Caramel || Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 1: Autumn Horizon

Originally Published: October 1, 2022

LEO'S POV:

"Hey, I think that club was the best we've been to so far," Scott told me as he patted my back after walking by.

"Yeah, did anyone get a girl's number tonight," I wondered, putting on my best smile. I was with my group of guy best friends, and we had been partying all over New York. I usually picked the places that we visited, since I was the leader.

"Forget about girls' numbers. I just made out with one of them near the bathroom all night," another one of my buddies spoke up.

"That's great," I grinned before taking a swig of my bottle of beer. We had drinks in our hotel rooms as well, and I hadn't consumed much alcohol that evening yet.

"Yeah, I think we're going to get in the hot tub for awhile. There's finally not anybody in it," Scott emphasized.

"I think I'll pass tonight. I'm just not feeling up to it," I shrugged, setting my cold drink on the bedside table.

"Yeah, we noticed you were going light on the drinks. What gives," Ethan wondered.

"Just not feeling that good, but I'll be fine by tomorrow. I promise." I held up my hands for emphasis as the five guys nodded before walking off. Tobey had stayed behind, standing next to me as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong," Tobey asked. "It's only us now. You don't have to put up a front for me like with the other guys."

I pressed my lips together after licking them, him taking a seat beside me. "I keep thinking about Kristen. I know the whole point of all this is to enjoy life and forget about her, but... I don't know." I brushed my hair back with my hands before lying directly down on the mattress, my legs still dangling off the side. "It's not exactly about her. It just sucks because I've gone out with all these beautiful women and they never stay. And then when I found 'the one.'" I did air quotes after sitting up again. "She can't handle being with me. She needs time to find out what she wants to do with life, and she doesn't want to deal with my rising fame."

"I knew something was off, but I never could have guessed that was it," Tobey admitted as I nodded with my mouth on my beer bottle.

"Yeah, and briefly being with all these beautiful women feels good, but then afterwards it doesn't, you know? It's like I feel like that song All By Myself or something." I cracked a smile before it faltered, Tobey remaining silent for a few seconds.

"Maybe these flings aren't what you're searching for anymore. Maybe you need to be finding a girlfriend on this trip."

I laughed slightly, almost coughing on my beverage. "Yeah, maybe, but the guys would never understand. This is about no rules and complete fun-"

"But you're not having any fun," Tobey interrupted. "And I think the guys would understand. We're all your friends."

"Yeah, but there's a reason why we're sitting here talking about this, while all the others are in the hot tub. I'm not going to let them know how I'm feeling. Even if I have to fake my way through the rest of this trip, that's just how it's going to have to be."

"You're literally the one in charge. If you wanted to go back to L.A. they would listen to you." He was looking up at me since I had risen from the bed.

"I know, but they're all having a good time, and it hasn't been all bad." I leaned my arm against the window pane as I stared out it, able to spot them in the hot tub in the distance, the area lit up.

"But it hasn't been all good either."

"That's just life," I shrugged, finding temporary comfort in my drink again.