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I’m glad my parents taught me never to open the door without checking to see who it is first, because at the sight of Leo standing on the porch, I want to pretend I’m not home. My body freezes. I stop breathing. If I’m silent and don’t move, maybe he’ll walk away. He’s dressed in a suit and his hair looks like he’s run his fingers through it a few times, which means he probably drove here straight from work.
“Chloe, can I talk to you?”
I jump back. He must have noticed a shadow behind the peephole.
“I know you’re home. Your car is in the driveway.”
Or there is that.
Looks like I can’t avoid him any longer without making this even weirder. I tighten the knot on my robe and open the door. “Hello.”
“Hi,” he says. One little word in his affable tone and I wish I’d been selfish enough to walk away from the door. “Can I come in?”
No! I hate you. I don’t want you here.Too bad I can’t blink and make him disappear.
With reluctance, I shift to allow him entry. “I guess so.”
“Thank you.” He steps inside my house like he’s done a hundred times before, only this time his presence hurts. “Is your dad here?”
“No. He’s at dinner with a baseball buddy.”
Leo takes a seat on his favorite side of our well-loved buckwheat-beige fabric couch. I sit on the opposite end. He checks out my painted toenails then slowly lifts his gaze to meet mine. “How are you?”
“Okay.”
“You going out tonight?” Can he smell my Pretty as a Peach foaming sugar scrub? The one I rub all over my body on special nights out.
“Yes.”
He looks bothered for a split second before he says, “I won’t keep you then. I just wanted you to know I never cheated on you with Adele. I don’t think I made that clear before.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Excuse me? You said it was love at first sight, blah, blah, blah.”
“Yes, but I never touched her. Not until after you and I broke up. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
My blood starts to boil. He’s claiming they didn’t even hold hands? I don’t believe it. “Correction.Youbroke up with me. And what you’re now saying is you had an emotional affair, which can be argued is worse.”
He shakes his head. “No. Maybe. Shit. I wasn’t looking to meet someone else. I loved you, I really did, but I took one look at Adele and an actual bell went off in my head that told me she’s the girl I’m supposed to marry. How could I ignore that? I didn’t mean to hurt—”
“Stop. I don’t need to hear any more. The fact is you did hurt me. And I’d appreciate it if you left me alone from now on. If this is what you needed to say to feel better about yourself then fine. Mission accomplished. But if you’re looking for my forgiveness, that isn’t going to happen.”
“I don’t want you to hate me, Chloe. I still care about you. I want us to be—”
“Friends? That’s not going to happen either.”
He loosens his tie. Pain is etched around his eyes. “I’m so damn sorry.”
“I know.” I do. Leo isn’t a bad person. None of my exes are. They simply found women whose souls mated with theirs. I’m like the Angel of True Love or something.
“This wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I fist my hands. Is he for real right now? “I know that! You wronged me, Leo. This is all on you and I don’t want to see or talk to you again.” I jump to my feet. “It’s time for you to go.”
He doesn’t move as fast as I’d like him to. Finally, he reaches the door and steps outside. “You’re amazing and there’s someone out there for you.”
I shut the door in his face. I’m vibrating with hurt, anger, and an unhealthy dose of how-dare-he. In all my twenty-five years, I have never been this upset with another human being. He doesn’t know about my curse, so for him to even imply I was guilty of something is completely insensitive. Tears prick my eyes, but I refuse to shed any more for him.
Never again. I am never giving my heart away again.
