto the bed together, our lips meeting in a soft, tender kiss. The world outside melted away, leaving only the two of us, lost in the magic of our own little world. "So tell me about Aethon," he asked with a smile. I knew I could tell David anything, we were that close. "He is so beautiful." I said, and he nodded, "I know!"

"And what do you want them to see, Leo?" "The truth," I said, my voice getting stronger. "I’m suffocating. Every dinner, every class, every time Maya looks at me like I’m some kind of saint... I hate it. I hate all of it. And the worst part is that you’re the only person who has seen the real me, and all you do is call me a mistake. You think I’m pathetic." David stared at me for a long beat. He didn't look away. He didn't argue. He just looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. Then, he let out a short, tired sigh and moved.

David embraced her and tried to kiss her but she pulled away. "We need to talk." Leila said as she stared into his eyes. David sighed. What was the problem again? "What if this unknown person was your ex-girlfriend who knows you to be an Alpha." David stared into the distance. He exhaled deeply. He knew he had it rough in the past. But to him, they were not his girlfriends. It was a contract relationship of mutual benefit. Although they ended up falling for him, he was just having fun. Leila was expecting him to say something but he was silent.

A few times, I had to pinch myself while praying to the heavens that this was the sort of nightmare I was stuck in. It wasn’t. Oh God it wasn’t… “Are you okay?” David turned to me, observing my face keenly. I straightened, gave him a terse nod. He seemed okay with my answer, looking away from me. “Well. Dad, this is Elara. Elara, my father. Alexander Thorne.” “Elara.” His voice was the same low rumble that had whispered good girl against my clit. Just a tad more polite and controlled now. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you, and seen even more.”