The Seventh Step

3

We walk into the first floor kitchen to find my grandparents sitting at the dining room table, reading two separate newspapers.
"Being sociable are we?" I ask sarcastically.
Both of them look up and smile
"Jess, dear, you know how it is. You live with them for fifty odd years and you soon run out of things to talk about" my grandfather was smiling widely. I hug him.
"Um we were about to go for a walk in the fields if that's ok?'' Leo says
My grandmother nods and smiles at us. "When you come back, we might not be here. I'm going to get my blood tested at the hospital, just a monthly thing I have now I'm old and wrinkly."
''Ok'' I say and Leo and I walk out of the kitchen.
We walk out the back door and though the garden. When we reach the end Leo lifts me over the wall and follows quickly. We walk, hand in hand, across the fields. Quickly we come to a small stream, lined with smooth pebbles. The water runs swiftly, tinkling as it goes.
Leo sits down and pats the ground, signalling for me to join. When I've sat down Leo looks at me and I look at him.
"I'm sorry" he says quietly.
"For what?" I ask
"For such a wonderful and beautiful person like you to have his rubbish life. You should be a princess, not a girl who feels life a piece of rubbish and gets teased at school because she can't go out, have fun or have a sleep over and bursts into tears for no apparent reason. Jess you deserve better than that."
I gulp and hold back tears
"Leo I..."
"Don't say that you don't mind the bottles smashed on the floor. Don't say you don't care that your dad is to drunk to even kiss you goodnight. Don't say your ok, Jess because your not"
"How do you know all this, how do know about school?"
"I had a little chat with your grandma"
"Oh"
We sit in silence with me trying so hard not to cry and Leo studying my eyes, trying to sense tears.
He shuffles a little closer to me. I gasp suddenly and burst into a flow of salty tears. Leo pats my back and makes soothing noises in my ear while I quickly ruin his shirt.
Slowly I sit up and wipe my nose.
" Leo, I'm making all this fuss about my dad but mostly my mum. And yes it is a horrible life, one which I would imagine in a sad love story, but look" I roll up Leo's sleeves to just underneath his elbow and point at the scars forced into his beautiful skin. He rolls down his sleeves quickly
"Leo he hurts you, my parents don't. You are in danger every time you walk into that house"
He nods "I take your point, so let's call it a draw"
I grin at him "let's be messed up together"
He nods "sounds like a plan. And from now on you'll be my messed up princess and I'll be you prince"
I grin wider. Leo stands up and offers me his hand "my lady"
"Thank you, my lord" I stand and start walking.
Leo sweeps me up into his muscled arms "my lady, you were about to get you jeans muddy"
I laugh as he carries me, what seams like effortlessly to a tree stump were he sets me down. Leo looks at the sky "storm" he mutters. Suddenly thunder crashes in the distance.
He smiles at me "told you"
Leo looks at me straight in the eyes. I want to look away but I can't.
"Jess Song why do you have to be so damn beautiful"
He takes my cold hand in his equally cold one. "Guess what I want to do?" He asks
I shake my head and he grins the shockingly beautiful grin. " I want a race!"
He laughs and starts running.
"First one to the house!" He yells, the wind taking most of the volume with it as it flys past.
My eyes roll and he laughs loudly in the distance. I jump of he stump and chase after Leo. He is fast but I am faster. Soon I am sprinting next to him. I giggle as he takes my hand and picks up speed, dragging me behind him.
The rain starts, lightly at first, then the small drops form huge, hail like ones.
The rain hits my head hard and I pull the flimsy,fabric hood over it. Finally, out of breath I fall onto the muddy floor.
Leo stops to and grins. He picks me up again and starts walking to the house. The wind blows harder and colder. I start to shiver and bury my face deep into Leo's warm coat. Leo puts me down and tells me to wait. He takes of the coat and wraps it around my shoulders before picking me up once again.