Alternatively - A Pob/Leon Fanfiction

Chapter Thirteen - Breaking (Leon)

Stay away from me.

I fired him.

I stretched out on my back with Topfah and Samu's words wrapping around each other in my head and around my brain. I didn't think Samu would fire him. The least I thought she would do was insist on him handing over the pictures—give me what I was owed.

But as the days slithered by, I knew I missed Topfah terribly.

I tried finding him at his place but there was no answer at his unit. I tried a few more times and eventually someone told me that if I was looking for Topfah that he no longer lived there.

"Really?" I asked. "Thank you."

I offered her wai and she headed on her way.

The only person I knew who could help me find Topfah was Leo. It didn't take Leo's contacts long and soon I pulled up across from a rundown boarding house.

This wasn't the kind of place my man should live. This place wasn't good enough—it was nowhere near good enough for him.

"Why are you living here, P'Fah?"

I tried knocking at the door, but no one answered. Even after walking to the other side, all I found was a note told me emphatically that only people who lived there was allowed in.

Frustrated, I wandered back to my car and wait.

When Topfah finally made an appearance, he looked exhausted. He looked as if the world was sitting on his shoulders, and I wanted to kiss those worries away. I wanted to hold him until all the bad things disappeared, but he wouldn't let me anywhere near him.

"What do you want?" Topfah asked. "You've won. Just leave me alone."

"P—please."

"What!" Topfah snapped. "I have nothing else for you. You've taken the one thing I had. There's nothing left."

"Why are you living here?"

Topfah hung his head and when he looked up again, his eyes was filled with the darkened rage of a man who could strangle me.

"Leave me alone, Leon." His voice rumbled. "Get out of my life and stay gone."

Storming around me, he let himself into the building. When I finally unglued myself to follow, he slammed the door in my face.

But I couldn't just leave.

I left long enough to gather some food and snacks, used the bathroom and returned later that night to watch the place. It wasn't like I wanted to stay there—I wanted to be close to him and this was the closest as I could get.

The time dragged on slowly. A few people came and went from the building, but Topfah never exit again until early the next morning. It was barely light out, but Topfah exited, his muscular body clad in a pair of jeans, a simple graphic t-shirt and a backpack.

He had black baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes and walked rapidly from the side street. I followed in time to see him climb onto a bus.

Where is your car, P?

I paid attention and when Topfah exited the bus, it was to enter a restaurant a good twenty-minute ride from his place. I stayed there, staring int through the glass until Topfah exited the back, dressed in an apron and began taking people's orders.

The confusion to storm through me—sure, I knew he was no longer working for Samu. But Topfah did amazing work. Finding another job as a photographer shouldn't have been hard for him. Why was he working as a waiter?