𝓛𝓮𝓸𝓷 𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓭𝔂| 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝟯

When Your Neighbour Is Your Ex...

AN: Whenever I write exes to lovers it's always Leon who's the problematic one, so I've changed things up and have made it so Reader is the one who's the source of the issues. 

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3 Weeks Ago...

I sit on the sofa as Leon perches on the coffee table in front of me, his eyes downcast as his knee bounces nervously. Everyone knows that when a person says "we need to talk" it's rarely a positive thing, and Leon's preparing himself for the rest of my damaging words. The sad vibes between us linger, only growing thicker with shuddery anticipation as I swallow, daring myself to keep going with this. 

"Things haven't been going well between us lately, and I know it's mostly my fault due to being so busy with work and then everything's been so hectic around me, I've not been a very good girlfriend to you." I mumble, wringing my hands together as Leon's brows knit together. I see him lick his lips, a sure sign of nervousness. He nods softly, not denying the fact that I've been absent in this relationship.

"I know, I've been feeling it, and I know it's not completely your fault, so we don't need to jump to sudden decisions and-" Leon replies, leaning forward as it'll hammer his point home, however my mind is made up regardless of how much he doesn't want this. Two people have to want a relationship to make it work, and recently I've been thinking that Leon deserves better than someone who'd rather stay extra hours at work then go out on a date. My heart aches as the hardest part comes up, but I have to fix this the only way I know how.

"It's not a sudden choice I'm making, I've been thinking about it for a while," I confess barely audibly, then I clear my throat, heading in for the knockout, "I shouldn't be with you...we shouldn't be together anymore. Neither of us are happy, and I can't pull you down just so I can be happy with something else." 

Leon's fallen face makes my heart crack into a million pieces, and even though I feel like I'm doing the right thing a part of me already wants to backtrack. I don't want us to end, but I can cling onto something that I'm not worthy of. Leon's a good, romantic man, and I'm just not in the right place anymore to be with anyone. Not with my work finally hitting off and my job going as well as I could've ever dreamed. I have to pick between my dreams since childhood or the fresh relationship that's still in early days. One's lasted much longer than the other, so it's only right to focus on something I've always wanted. 

Leon's voice wavers as he replies. "Okay," he takes my hand in his, as if reassuring or comforting me despite him the one being more hurt, "if it's what you want, then we'll split up, but you know that this isn't what I want, I still love you even though your pushing me away- trying to tell me what's good for me." Leon's words are a punch to my gut, so I stand, pulling my hand out of his as I wrap my arms over myself. "I'll be out of your hair in a few days, I'll pack and find somewhere else to stay until I can get back on my feet." He murmurs. 

I walk away, refusing to let him see the tears that waterfall down my cheeks. 

Present...

Leon's been gone for what feels like forever. Despite jumping head first back into my work nothing feels the same anymore. I don't find joy in my childhood dream, and I realise it's because I've no longer got anyone to be proud of me. Leon's not here to cheer me on or ask about my day, those cheesy jokes he used to slip into my bag before I left are gone, and most of all I'm fucking miserable because I've lost the one thing that's actually meaningful. Sure my job is still going good, but that joy only lasts between the hours of eight in the morning and five in the evening. Leon was there the rest of it, and now I'm stuck wasting time in hopes that my work will need more of me.