The Price of Love

Chapter 8:

Chapter 8:

My life was packed, every second I had to do something or be somewhere, but Leo was always at my side. Our relationship wasn't very different from our friendship. The only difference was we held hands when we walked and kissed whenever the moment felt right.

It was the last day of school before thanksgiving break when I noticed it was lightly snowing. That's when I realized I was free during break, free to spend quality time with Leo. I was so excited to get home and make hot chocolate and set up a fire but I walked home slowly holding onto Leo's arm. We went over to my house and I started making hot chocolate in the kitchen while Leo stacked wood in the living room fireplace. It was still chilly downstairs so I went to my room to get blankets. I pulled out two fleece blankets from my closet and just as I turned around Leo jumped out at me.

"Ha I knew you were going to do that." I laughed.

Leo laughed too picking me up and lightly tossing me onto my bed. I pretended I had hurt my back falling and he came to me. I pulled him onto my bed and tickled him. But Leo wouldn't go down without a fight. We laid on my bed for a few moments catching our breath when Leo said "I need to tell you something."

"What?" I asked sitting up.

"I never really thought we'd be this close. But your personality... your beauty they crept up on me. I started out liking you as a friend, then I wanted something more. I wanted us."

I smiled and leaned towards Leo, but stopped a couple inches short. What was that reflection in his eyes?

Green and cold...It was me. It was money. It was the money I had gotten for watching over Leo.

My stomach dropped and I remembered my big secret.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked me.

"Leo.."

I felt my eyes start to water and I cried "I'm so sorry."

Leo hugged me and rubbed my back.

"No..." I said pushing him away, "Once I tell you, you won't be able to even look at me."

"What? Tell me Karla!"

"William doesn't know me through my parents. Up until the beginning of September I never knew him."

"Then why were you watching over me?" Leo asked confused.

"William paid me to," I whispered," seven hundred a week."

Leo let this sink in for a few seconds then got angry.

"So all this time you did this because they were paying you!"

"Yes but..." I began.

"I bet you never even liked me. This relationship was all fake!" Leo interrupted me.

"No!" I cried, " I like you. This relationship exists because I really like you!"

"Why should I believe you?"

I jumped off my bed and grabbed the box under my bed. I opened it and handed it to Leo.

"See this! I asked to stop being paid the day I was shot. The night you left roses for me. I never used the checks!"

"Then why do you still have them?"

"I don't know..."

"I bet you were going to use them later on."

I snatched the box from Leo angrily and ran downstairs. He followed after me and grabbed me from my waist at the bottom of the stairs. I kicked him away. He let go and I slid into the living room. I tossed the box into the fireplace and watched it burn. Leo came up behind me and stared too.

"That's what I was going to use it for." I muttered.

"Why would you do that?" Leo asked.

"Because you mean more to me than money." I said.

Leo sat down next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. We watched the fire burn away our issues. I sighed and leaned against Leo's shoulder, things should be perfect now I thought.

But as always I was wrong.