Purposefully Coincidental ✓

78. Home

Leo

My eyes crack open, and darkness greets me.

My body jerks up as instincts take over. I look around to see if my captors are still here. But they aren't.

Which is weird and has my senses going into overdrive. Something's wrong.

And Owen isn't next to me. His whines of agony aren't echoing in the tiny cell.

A humming noise from close by sounds and I strain my ear. It's a tune I know but can't place at the moment.

My palms bunch at my sides. And they clutch fabric. Soft fabric.

Something is definitely very wrong because they never gave us blankets. They even stripped us to our underwear so we freeze in the cold winter months.

The humming grows louder and I look around me, my eyes adjusting to the dark. They've become better at this over the past six months.

The vanity where Josephine sits to do her holy skin care routine is in front of me. And I see my reflection in it.

I almost don't recognize myself. My hair is long. My facial hair is too long for my comfort. My face is bruised and my gaze is cold.

Removing my gaze from the mirror, my eyes catch a Polaroid picture of three girls. It's Josephine and her two best friends.

Slowly making my way around the room with my eyes, it finally registers that I'm home.

I'm home again.

Josephine.

I was holding her in my arms just before I fell asleep. The first peaceful sleep I've had in months.

When they finally found Owen and me and put us on a plane back home, I was out of it. I was conscious, but I didn't believe I was free again.

Then, I met my family at the airport. There were a lot of tears. But even though I love my family very much, they knew I needed to see her as soon as possible. They put me in a taxi and then I was standing in front of her.

On the plane, they made us quickly shower, as they were tending to our injuries. But with the many injuries we had, we didn't have time to shave and cut our hair.

Scrubbing a hand down my face, I listen to her humming a song in the living room.

Slowly getting up, I lean my shoulder on the door to the bedroom and see her stirring something on the stove.

I've missed her so fucking much it literally physically hurt. More than any injury I ever got in my life.

The suffering I endured wasn't in the form of physical pain, but mental and emotional. I hate myself for leaving her. Especially the way I did.

And then I got held as a hostage and I couldn't call. No one knew where we were. And it was pure luck they eventually found us.

Before she sees me, I go to the bathroom and hop in the shower for a more thorough cleanup. Then I shave while minimally looking at myself. Afterwards, I grab the scissors and cut my hair as well as I can manage.

Seeing myself with the beard and long hair is a reminder of what I went through. For me and her.

And I don't want her to see me like that again.

Opening the closet, I see all my clothes are still in the same place they were before I left.

Putting a shirt and pants on, I go to Josephine. She has her back to me and when I approach her; I wrap my arms around her and bury my face in her neck.

"You're awake." She smiles at me over her shoulder.

She is the reason I made it out. If it wasn't for her voice in my head telling me to fight, I would've given up.

"I'm awake." I kiss her shoulder.

"I'm making your favorite." She gestures to the Ciao e Pepe.

"Thank you, Josephine." I lean my hips on the counter and cross my arms as I contemplate how I should ask the question. The best option is to rip the bandaid off. "Look, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." She lowers the heat.

"Are you seeing someone?" I straight up ask and hold my breath for her answer.

"Of course I am." She glances at me and chuckles. "What kind of question is that?"

My voice is steady as I say. "I've been gone a long time and I totally understand. And I respect your decision. I just needed to see you and hold you first, but I'll grab my stuff and leave—"

"Oh god." She murmurs, closes the lid to the pan and turns to me. "Leo." She frames my face, but I keep on blabbering.

"I told your brother once if you want out, I wouldn't fight you on it. And even though it hurt—"

"Leo!" She clasps my cheeks firmer. "Shut up and listen to me."

I close my mouth and fight the tears in my eyes.

"I meant you, you idiot." Her eyes gloss. "I'm not seeing anyone else but you. I love you so fucking much. There's no one for me but you. Do you hear me? Only you. I waited, and you came back to me, just like I knew you would. Are we clear?"

I absorb her words. My heart slowly beats at a healthy speed. My lungs don't feel like they're collapsing anymore.

"Are we clear?" She asks again as her eyes search mine.

"Yes." Dropping my forehead to hers, I wrap my arms around her and take the first full breath in a long time. "Clear as day."

"You're so stupid." She shakes her head, smiling at me.

"I know." The smell of something close to burning pricks my nose, and I glance at the pan. "Food is ready."

"Oh, shit." She turns around and pulls the pan away from the heat.

This is the second time she's cussed today. And it's not usual for her. I wonder when and how she picked it up. But in a fucked up way, it's hot hearing her say 'fuck' and 'shit.'

We eat as she tells me about her friends, family and work. And I listen to every word she tells me with apt attention. I've missed so much in the past nine months. But I'll make it up to her. Some way.

I tell her exactly zero stuff about what I've been up to. And she doesn't ask. I appreciate it.

What am I supposed to say?

Hey, Josephine. I was called to an emergency extraction mission of a politician. But then we were ambushed, and we get kidnapped and thrown into some lifeless, cold cage for six months where they tortured us for intel?

Yeah, right.

I will never tell her what went down this past year. I'll take that with me to the grave.