“Let’s get something to eat. We have a table upstairs. The food’s great here and the view’s even better,” he said.
“Sounds fun.” I wiggled a brow.
“Actual food. I’m not going to take you out and not feed you.” He held me close as we weaved through the crowd.
“Not as fun but I am hungry.”
“You are not going to make this night easy, are you?” Before going up the stairs, Leo tugged me in a corner and pressed me against a wall. “I didn’t think you’d be such a flirt.”
I smiled up at him. “When have I ever made anything easy?”
“Never,” he agreed, holding onto my hips. “But I didn’t think you’d tease me this much, this early.”
“I like it here. It’s loud, and everyone’s focused on themselves. I don’t feel like anyone’s watching or waiting for something amazing to happen. Makes me feel a little freer.”
“That’s why I like it too.” He grinned, eyes excited I understood. “And that’s why I like you.”
I tilted my head, curious. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t look at me like you’re waiting for something.” He cupped my cheek, and his thumb brushed across my skin. “You look like that something’s already happened and you’re sticking around for whatever’s next.”
I smiled because Iwaswaiting for what was next with Leo. It’d been that way since we’d met. And nothing made my heartbeat faster than the realization that we were close to the next part. I’d been waiting for years for him to see me. Now, he couldn’t take his eyes off mine.
“Food’s next,” I joked, trying to sound like I wasn’t falling hard. “I’m looking at you because I’m sticking around for a promised meal.”
Leo laughed. “Alright. Let’s get you fed and then we’ll see what’s your next excuse for the hearts in your eyes.”
* * *
The terrace on the second floor held black iron furniture and a few more people who knew Leo by name. We stopped at least five times for him to join in their conversations. He took his time with everyone, laughing and joking like he came here every night. As he spoke, he held my hand, introducing me to faces I wouldn’t remember.
“You know a lot of folks here,” I noted once we’d finally found a table near the railing. Leo was right, the view was incredible. Most of the buildings on this street were lined with fairy lights and lanterns. The sun had just dipped below the horizon and now, the night lit up with a soft glow.
“Yeah, my brothers used to sneak us in a few years ago.”
“You and Nate?”
He nodded and handed me a menu he’d grabbed from a booth up front. “We used to think we were cool to have connections inside of a club.”
I laughed. “I did too. I also thought you two were in a club like the ones in those teen dramas.”
“What do you mean?” He looked amused.
“Like inSkins. I thought there were drugs and dirty needles and alcohol involved,” I shared. “At one point, I staged an intervention. I was convinced Nate would get addicted to heroin and lose his soul.”
Leo chuckled. “And how did that go?”
“How anything normally goes when I try to take control of things in my family.” I shrugged and looked down at the menu. “My suggestions go in one ear and out the other.”
Leo was quiet for a beat before asking, “Why do you do that? Try to manage them like you’re the parent?”
The genuine curiosity in his tone surprised me. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve always done it.”
“It has to get annoying, right?” He set his menu down and rested his forearms on the table.
“It’s annoying for my family, sure.” I tapped on the menu, a little embarrassed about what I was about to admit. “But it makes me feel good. If I didn’t keep things in order, then everything would fall apart.”
Leo frowned, considering my logic. “Really? How do you know that?”
