The King's of New York

Side Effects of Love

"Am I just a fool?  Blind and stupid for loving you? Am I just a silly girl? So young and naive..."

~

Hermione

"I still can't believe you got Leo to throw a Christmas party at his place at that." Andrea says as she helps me decorate one of the living rooms with Christmas decorations.

"It wasn't easy. He's been very protective and very on edge with work. But maybe the party will help ease his tenseness." I reply as I continue to decorate.

"When the grinch heart grows call me so I can also see hell freeze over too." Andrea jokes causing me to snort as we fall in laughter.

Ever since I met her, she has been a genuine friend to me. Someone I can hang with regularly and gain a since of normalcy. I only talk to Christina in passing and that's been rare since she and Jack are separated. And Gia, we'll we never been close but since our heated conversation I haven't seen her around. I'm not really stressed about that though.

"You got that face on." Andrea says as she slants me a look.

I try to my best to remove any feelings from my facial features as I look at her, "What do you mean?" I ask.

"Remind me to never commit murder with you. You can just tell when you're lying." She says causing me to sigh.

"What's going on?" She asks as we sit on the sofa.

"My mother is coming tomorrow. She knows nothing of this lifestyle. I just hope everything is smooth and nothing goes to shit." I explain as I take a sip of my coffee one of the maids left us.

Andrea rolls her eyes, "You have nothing to worry about. Ricky told me that Leo put down strict rules for tomorrow's party and left no room for interpretation if someone decides to go against those rules. Are you nervous of your mom meeting Leo?"

I nod, "She wasn't pleased of my sudden change of addresses recently. She doesn't know I don't participate in the surgical training program anymore. And she's been hounding me for information of Leo. I'm not ashamed of him or this life. I just don't want her to know anything."

"I understand my mom hated my ex. But I was young and 18 so still naively stupid to rebel. I wished I listened to her and maybe my life would be different but I don't regret Javi. He's my light when things get dark. But Leo is different and you're different. Trust me your mom will like him. I even tolerate his ass on certain days."

"Thanks Andy." I say as nudge her using her nickname I gave her. She scrunches her face and flicks me off.

"Anytime Hermit." She says my nickname she gave me causing me to roll my eyes and flick her off back.

We fall into laughter as we continue decorating the house. We gave each other our nicknames one random drunken nights a few days ago. Leo didn't want me going out and especially with Andrea. But he never said she was uninvited to the house.

Of course he and Ricky weren't excited about finding two drunken girls, in the upstairs hallway trying to do handstands and cartwheels.

I don't know what Andrea and Ricky has going on but I learned that when she's ready she tells me things. As a good friend I listen and support just like she's been for me. When she found out about my accident we stayed on the phone for hours while she was supposed to be working but she was lounging in spare private room.

I haven't told her about the hazy memory that comes to me in my dream like still images. I haven't told anyone about the blue eyes. I feel like if I tell Leo, he would chalk it up as something unnecessary to worry about it. But I know deep down it's not.