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“Straight people,” Sam muttered under his breath. “You didn’t tell her anything, so how would you know that?”
“I weft so I didn’t hafta hear the rejecshon.” Leo was pretty sure his speech was completely unintelligible at this point, but Alvaro didn’t have to translate before Leo’s confession was met with groans from the entire group and a smattering of insults slung his way, all in the realm of universally agreeing that he was an idiot.
Even in his drunken state, Leo didn’t need anyone to tell him how fucked he was. He already knew.
Fifty-Seven
PIPER
The dried tears on Piper’s face coupled with the sticky feeling of her skin made for a terrible way to wake up. She rolled onto her stomach and pushed her head into her pillow. Coffee. Coffee would solve everything except for the fact that her heart had practically snapped in two. And her hand was almost permanently latched around the necklace Leo had given her.
One look in the mirror, and Piper was groaning at her appearance. She slipped Leo’s hoodie over her pajama top and contemplated just wearing her pajama bottoms to the coffee house but ultimately decided that she needed to put real clothes on. Those real clothes ended up being sweatpants and tennis shoes, but she couldn’t fathom putting on her usual dressy attire when Leo had said how much he liked it.
Coffee first. Then she would talk to him. She would confess everything and apologize for crossing the line they had both agreed never to cross.
Piper took a deep breath, prepared for the January air to smack her in the face, and opened the door. She was only vaguely aware of the pain that lanced up her leg when she hit something hard on the porch before she was freefalling.
“¡Ay!” a male voice said.
Then warm hands wrapped around her before her knees hit the floor. “Fuck!” Piper hissed and started to frantically wiggle free from her assailant. She was not getting kidnapped before she told Leo how she felt. “Let go of me, or I’ll scream. We have neighbors! They’ll hear me.”
“Shit.” The voice made her halt. “Piper, I’m not attacking you, I’m keeping you from falling over because you’re a damn klutz.”
“Leo?” she breathed, her vision finally clearing from the rising panic as she looked around. He was sitting on the ground with a blanket wrapped around him. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I was sleeping. You ran into me.”
“Why were you asleep on my porch? It’s freezing outside. Are you insane?” Her mouth gaped open.
“Can you stop yelling?” He groaned and massaged his temples as he rose to his feet. “I’m fighting the worst hangover of my life, and you’re screaming.”
Piper stood, concern creasing the spot between her eyebrows. She softened her voice. “Why were you asleep on my porch?”
“I was waiting until I was sober enough to talk to you.”
“Why didn’t you just text me?”
“Carter and Sam took my phone.” Leo flashed her a sheepish smile. “Probably for the best considering I was completely out of it.”
No part of this was making sense to her. “You were with my brother?”
“Yeah. And then my brothers tried to make me sleep at my apartment or one of their hotel rooms, but I needed to talk to you, so I escaped. I was plastered, so I walked.” Leo shrugged.
“From your apartment?” Piper blinked and shook her head. “That’s three miles, Leo.”
He lifted the cloth draped around his shoulders for show. “I brought a blanket.”
“I don’t understand. Why—”
Leo cut her off and reached his cold hand up to her face. “Don’t go out with him, Piper.” She shivered under his touch, and he dropped his hand. “Call it off.”
“What?” Piper’s eyes went wide as she scanned him, taking his cold hands in hers to warm them. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay.” He sighed, and she watched his eyes land on the sunflower necklace around her neck before he took a slow, deliberate breath. “Don’t go out with Elliot. I’m begging you. Please don’t.” Leo pulled one hand away from her to rake through his curls.
“Why don’t you want me dating him?” Piper asked carefully. Her heart was racing in her chest. She could see it on his face and in the broken way his eyes pleaded for her to listen. Was it just because he wanted to keep sleeping with her, or was it what she hoped it could be? The fear that it was the former immediately left when he spoke again.
“Estoy enamorado de ti,” Leo whispered. She slowly started to translate in her head, but he beat her to it. “I’m in love with you, princesa. Te amo.” He gestured from his heart to hers, and Piper’s stomach somersaulted. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time. Before you told me you didn’t want love. And I lied. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to fall for you, I really didn’t. Then I tried to fall out of love with you, but I couldn’t. When you smile, and I mean really smile, I understand every love song in Guys and Dolls. Every book that Sam reads. Why my parents dance and your parents danced, too.” Her eyes rimmed with tears as he continued and started to pace on her porch like he was too nervous to stop moving. “Every romance movie I watched as a kid could never adequately explain the way I feel about you. When I’m with you, I have this overwhelming urge to create something—a movie, a play, anything—that will explain it. It’s not just romance movies, it’s that plot twist that makes a viewer gasp or the way everyone reacted when the fight scene happened on stage last night. I feel harder and deeper when I’m with you. Sometimes it fucking hurts, like in the orchestra pit. Sometimes it feels like joy, the way last night felt after the performance, when I couldn’t stop touching you. You’re… you’re my plot twist, Piper.”
