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To be honest, I wasn’t sure how things would be between us after my “I love you” confession. But this morning, Leo woke me with a kiss. “Say it again.”
“What?” I teased, pretending not to know.
“What you said last night.”
“Hint please…I’m drawing a blank.”
“You know what I want to hear.” He smacked my butt. “Now tell me.”
“Leo.” I cupped his face and looked into his eyes, giving him my whole heart. “I love you.”
“Again,” he rasped.
“I love you.”
Then he proceeded to bang the hell out of me while I grabbed onto the headboard and a butterfly vibrator fluttered over my clit. Living with Leo has been pure bliss. I don’t know how I’ll be able to leave at the end of the week. But for now, I intend to enjoy every second of it.
As I unlock the apartment door, I’m still on a cosmic high. I have a plan to surprise him by cooking dinner in nothing but my sexy apron. But when I get inside, I find Leo already there, sitting on the couch with his head bowed, his forearms resting on his spread knees, his hands hanging loosely between them.
“Leo?” I call out, concerned.
He lifts his head, revealing red marks beneath his eyes and around his swollen nose.
“Oh my god!” I rush forward, dropping my bag on the floor and kneeling beside him. “What happened?”
“Kai,” he grates. “I told him.”
“And he hit you!”
“He found out in the worst way possible. It came out during a heated argument.”
“That’s no excuse,” I say in total shock and remorse. “Did you go to the hospital?”
“No. My nose isn’t broken. Just looks worse than it is.”
“I’m so sorry, Leo.” I take his hand and press the back of it to my lips. “I never wanted this to happen.”
His tormented gaze meets mine. “I know you didn’t. But this is where we are.”
I don’t know what to even say. I can’t help but blame myself for making this situation worse between them. “How can I help? What can I do?”
“Nothing. I should have been more responsible. I should never have let this…”
He doesn’t finish his sentence, but the implied meaning is gutting. So much so that I give him a chance to tell me I misunderstood. “You’re not saying you wish we’d never happened, are you?”
He shakes his head, but whether that’s a response to my question or not, he doesn’t give me the reassurance I need. All the joy I’d felt with him is washed away in a tide of pain and rejection.
“Do you…do you want me to go?” I ask, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.
“That might be for the best,” he confirms, not meeting my eyes. “My head’s a fucking mess right now.”
His words feel like a million tiny jabs. But I’m not going to put that on him after what he’s been through. “Just know that I’m here for you, no matter what.”
He brings our linked hands to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. “Thank you.”
Standing, I wipe away a stray tear and walk towards the door on autopilot. But Leo’s voice stops me. “Jazz?”
I turn around, hope flickering in my chest. Maybe he’s changed his mind. Maybe he realizes we can face this together. But what he says next, shatters that hope. “I’m sorry for the way this turned out. You deserved better.”
