Page 135 of His Wicked Revenge

Plugging in my curling iron, I let it heat up as I search for an outfit. I have a pair of loose-fitting jeans that will work. Sliding those on, I choose a cute but comfortable crewneck I bought while shopping with Chloe. It was a bit pricey, and I didn’t want to spend the money on it, but she told me it was okay to splurge on myself occasionally.

When I’m dressed, I head to the bathroom to curl my hair. I leave the strands loose, not wanting to take the extra time to make it look like my natural hair. As the mascara swipes through my lashes, there is a knock on my door. I pause my movement and back away from the mirror.

“Come in!” I shout loud enough for Leo to hear me.

The door opens, and I return to applying the mascara. Leo appears in the doorway as I finish up and uncap the lid of my nude lipstick. I keep my eyes on him only for a second before I focus on applying the lipstick. As I do, I can feel him watching me. His eyes follow my hand as I trace over my lips.

After rolling them together, I grab the tube and replace the lid with a pop. “Are you still mad at me?”

“Yes,” he answers, stepping into the bathroom until he is standing behind me. “But not as angry. I also feel bad about how things went down in the hotel room. I shouldn’t have left like that.”

My eyes drop to the golden lipstick tube in my hands. I twist the cap and watch it go round and round.

“You don’t have to apologize. I think your leaving was for the best.”

“Why is that?”

“With how angry you were, I don’t think anything good could have come from it.” I lift my eyes to meet his again. They are soft, and I’ve missed that look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Leo’s hands meet my waist. “I just—you can’t keep things from me, Veronica. We talked about this.”

“I know. I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

He kisses the top of my head. A soft smile appears on his face. “Was that a puzzle on your coffee table?

I nod, and Eliza enters my mind. I was going to tell Leo about my run-in with her at some point. But I guess keeping it hidden for another second would be wrong because if I don’t tell him and then he finds out another way, he would be pissed all over again.

“I went to the bookshop today. I needed something new to read.” I lick my lips and inhale deeply. “Eliza was there.”

His body stiffens against mine. “Did you talk to her?”

“Yes,” I respond quietly, afraid the one word would set off a bomb in him. “I wasn’t going to. It just kind of happened. After you and my sister not being happy to see me, I thought⁠—”

“That Eliza would be.” He sighs. “She always liked you, but Veronica, that was a risk.”

“I know, but she promised she wouldn’t turn me in.” I spin my body to look up at Leo. “I believe her.”

His eyes dance between mine, but he doesn’t say anything more about it, only nods. “We should get going.”

“Where are we going?”

“Seeing how you don’t like surprises, I suppose I could tell you.” Leaning forward, he places a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I’m taking you somewhere my mother took me when I was a child.” I look at him with confusion. “Have you ever been stargazing?”

My head shakes in response.

“Then I’d be happy to be the first person you stargaze with. I packed us some food, wine, and a few blankets.”

“A picnic under the stars?” I grin.

“Exactly.” He kisses me once more and then releases his hold on me. “It’s a bit of a drive, so we should get going.”

CHAPTER 49

Veronica

He wasn’t kidding when he said it was a bit of a drive. It was an hour and a half drive, and I thought it would never end. But then, Leo slowed the car and pulled into a small opening to our left. It was so obscure that I’m not sure I would have even noticed it in the daylight.

By the time we reached our destination, the sky had been blanketed by darkness. As we drove down the dirt road, we could only see the path in front of us, which was illuminated by the headlights. Trees surrounded us, but with how dark it was and without the headlights hitting them, they were almost non-existent.