Sailing With Destiny

Off-route: London

Mitchell's POV

My teeth instinctively clenched together and fingers curled tightly around my phone as I watched Mila, rather immaturely, run towards her childhood friend. Leo didn't even notice her presence until she threw herself at him, he stumbled back and my eyes dropped to his hands that immediately fell to her lower back and held her. Leo widened his eyes and I could tell it took him a few moments to comprehend what just happened.

Mila was as excited as a kid who just got the taste of candy, her hands were wrapped around Leo's neck and she looked so ecstatic, I felt her energy from where I stood. It was almost as if she was seeing him after eons when in reality, it only could've been a few weeks.

Her inner five-year-old is just excited to see her best friend. That's it.

"That would be Leo," Leo's brother, Lorenzo, broke the silence between us and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, "My brother."

As if I didn't fucking know already. How stupid did I look for him to assume I'd stand silently and let my girl hug some stranger?

My attention was completely diverted from booking the earliest plane ticket to London, so I locked my phone, slipped it in my pocket, and strode towards Mila – who still hadn't let go of Leo.

I couldn't read Leo's expression but his grip appeared to tighten around Mila and his eyes momentarily shut. The intimacy at the moment might've been platonic but it slowly began to irk me. I made my presence known when I cleared my throat and Leo's eyes immediately opened and briefly met mine before he pulled away.

"What are you doing here?" Mila's voice was filled with glee as she gazed up at Leo and slapped his arm, "Why didn't you tell me you were in Italy?"

Leo flinched and dramatically rubbed over the arm she smacked, "So you don't follow me and abuse me. Seriously woman, why must you be violent?"

And here I thought I was the only lucky one she got violent with.

"Shut up," she cutely wrinkled her nose and tried to hide her smile, "Ah, I missed you!" she stepped forward towards him but he took a step back and glanced my way.

"Mitchell," Leo's tone changed from playful and carefree to formal in a second, "Nice seeing you again."

Mila finally remembered my existence when she glanced at me over her shoulder and the minute her wide, blue-green gaze caught mine, I couldn't be annoyed at her for running off like a kid anymore.

I'm so fucking done for.

Mila's smile brightened her features and she looked at me with a hopeful glimmer. I couldn't dampen her spirits and hated not giving her what she wanted so I planted on a convincing grin and offered Leo a hand to shake. "Leo," Leo glanced at my hand before he gave it a firm shake, "Likewise."

Doesn't necessarily count as a lie because it felt good to see Mila so happy and if her happiness meant seeing Leo, I was okay with it.

I couldn't deny the slight awkwardness between Leo and me, the last time I saw him was in Bora Bora. While Leo and I were never friends or even friendly, I assumed he hated me after he walked in on Mila and me right after we spent the night together. I didn't blame him for holding a grudge, I broke his best friends' heart without a valid excuse and didn't grovel half as much to make my way back into her life and heart.

"What are you doing here?" Mila asked.

"I should ask you that," Leo retorted, "Spain is at least another eight-hundred miles from here."