“I’m so sorry,” he mumbles into my hair, and I frown.
I try to pull away from his body, but he doesn’t let me. I want to see his face. I’m so lost. What happened overnight that has him completely freaked out? I know whatever it is, it isn’t good. Leonidas is usually calm, cool, and collected around me. Now, he’s the absolute opposite.
“Leonidas, take a deep breath and explain what’s panicking you.”
He nods his head against me, which makes me sigh sadly. “It’s a nightmare,” is all he says.
A nightmare? God, this suspense is killing me.
I muster up all my strength and lightly pull away. My eyes find his, which are glassed over in sorrow, and mine dull in response.
“Leonidas?”
“I’m leaving.”
I didn’t know one line could break my heart more. I stare at him in shock. I knew he had to leave; he told me when we first kissed, but I didn’t think it would be this soon.
“I thought we still had time,” I whisper up to him, not bothering to hide my heartbreak.
His arms drop from around my waist. Taking a few steps back, he runs a hand down his face. “The label is pissed about the picture. They can’t trust us, so they’re forcing us to go back to LA.”
“This is all about me?” I ask, shocked at the idea of one silly picture causing so much chaos.
“Like I said before, they’re controlling.”
“You can’t leave yet!” I plead. “You should be able to stay the time they said you would. This is too soon.”
“There’s nothing I can do, Trin.” He bites his fingernail and curses lowly. “Trust me, I don’t want to leave, but they always get their way.”
This isn’t fair.
This isn’t fair to Leonidas and me. We just got each other. I finally found out the truth, and now, he’s being taken away from me early. I would have spent every single given moment with him if I had known he’d be pulled from my grasp. I would have hugged him tighter and told him I loved him.
But the label has taken that all away because of one stupid picture. I know deep down in my heart that I can’t say anything to make him stay. The label will fight ten times harder than I will. They have much more money and amazing lawyers.
Our hourglass has filled up.
“Say something.” Leonidas grabs my shoulders, making me look into his eyes.
There’s nothing to say. We both know what’s going to happen. Dropping my forehead onto his, I close my eyes.
“You need to go back, Leonidas. You can’t stay here when we both knew this was temporary.”
He nods his head against mine and lets out a strained breath. “What about us?”
That’s the big question I’ve been asking myself since the moment this began. I’ve feared asking him the entire time I gave him my heart. Now, here the day comes, where we have to discuss it, and all I want to do is run away. Call me a coward, but I love him too much to let him go.
What happens when he leaves and I’m left empty, knowing he’s out there in the world and I’m stuck here?
I’ll always be stuck here. This town is suffocating, but Leonidas makes it better. He makes everything better.
“I love you, Leonidas.” My hands fist his T-shirt in a death grasp. “I love you so much that sometimes, it’s painful. I just got you …” I stutter. “I can’t lose you.”
“You’re not losing me, Trin. Just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean we’ll end,” he says with a heavy sigh.
I pull away from his body. I need space while I think. Walking over to the bed, I sit down on it and place my head in my hands. My foot taps the ground as I think about every likely outcome of us.
“I know a lot will change with me being gone, Trinity. The one thing I know will never change is my love for you.” His tone is stiff. “I won’t let the record label take you away from me even though I know you won’t be able to come to LA,” he says.
