Leo and I stare at each other in alarm, and I wince whenThievesby Ministry suddenly blasts full volume through the building.
“Shit,” Leo bites out. Sadie only ever plays Ministry albums when she’s feeling truly murderous. He rushes through to her room, and I follow uneasily, wanting to help but not sure if I can.
She’s gripping her table and taking deep breaths, looking like she’s fighting not to cry. Or fighting not to throw stuff around the room while the music screams as it bounces against the walls. Some choking noises, like smothered sobs, force their way out of her chest, making her shudder. This is not the Sadie I know.
“What happened?” Leo asks. No teasing, no kidding around. The woman he loves is hurting, and nothing else matters or even exists to him. My gut twists as I imagine how I’d feel if Liaden was upset like this. I couldn’t bear it. I’d go berserk.
“Isaidleave me alone,” she snaps, her voice starting to crack.
“What happened?” he asks again in a softer voice.
“Leave. Me.ALONE. Get out of my fuckingface. What part of that don’t you understand, Leo?!” Her voice is fierce, but still broken, and her lips are pressed together hard enough to make them go white in the middle. For all she’s snarling at us, it’s like she’s a wounded animal, desperate for the same care that she’s trying to frighten away from her. I feel helpless in a way I really don’t like.
Leo walks slowly forwards and takes both of Sadie’s hands. She tries to pull them away, but he holds on. “What happened, sweetheart?” he asks gently. “You know I’ll listen.”
Her face crumples a little, and she puts up a good fight against it, but eventually lets him pull her into his arms. “Peter dumped me,” she whispers brokenly, and starts to silently cry. Immediately, Leo holds her tighter, murmuring something I can’t quite hear, stroking her hair and letting her cry it out on his shirt. “He’s been having an affair with some bitch for the lasteighteen months. She’s the Vice-Chancellor’s daughter, which means she’s more ‘suitable’ than me, whatever thefuckthat means.” She makes a sad growl, leaning harder against him like her legs might give out. “All this timeI’ve been wondering what changed and what I’ve done wrong to irritate him so much that he can’t even bring himself to…to even show me the most…basicpoliteness anymore, and all the while he’s been diddling the boss’s daughter to get ahead, and, oh, it gets better, they’reengaged. The engagement rings he was looking at that time a few months back? They weren’t for me. They’dneverhave been for me, because I’m notsuitable. They were forher.”
“Oh, babe.” Leo sounds remarkably pained, for someone whose wildest dream just became possible.
“And then I went to my parents, right, for a littlecomfort,” she sobs, “for somesupportandlove, and…and my father asked me…what I’d done to drive such a good man away…because obviously it’s got to be all my fault.” The last word is wailed more than said, and she gives in and breaks her heart on his shoulder, letting him support her entire weight as she ugly cries it all out. “And itis, that’s the funny part. Itismy fault. I put up with his shitty moods and his disrespect for far too long, so I might as well have just given in and bent over for him. Honestly, I deserve everything that’s happened…” She’s rambling at this point, and her voice is so disjointed that the rest of what she mumbles isn’t clear.
Leo’s eyes flash with rage, and he kisses the top of her head again and again. “No. Absolutely not,” he says firmly. “Youdidnothingto deserve this. You’re the best thing that could happen to anybody…that stupidprick…” I wonder if he means Peter or her father as I sneak out. The best thing I can possibly do for both of them right now is leave them alone together, just let him hold her and love her through this moment. I’ll let Eli and Em know not to disturb them, either. There’s been a whole lot leading up to this point in time, and they don’t need any witnesses for it.
Dean: I can’t stop thinking about you.
I’m wanderingaround my apartment like a lost soul, listless and wishing Liaden was here so I could taste her again. I’m exhausted, but also, I can smell her on my pillow, and it makes me want to beg her to cancel whatever plans she has right now and come over, or let me go to hers, sleep be damned. All I want is to have her in my arms after a long day of work. It’s like she’s invaded me somehow, preoccupying me and making it impossible to think of anything else.
Fuck it. I’m not gonna be chill about this, or cool, or aloof. I’m not going to pretend to be above it all. What would be the fucking point? I’ve been blessed with the unimaginable good luck ofher, and I’m not going to piss that away with misguided ideas of playing hard to get, or whatever.
I keep checking for her response, annoyed with myself for being so fixated. The three dots showing that she’s responding are like a hit of adrenaline.
Liaden: Hey
I wait for more. Surely there’s more from my favorite motormouth than just ‘hey’.
The three dots appear again.
Liaden: Same. I’m stuck in faculty meetings and all I can think about is the sheer excellence of your penis.
I love this woman.
Dean: Good to know, Beb. I can’t stop thinking about how you taste [wink emoji]
I really can’t. I’m fairly sure licking Liaden’s pussy is my ‘thing’, or fetish, or whatever. Even the memory is enough to make my pulse race and my dick start straining.
Liaden: Beb?
Dean: It means darling in NOLA-ese.
Liaden: Rooted in ‘bebe’. You just called me baby [heart emoji]
Liaden: PS if you ever meet my boss and it comes up, right now you are a student in distress, affirmative?
I smirk. Not gonna resist the urge…
Dean: I could definitely get on board with pretending to be your student [fire emoji]
Liaden: Oh, god, I obviously woke the beast when I deflowered you. You’re insatiable [laugh emoji]
