The Space Between Love And Hell

Chapter 8

Somehow, Leo had gotten me to agree to him coming into my room. We sat there awkwardly both staring at different spots on the floor.

"So, uh," I started, twisting a strand of my hair between my fingers, fidgting. I glanced up at him, watching him play with the strings on his hoodie. He was making sure they were the exact same length. I nearly smiled, then remembered how rude he was.

"So," he said, not taking his eyes off his hoodie. I started tapping my nails on the wooden handle of the chair, leaned my head against the back of the navy blue cushion, staring up at the bright yellow light and gray ceiling, feeling bored.

Ever since I was little, I'd kept myself busy. No matter where I was, I'd always wanted something to do. I couldn't go five minutes without fidgeting with something. Some would say it was a bad thing, others might say it was good. I just felt like it was how it had always been. Unfortunately, I got bored crazy fast. I wasn't really paying attention to my fingers as they sped up, tapping away at the wood as I tried to think. I thought I heard Leo say something, but I wasn't really listening. I was trying to form a list of everything that could be happening, something that brought everything together. The glowing eyes, the ticket, Collin, the thing I was forgetting.

What was I forgetting?

I startled out of my thoughts as I felt a hand swat at mine. I quickly withdrew it, holding it close to my chest and glaring at Leo, who was completely leaned back in his chair, grey tennis shoes propped up on the blue foot rest, whistling and looking absentmindedly around the room. When his eyes met mine, I watched him struggle to hide his smile as he innocently looked at me, smiling that ridculously goofy smile, pretending he hadn't just hit me.

I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. I rested my chin on my hand, pulling at my lips and thinking. I turned my head, looking out the window, the golden sun, the silver clouds drifting lazily across bright blue sky.

Bright blue . . .

I whipped my head around, staring at Leo. I looked at his face, and I saw him. His bright blue eyes, the questioning look in them that was all too familiar to me. I scanned the rest of him, the way his mouth twitched, the way he rolled his shoulders down and back, as if getting ready to brawl, the way I bet he was chewing the inside of his lip, the way his eyes darted around the room as he refused to look to me. And I saw Collin.

He did everything exactly like Collin did.

"You . . ." I said breathlessly. He cocked an eyebrow, his lips forming a tight line.

"I . . .what?" He kept his voice even, but his fists were clenched.

"Your eyes," I said, maintaining a confident front as I swept the room, looking from the deep blue carpet to the coffee brown TV stand, to the silky sheets of my bed, to my bedside table, and finally landing on the velvet box.

I rose slowly, walking suspensefully toward the box. I felt Leo's eyes trained on me as I picked up the box tenderly, opening it and taking out the ring.

I turned abruptly on my heel, and walked calmly off to Leo. I thrust the ring in front of his face, eyebrows raised and one hand on my hip as I asked,

"Look familiar?"

I watched him swallow as he stared at it. He cleared his throat, looking up to meet my eyes.

"No," he said, looking down at the ground.

Liar.

"Why did you put it in there, Leo?" Leo froze, and I waited until his eyes drifted upwards to meet mine. I tilted my head, going for toxic encouragement.