Page 19 of Desire

“Never reported him? But he hit you?” I can see the confusion on Leo’s face. He’s not a man to raise his fists to a woman.

“He did hit me on more than one occasion. The last time he broke my arm, and Izzy saw it happen.”

“She saw it. Oh, God, was she okay? Is she okay?” Leo suddenly pauses, and I can’t help anticipating his next question. “Did he hit her?”

“No, thankfully he never had the chance, but the reason he broke my arm was because I stepped in to stop an argument between them. I’ve no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't, he probably would've hurt her.”

“So why didn’t you report him?”

“I couldn't, because of who he is.”

“Who he is?”

It's at this point I realize Leo hasn’t done any research into my life. The person I was married to is mentioned on any profile of mine on the internet.

“Have you heard of Simon French?”

“The actor? He does those action movies. A few of the guys like to watch them when we have some downtime. They aren't my favorite, though. I prefer the original action man, James Bond.”

“Yes, I was married to Simon French. He's Izzy's father. Her full name is Isabelle French, not Landry.”

I hate even mentioning his name. It’s horrible and feels icky on my tongue like tasting food that’s been burned beyond recognition.

“What makes it complicated, though? He's guilty of domestic violence against you, and if you hadn't stopped him, he could have done the same to Izzy. He’s famous. The world needs to know about this.”

Leo pushes back in his chair. He’s not shouting, but I can tell he’s angry. He’s controlling it for me, though.

“No, the truth can never be revealed to the world. I’d lose Izzy.”

“Lose Izzy?”

Leo ruffles his hand through his dark hair. I can see he’s struggling to understand what I’m saying, or maybe I’m not explaining it that well. I’ve kept this inside me for so long now I’m finding it hard to talk about it.

“I was really fragile after the last assault. I wasn’t thinking too straight. All I knew was I had to get Izzy as far away from Simon as possible, and I spoke with my lawyer. I’d known him for a long time, and he understood my concerns. He asked Simon’s lawyers what it would take for him to give me full custody of Izzy. My silence and leaving Hollywood forever was the price I had to pay. I would be willing to pay it again every time.”

“He took advantage of your brittle condition for his gain.”

The tension within Leo manifests itself in a hardening of his jaw and a tic at his temple. I hate making him feel this way. I’m cold all over, despite the heat of the day in Louisiana. I can’t help shivering. He’s instantly on his feet and wrapping me up in his arms. Why do I feel so safe with him here? Shouldn’t I shy away from a man’s touch?

“I’m struggling to take all this in, Elise. I can understand now why you lack the confidence you once had in abundance. Have you seen a counselor?”

“I have, and so has Izzy. The agreement allowed us to do that because of patient confidentially.”

I rest my head against Leo’s chest. I can feel his heart beating loudly. It’s a steady rhythm and another reminder of his dancing talent. “Natalie has been amazing as well. She’s a fantastic friend.”

“She is. I tried to get her to tell me what had happened with your husband, but she told me I needed to ask you.”

I pull away from Leo and look up at him.

“When was that?”

“After the ice cream. Even then, I knew something wasn’t right. I wanted to help you and see you smile again the way you used to when we were young.”

“Perceptive as always.”

“No, I learned to read you when you were fifteen years old. I’ve never forgotten.”

Leo kisses my forehead, and a lump forms in my throat. I know I’m developing feelings for him again. I’m not sure they ever went away.

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