Page 76 of Loving Leo

“Why did you leave?” I ask, feeling slightly frantic. As soon as I discovered Leo had left me that morning, I immediately called him. My first thought was something had happened with his mom. And then maybe something had happened with him. But when I hear his adorable sigh over the phone, I find myself relaxing. “I thought you were dead.”

“No, not dead. Just persevering. Wanted to take some time away from you to think.”

“About what?” I ask, feeling suddenly hot all over.

“Just me. Us. What ever the hell I’m doing.”

“What are you doing?”

“Falling. Big time. Just need to evaluate my life choices.”

“And I’m one of those?” I ask, feeling suddenly so nervous. I don’t want this to end. Whatever he thinks this is between us it’s not. This is not some kind of experiment. I like him a lot. More than a lot.

I wanted to wake up with him today.

I miss him now that he’s gone.

What’s that say about me? How fast I’ve fallen?

“Yeah. But don’t worry. I won’t ghost you. I’ll probably see you tonight. If you stick around and wait for me to show up. And if you don’t, then I’ll leave you a naughty note and some candy.”

I huff a laugh and lean back against the headboard, feeling slightly off kilter since I noted his absence. I wish he was here.

But I can respect his need for some time away.

“I’ll be there.”

“Good,” he whispers and then offers me a sweet goodbye.

And for some reason, I can’t help but feel that even though he’s never indicated it, that this is the beginning of the end.

“You bought me flowers?”Leo asks over the phone and I feel my cheeks heat. “And had them delivered?”

“I—”

“The man even sung. He had a very nice voice. Quite a soprano.”

“He sang?” I ask and Leo laughs. I love that sound I’m starting to realize. The sound of his laugh. It does something to me. I’ve never felt this happy with someone else. Not even my ex-fiance.

Leo makes me happy.

I want to keep this, this slice of happiness, of contentment.

Maybe that’s not fair, but its the truth.

“Yeah, at one point he went a little off key and Jack came out of the apartment and grumbled about it being off key, but it was really nice, Heath. Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I did. I wanted to show you that I?—”

My voice trails off and I let out a long exhale. “That you what?” His face on the screen looks so hopeful, his eyes wide and his lips parted, his pupils blown out.

“That I care for you. That this isn’t just an experiment.” It’s true, but I’m not good with feelings. I never have been and I don’t know how to express this to him.

“And you thought singing flowers would convince me?”

I wince at that because clearly, I’m messing this up.

“Maybe?” I run a hand down my face. “I guess maybe I’ve always been this way and never really had the chance to explore it. Until I met you.”

---