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LEO
There had to be a rulebook somewhere that said, “If you’re going to confess your love to someone, you shouldn’t do it when your body wants to do nothing but eject all of your internal organs.” Stone-cold regret for the prior night’s drunken pity party didn’t come as an epiphany to Leo so much as a learned experience. For the third time that morning, he was curled over Piper’s toilet as wave after wave of nausea showed him just how dedicated his body was to the cause of making him look like an idiot.
“Fuck,” he groaned and lifted a weak arm to flush the toilet before falling back against the side of Piper’s bathtub with his eyes closed. “Do you still love me?”
Piper chortled and answered immediately. “No, this round finally got to me.” He peeked out from under his eyelids and found only a look of amusement. “Of course I still love you, but I am kinda starting to think you’re more into my toilet than me.”
“I am never drinking again.” Leo enunciated each word with vigor. The headache splitting his head in two seemed to agree. “I can see why you don’t.”
“I don’t, because I’m fairly certain I’m an alcoholic.” She said it so offhandedly that it made his eyes snap open.
“What?”
“It runs in my family. My grandpa, Walker, and my dad all are… or were. My grandpa’s been in and out of rehab for five years. My dad and Walker both decided not to drink early on. Colin will never touch the stuff to find out, but I figured out pretty quickly in high school after a few rounds with Harden that I can’t seem to stop once I start.” Her tone was softer and more timid now. “It’s not something I tell a lot of people, for obvious reasons.” The implication was there, that she was telling him, and that it meant something.
Guilt sloshed in his stomach. “I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have been out drinking if I did. I’m sorry.”
“Leo, it doesn’t bother me when other people drink, I’m just letting you know because we’re together now.” Piper was up on her feet, wringing out a washcloth in the sink before she crouched down next to him and pressed it to his forehead. Leo sighed at the touch.
“But I’m on your team,” he said. “If it’s a problem for you, then it’s a problem for me, too.”
“That’s…” Piper trailed off thoughtfully. “Most of the men I’ve dated in the past were either adamant about me drinking with them—”
“Harden, I assume,” Leo cut in, and she nodded. “I better not see him again, or I’ll break his fucking face.”
“And the others,” Piper rolled her eyes and continued, “were happy to get smashed, and they assumed I’d just take care of them because that’s what I always did.”
More guilt ripped up Leo’s insides. “You don’t have to take care of me, mi vida. I don’t want to do that to you.”
“I’m doing it because I want to.” She dropped the washcloth away and bent forward to kiss his forehead. “You took care of me when I was sick last night before the show. We take care of each other.”
“I’d take care of you even if you never took care of me,” he said.
“I’m well aware.” Piper’s face took on a flirty look before she scrunched both her eyes and blinked. It took him a second to realize what she was trying to do before his face split into a wide smile.
“Was that supposed to be a wink?”
“It was a wink!” The confidence in her voice made him chuckle.
“I hate to break it to you, but both your eyes closed.” She tried again, and Leo grinned wider. “Not even close.”
“Dammit. I really thought I was doing it.”
“I mean, you look cute when you’re trying, so it’s doing it for me.” His mouth quirked up before he grew serious. “This will be the last time you take care of me because I’m hungover, though, princesa. I promise. I could happily go my whole life without feeling this way ever again. Not to mention that drinking is a very expensive pastime that I don’t have the money for.” His smirk came back. “I can think of so many other ways to pass the time that are free and much more fun.” His finger traced a line down her leg suggestively.
Piper scoffed. “Are you seriously flirting with me right now when you just yakked into my toilet?”
“You started it! And I can’t help it. I’m pretty much always thinking about sex with you.” Leo flashed her a crooked smile, and Piper’s cheeks instantly went red. “I love it when your face does that.”
“Does what?”
“I always know when you’re embarrassed because you blush.” He couldn’t help but smile as the color fading from her cheeks came back with a vengeance. “Just like that.”
“Ugh.” Piper dropped the washcloth and covered her face with both hands. Leo reached up and tugged on one of her wrists to pull it free from her face.
“You blush when you come, too.” Leo let his thumb run a circle over the skin on her wrist.
“I’ll tell you what. We’re gonna go get coffee because that’s what I was trying to do when you tripped me, then we’re going to eat a greasy breakfast to help your hangover, and then I’ll let you do whatever you want to me.” She attempted a wink again and failed again.
