Fashioned For Sin

Chapter 11

After a long two-hour drive back from the cabin, Blair and I finally reached my penthouse. We parked in the underground garage and made our way to the private elevator.

As we ascended, the hum of the lift and the view of the cityscape through the glass wall made me feel at home.Once the elevator doors opened into my penthouse, we stepped inside and dropped our backpacks in the hallway.

Blair took a deep breath, looking around the spacious living room as she kicked off her shoes and stretched her arms over her head.

“Home sweet home,” I said, smiling as I watched her relax into the space.

Blair smiled back, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

I knew I was about to ask something significant, and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable with it. I sat on the edge of the couch, gesturing for her to join me.

“So, about tonight…” I began, running a hand through my hair. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you consider coming to dinner with my family? It’s at 7.”

Blair hesitated, biting her lip as she considered my invitation."I don't know, Leo, we've known each other for like 5 weeks, I know we had sex last night which I'm not saying wasn't great but I'm not looking for something really serious at the moment, and meeting your parents seems like a lot."

But just before I could answer, my phone rings. My father. Again? What does he want this time?

"Hey, son, the flight has been delayed by an hour due to storms. Dinner is rescheduled at 8 pm." He says over the phone, his voice nonchalant.

"Thanks for letting me know." I reply, running a hand through my hair.

"Also, don't let me down again, Leonardo. I'd love to see you be serious about someone for once." He says harshly, hanging up the phone before I could even reply. 

Smooth, right?

"What happened?" Blair asks, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"It's nothing, it was my father, the flight has been delayed so dinner is at 8 now, and he wanted to make sure I'm being serious with someone for once." I let out a hard sigh, standing up and heading to the kitchen to give her some space. I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, the cool liquid refreshing my suddenly dry throat. As I drank, I glanced back at Blair, who was still lost in thought.

Blair looked at me, walking towards me, setting her hands on my chest firmly, "Okay, I'll go with you, but don't take this as anything official, okay? I'm still figuring things out."

"Of course, no pressure, Blair, just be yourself, I'm sure they'll love you."  I say relieved, "if you want, I will tell you a bit about them so you know what to expect."

"That'd be great." She replies, kissing me on my cheek.

I smiled at her, grateful she was willing to meet my family, even if it wasn’t under ideal circumstances. We moved over to the couch and sat down together, our bodies close but not quite touching.

"So, my dad... well, he’s a bit complicated," I started, choosing my words carefully. "He can be critical, always thinks he’s right about everything. He’s got this way of making you feel like nothing you do is ever enough. He’s never been abusive physically, but... there have been issues." I hesitated, feeling the weight of what I was about to say. "He’s cheated on my mom a few times. It’s something we don’t really talk about, but it’s there. Still, he loves her in his own way, and they’ve stayed together."

Blair’s eyes softened with understanding. "I’m sorry, Leo. That sounds tough."

"Yeah, it is," I admitted. "But my mom... she’s really nice. She’s the kind of person who sees the good in everyone, sometimes to a fault. She’s always been supportive of me, even when my dad wasn’t. And then there’s my sister, Josephine. She’s friendly, minds her own business mostly, but we’ve always gotten along well. She’s the kind of person who can make friends with anyone."

Blair nodded, taking it all in. She's such an emotional person when she's not around anyone who she doesn't feel comfortable with.

As I finished telling Blair about my family, a heavy silence settled over us. I could see the empathy in her eyes, and I knew she understood more than I realized.

“Leo,” she said softly, her voice filled with compassion. “I get it. Family can be... complicated.”

Her hand rested on mine, a comforting warmth that seemed to spread through me. I glanced at her, curious about the sadness I saw in her.

“My parents,” she began, hesitating for a moment as if choosing her words carefully, “died in a car crash when I was 6.”

"Yeah, Matthias told us about it, I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Blair. It isn't easy on anyone, losing their parents." I say, reassuring her.

“It was a messed-up situation,” she continued, her voice steady but filled with emotion.

“My dad, Daniel, and my mom, Eleanor, had a big fight that day. Mom found out Dad had been talking to another woman, and they were both supposed to pick me up from school. They needed to talk to my teacher about something.”I listened intently, feeling the weight of her words.

“They were both angry, and my dad was speeding. When they came to a curve, another car was coming too fast, and they crashed. I lost them both that day.”

"Gosh Blair, I don't even know what to say to make you feel better." I admit, I'm speechless.

“I can’t imagine going through all that and coming out as strong as you have.”

Blair smiled softly, a touch of sadness still lingering in her eyes. “Thanks, Leo. It’s made me appreciate the people I have in my life now. I try to focus on the good.”

“I’m really glad you’re here,” I told her, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for her presence.She leaned in closer, resting her head on my shoulder. “Me too. I know meeting your family tonight isn’t a small thing, but I’ll be there with you.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, wrapping an arm around her. “So, because tonight is an important day, I want to treat you a bit, we're going shopping." I say, grabbing her by the arm and lifting her off the couch and into my arms, bride style.

"But -" She tries to say, but I interrupt. "No protests."