Page 60 of Jonathon, After All

“Vienna might not agree.”

“Fuck Vienna and the Foundation,” Leo said simply, without pulling his eyes from Jonathon’s. He didn’t want to look away, he was afraid Jonathon would vanish again.

Jonathon made a panicked sound and shook his head. “Please, don’t do anything drastic because of me! I understand and I think I can forgive you, but it’s been so long. What if we’ve changed too much?”

“I haven’t!” Leo argued. “And I don’t care if you’ve changed. I can feel that you still love me and I still believe that we were meant to be together.”

“I…” Jonathon licked his lips, looking around at everyone else and shaking his head more firmly. “I don’t know! I know that I have to start over. I can’t be the man I was before or I will self-destruct. But I don’t know what that means for you or for us right now. Everything has changed.”

“Fine,” Leo said, sniffing hard and taking stock. “I can wait. I will wait for as long as you need. I’m not moving, not leaving Manhattan until you decide.”

“You can’t do that!” Jonathon protested and Markus interrupted before Leo had a chance to say he could.

“Leo, we have to be reasonable and realistic here. The Foundation is already?—”

Leo turned to him, snarling, but Max held up a hand. “Perhaps we can buy them a little more time,” he said with a loaded look at Leo, silently scolding him as only Max could. “I’ll call myself and reassure them that you have not gone off the rails and are simply handling a personal matter. That may result in a happy surprise for the House of Hessen,” he added cautiously and Theo stepped forward, a finger raised.

“I think we can buy you a week if you agree to talk to Sabine,” he told Leo.

Leo shook his head, immediately shooting down the idea. “No.”

“Yes,” Theo shot back just as quickly. “Think with your head now, Leo,” he advised with a hard look, all charm and lightness gone as he grew serious for a rare moment. “Don’t cut off your right hand just yet. I have a feeling the Foundation will be much more amenable to…an extra week if you’ll meet with her and hear her out,” he suggested, but Leo’s face twisted.

“There’s nothing she can say to make up for this,” he said as he gestured at Jonathon. He was still staring at Leo like he had stepped out of a spaceship while Markus and Theo wanted to plead Sabine’s case and please the Foundation. “I am fighting to get my life back. He is all that matters,” Leo said as he raised his brows at Jonathon, hoping he still felt something.

“Leo, I…” Jonathon hesitated, looking around the room.

“What about this?” Theo said loudly and rubbed his hands together, planning as he approached Leo and Jonathon. “Meet us halfway so we can prove to the Foundation that this isn’t a crisis and that you’re being reasonable,” he added and smiled widely at Leo, pinning his gaze for a moment before turning to Jonathon. “And give my brother a week to court you and prove that he’s still worthy. If you’re still unsure or you feel like your hearts have changed too much, we’ll drag Leo back to Austria and you will never hear from any of us again.”

“I like that,” Max said while holding up both of his thumbs. “I can definitely sell this to the Foundation.”

All Leo cared about was that he would get a week with Jonathon. “It’s up to him,” he said as he took both of Jonathon’s hands in his. “I never want to lay eyes on Sabine again, but I will if Jonathon is willing to give me a chance and if he wishes to see her. Whatever she has to say to me, she will say it in front of Jonathon and he shall decide her fate.”

“Really?” Jonathon’s eyes were huge as they searched Leo’s face. “You’ll give me a week to decide?”

“I’ll wait right here for another ten years, if that is what it takes. All I want is you,” he said clearly, then held his breath as Jonathon considered.

“Okay… I’ll give you a week. I never want to see Sabine again, but I don’t think either of us can move on until we’ve heard her out and we all know the truth,” he said and Leo nearly dropped to his knees, he was so relieved as he kissed Jonathon’s knuckles.

“Thank you. I can work with that.”

Eighteen

“Tilly? Muriel?” Jonathon peeked around the door, then stepped over the threshold, listening. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused and for making you worry,” he called.

Calista let out a loud Oof! and galloped into the foyer, skidding on the marble when she spotted him.

“It’s me, girl! I’m home.” Jonathon lowered to a knee so she could lick his face and sniff at his hair and clothes.

“There you are!” Tilly rushed into the foyer, breathless.

“Where have you been?” Muriel demanded, waving her cane as she followed.

“Upstairs with the Ashbys,” Jonathon said as he stood and allowed Muriel and Tilly to shower him in kisses and check him for injuries. “I’m fine!”

“You cut your hair!” Muriel held onto his cheeks, blinking up at him to hold back her tears.

“I did. It wasn’t really me,” he whispered.

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