“Leonidas?”
He snaps out of his thoughts and looks up at me. Biting his lip, he mumbles, “I have one question.”
I nod my head, and he continues, “Did you wear this …” He pauses and holds up my lacy red bra in the air. My cheeks immediately turn a shade of pink when his heated eyes find my own. “Because of me?”
I would be lying if I said no. I know Leonidas loved it when he first saw it before he took me away for the weekend. Swallowing tightly, I nod my head. No words can seem to leave my mouth as he just stares at the lingerie. Biting his bottom lip, he lets out a curse lowly. With just his black boxers on, he strides to where his backpack lies on the floor. Pulling the zipper open, he stuffs the bra into his backpack and closes it fast.
What did he just do? I stare at him, shocked.
When he looks up, he acknowledges my confusion. “What? Another reason for you to come over to see me and get it.”
That’s it. I’m going to cry a river of happy tears.
“I don’t need a silly reason like that to come and see my boyfriend.” A breathy laugh leaves my mouth as he smirks at me.
“Maybe I just want it, okay?” Leonidas whines like a four-year-old even though he’s a nineteen-year-old guy.
Gasping, I run over to him, slapping his broad shoulder as I scold him, “You’re so nasty! I love that bra.”
“I bet I love it more, and I’m only dirty for you.”
“You’d better be,” I mumble, walking toward my dresser again. “Or else I’ll haunt you,” I joke but keep my voice painfully serious.
“Noted,” is all my boyfriend replies with.
* * *
I watch the boys play outside. They kick a soccer ball around my backyard, yelling and jumping on one another. I can’t help but say I’m surprised that Leonidas is beating Elijah. It seems as if that guy is good at everything.
“So …” Amelia comes up beside me and trails off. I look over and find her staring at her brothers, a small smile gracing her lips. “Did you really do the deed last night?”
Feeling extremely guilty, I turn with a frown. “I’m sorry. We got carried away. It was a shitty thing to do.”
She pushes my shoulder and laughs. “I know my brother. He gets everything he wants. Plus, he can be pretty convincing.”
“You got that right. He’s pretty convincing.”
We both chuckle.
“Do you love him?” she whispers a few moments later, breaking the silence.
I try to keep the emotion out of my voice, but as I look at Leonidas score a goal and throw his hands up in victory, I find it difficult. “He’s amazing. Leonidas is the most caring person I’ve ever met. I haven’t felt this happy in so long. I’m definitely falling in love with him.”
“He loves you too.” She pauses. “I’ve never seen him this invested in a relationship. You can tell he cares so much by just looking at his eyes when you’re around.”
Curiosity gets the best of me, so I ask the question that's killing me. “Has he been in a relationship before?”
She nods her head, and a frown makes its way to her face. “A while ago, but they didn’t last that long. The breakup definitely messed him up. After, his trust issues soared above the roof.”
I wonder what happened and what his ex-girlfriend did to make him have trust issues. Obviously, I’m glad they ended. I know that makes me sound selfish, but I don’t care. I wouldn’t have met him, and I wouldn’t be in a relationship that not only is strengthening him, but me as well.
“I can’t believe we’re going home soon. I feel like we just arrived here. It’s been nothing but peaceful. It’s going to hurt, going back, especially without you,” Amelia says. Her eyes water as she looks over at me. “What are you guys going to do? Are you going to do long-distance?”
Sadly, I shrug my shoulders at her. I have no idea what we’re going to do. I don’t want him to leave me, but I can’t hold him back. I know long-distance probably won’t work. It never does.
“We haven’t talked about that yet, which I’m slightly grateful for. When we do, it’s just going to feel so”—I gesture with my hands, frustrated—“real, like time is just ticking down faster at every given moment.”
“You guys can’t break up!” Amelia exclaims, gripping my shoulders tightly while giving me a firm look. “Leonidas and you are endgame. I won’t believe in love anymore if this doesn’t work out.”
