Page 19 of His Forever

“So…what do you think?” Leo asked once we were away from the others and climbing the grand staircase to the second floor.

I looked over at him, shrugging with a half-smile. “It’s nice. Cozy, even, for how big the place it. Everyone’s been really welcoming.”

“Except Tatum,” he added, his tone light but with a hint of something underneath.

I winced, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. “She’s just…figuring me out, I guess.” The guys knew about me, and it wasn’t unlikely that they had told their girlfriends about me. Maybe Murphy hadn’t painted me in the best light. Hell, I didn’t even know what Leo had told the guys once we had broken up.

He didn’t add anything to Tatum being standoffish with me, just nodded and led me down another hallway. “You’ll be staying in one of the guest rooms in this wing. It’s quiet, away from most of the noise.”

“Perfect,” I muttered, trying to shake off the lingering nerves. As much as I liked everyone, I wasn’t used to this yet. “Am I the only one in this wing?” I asked. It was crazy that Leo had wings in his house. I wasn’t lying when I said I liked things to be simple, and I was more than happy being in my apartment.

Guy had owned several properties, and now they were mine. But instead of living in them, I rented them out. I had no desire to hop from place to place, like we had done during the first years of our marriage. That kind of instability had never felt like home to me. I couldn’t imagine living in a place as large as Leo’s, either. But surprisingly, his home felt more welcoming, homier than I had expected.

Leo was walking beside me as we moved down the hallway. “My room is at the end,” he said, nodding toward the large double doors about twenty feet ahead. “Bristol has her quarters behind the kitchen. Princeton, Kitty, and Larry have rooms at the other end of the staircase. Apollo, Creed, and Murphy stay in the rooms by the pool. Your men will be in the rooms also by the pool.”

I glanced back toward the stairs, noting just how far away everyone else was. The realization that Leo and I were practically isolated on this end of the house was… interesting. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that, but something inside me shifted.

Leo stopped in front of a door and opened it, revealing the guest room. It was simple but inviting. The bed was large and covered in neutral-colored linens, and the thick curtains looked like they’d block out any hint of sunlight. My bag was already sitting on the dresser and placed there ahead of time. The faintscent of lavender lingered in the air, and I could tell right away that I’d sleep well here.

“This’ll do just fine,” I said, stepping inside. The room’s warmth and simplicity calmed the unease I’d been carrying since I arrived.

I felt Leo’s presence in the doorway behind me and he lingered longer than necessary. When I turned to face him, there was something behind his eyes—a quiet intensity. It stirred something deep inside me, a sensation that felt oddly familiar yet foreign after all this time. There was so much there, just beneath the surface, though he didn’t say a word.

The air between us thickened and charged in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time. The way he looked at me reminded me of how we used to be back before everything changed. It wasn’t just nostalgia—it was something more present; something real. My heart quickened and I shifted, feeling uncomfortable but not in a bad way. It was the kind of discomfort that made me feelaliveand made meawareof him.

“Uh, well,” I started, needing to break the silence that had stretched too long. “I think I’ll get settled in. Did you want to meet with your guys and go over everything?” I tried to steer the conversation toward something neutral, something safer.

“Everything?” he asked, one brow lifting. “Including you being Maranga?”

I wrinkled my nose at that. “I’m not sure about that yet. The more people who know, the more likely it’ll get out before I’m ready.” I crossed my arms, feeling the weight of that secret, one I hadn’t fully decided how to handle yet.

Leo nodded, but I could see the slight tightening of his jaw. He didn’t like my answer, but he wasn’t going to push. “Whatever you want,” he said, his voice steady. “Why don’t you meet me at the bottom of the stairs in an hour?”

I nodded, grateful he wasn’t pressing the issue. “Sounds good. I think I can find my way down without getting lost.”

He chuckled softly. “Let me know if you need anything. Otherwise, I’ll see you in an hour.” He paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on me once more before he finally stepped out and gently closed the door behind him.

And then I was alone.

Alone with my thoughts. With the stillness of the room. With the realization that I was really here, in this house, in this situation, withLeo.

I sat on the edge of the bed, running my hands over the soft linens as my mind raced. I was supposed to be here to take care of Candace. That was my reason for being here. And yet, all I could think about was Leo. I couldn’t stop myself from replaying every glance, every word, every moment we’d shared since I arrived. How was it possible that after all these years, he still had this effect on me?

His life was so different now. When we were together, everything felt chaotic, unstable. He was always moving, always shifting between priorities, between places. But now? Now he was calm, settled, surrounded by people who clearly respected him. This wasn’t the Leo I had known twenty years ago, and yet… under the surface, I could tell he hadn’t changed all that much. He was still the same calm, measured, and determined man he had been back then. Maybe a bit softer around the edges, but the core of him was still the same.

I exhaled deeply, trying to shake off the swirl of emotions. It wasn’t like I hadn’t moved on with my life. I had. Guy and I had been together for years, built a life together—though that, too, had its complications. But this—being here—was stirring things up that I wasn’t prepared for.

I stood up, pacing the room, trying to ground myself. My gaze landed on the window, the curtains drawn, keeping theoutside world at bay. I walked over and pulled them back slightly, peeking out at the grounds below. The large, sprawling patio area was visible in the distance, and beyond that, trees stretched out, framing the horizon with a glistening lake. This was Leo’s world now—peaceful, controlled, everything in its place.

And I was just a visitor.

A part of me wanted to close the door on all of this, to push down whatever old feelings were bubbling up. But another part, a quieter, more vulnerable part, wasn’t sure I could. Not when Leo looked at me like that, not when the air between us still felt charged with the potential of something unfinished.

I turned back toward the room, my mind drifting back to Leo’s words. “Including you being Maranga.” That wasn’t just a secret—it was a complication, one that could unravel everything if handled the wrong way.

But for now, I had an hour to myself before facing him again. Before facingwhatever this wasbetween us.

I sat back on the bed, inhaling the calming scent of lavender once more, and tried to clear my mind.

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