“Yes, I have to thank you.” His voice is sharp and intimidating. “We only have a couple more hours left with each other. I know you would rather spend the hours doing something else. But here you are, helping me with my problems.” He uses the hand that he was signing all the merchandise with to brush a lock of my hair away from my face. “You truly don’t know how much the little things matter to me.”
Love is all about sacrificing yourself for them. Sure, I would rather cuddle in bed with him, but seeing the relief on his face and the tension lift from his shoulders as we get through all the merch makes it all worth it.
“And you need to understand that I love you, and when you love someone, you give them your all. You don’t need to thank me for helping you.” My fingers fiddle with a ring around one of his fingers.
The look Leonidas sends my way almost makes me crumple. “I love you.”
My voice stays strong as I glance at the guy I have grown to love tremendously. “I love you.”
His lips brush over mine in a featherlight touch, and I wrap my arm around his neck. I get lost in the feeling of his lips.
“Stay the night?” he mumbles against my lips.
I nod, and he picks me up from the floor before throwing me on the bed.
We do the one thing I’ve craved since I first came here.
Cuddle.
FORTY-EIGHT
TRINITY
Here I am, wrapped up in my favorite place—Leonidas’s arms. I’ve never felt more relaxed than I do at this moment. As his arms tighten around my fragile body, I feel protected. We both want to hold on, but we know what must happen.
He’s leaving in the morning …
Yes, in exactly eight hours, he’s leaving. I want to cry and hold on to him forever. I want to beg him to not leave me because without him, I’ll feel so lonely. But I can’t hold him back. This is what he’s meant to do. I won’t be a girlfriend who keeps her boyfriend close for only her benefit.
He’s a singer. I have to let him shine.
Even if it means breaking my heart in return. If I had known I was falling in love with a world-famous rock star, I would have protected my heart more. I would have prepared myself for the heartbreak I’ll feel when he leaves. The world needs him back. I didn’t fall in love with Leo, the famous rock star everyone else sees. I fell in love with Leonidas Drakos, the broken guy who wants to be heard and understood.
I truly feel that he is a blessing, put into my life to beam his bright light down on me. I just want him to stay.
He didn’t even let me argue my point in going back with him. In a way, I understand. I know he’ll feel like he’s taking me away from my life. Isn’t that the same reason I’m not holding him back? Yes. But our lives are so different that it’s incomparable.
I’m just a normal girl, living in a small town in Canada, and he’s a big-time rock star that the world loves. People scream when they see him. Anyone would do anything to be with him or be him. Just the thought of that makes me laugh. Since I’ve found out about his identity, he’s begged me not to look him up. I have to admit, I had to stop myself twice from doing so, but at the end of the day, I have to respect his wishes.
He explained passionately that most of the things said about him online are lies. If they see him walking out of a grocery store with a bag in hand, they make some bullshit up about him buying condoms to hook up with a girl. When in reality, he was just buying butter.
Leonidas scolded me when I laughed uncontrollably. I hate being socially awkward because I always laugh at the wrong times, but I couldn’t stop. People think I’m crazy, but I promise I can’t help it.
My finger lazily traces his tattoos. I focus my attention on following the lines of the designs. I love his tattoos. I know they’re all meaningful to him, and the thought makes me smile.
“People are freaking out,” Leonidas grumbles from above me.
He posted another photo of us on his Instagram. I refused, but he claimed the label couldn’t get any madder at him, so I just said fuck it. It’s a simple picture, much more innocent than the last. You see Leonidas’s beautiful profile as he kisses my neck. You can’t see my face, which still leaves me a mystery … just the way I like it.
The caption for this picture is,My rock star.
I’m not sure what people are saying about us this time, but judging by his face, it’s entertaining.
I continue the path my finger makes on the art on his skin when I feel his eyes land on me.
“The meaning behind that one is my name,” he points out quietly to me.
Glancing up at him through my lashes, I find him staring at the delicate lion head tattoo on his forearm. I nod, remembering the time I first searched for his name. I’ve never met someone who suits their name more than Leonidas. His name screams strength. If Leonidas isn’t tough, then I don’t know what he is.
