Priceless

Chapter 8:

After all four of our families went out to dinner we arrived home late in the evening.

"Let Leo know we brought him home dinner, he must be working so hard." My mother said handing me a bag from the restaurant.

I had told my parents Leo's abrupt departure was due to some emergency phone calls from his manager.

"Yeah," I frowned taking the bag and heading upstairs.

I slowly approached the door to our guest room where Leo was staying. I gently knocked but heard nothing from the other side.

"Leo..." I whispered walking in.

I found him sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at his feet.

"Hey, I brought you dinner."

He continued to ignore me, tapping his fingers against his knees.

I set down the bag on the dresser and kneeled in front of him.

"Leo." I whispered reaching out for him.

He slowly raised his head to look at me and hoarsely murmured "Karla I don't want to talk to you right now, please go."

I continued to sit there not wanting this issue to get between us.

"I'm serious, please just go."

I balled my hand into a fist and stood up. Before slipping out the door I looked back at Leo but he just kept staring at the wall.

I shut the door quietly and ran to my room. Inside I slammed the door shut and started crying angrily. Hot tears slipped down my cheeks as I ripped off my Harvard hoodie and threw it at my dresser.

I took deep breaths as I walked into my bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. Red eyes, mascara stained cheeks, and pale lips. I hated what I was seeing.

...

The next morning I walked into the kitchen to find my parents and Leo quietly eating a breakfast of rice, beans, and vegetable stuffed omelets.

I served myself a glass of yogurt with fruit and sat down across from Leo at the table.

"Sweetie is that all you're going to eat? There's rice and beans.."

"I'm not hungry." I cut my mom off before she could finish.

The kitchen fell back into silence until my dad pushed his plate away and stood up.

"Well I know you two must have a lot of catching up to do so your mother and I won't keep you any longer." He announced washing his plate in the sink.

I looked over at Leo who seemed unphased by my parents urgency to get out of the house.

"Bye Karla, behave." My father kissed my head as my mother waved at Leo and I.

"Bye Andrew and Emma." Leo smiled, calling my parents by their first names as they had always insisted.

Once they were out the door and driving out of the garage Leo stood up to wash his plate and asked "So where do you want to go?"

I raised an eyebrow as I leaned on the counter next to him.

...

We parked in the gravelly dirt of the local woods that lead into a mountain popular for hiking. It was a fairly warm April day but no one seemed to be around.

I followed Leo up the trail and through the thick undergrowth. We had already started to work up a sweat when he stopped and sat down on a fallen tree.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you last night." He sighed.

"You shouldn't be sorry, you were right." I turned away from him, too ashamed to face him.

"No, and even if I was that doesn't give me the right to talk to you like that."

I heard him stand up and walk up behind me.

"You are nothing like those kids. You're smart, kind, generous..." He began wrapping his arms around me and placing his head on my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes playfully and smiled as he continued, hugging me tighter "You're the most amazing girl I have ever met. No one can compare."

I blushed as I felt his lips graze my neck and closed my eyes, "Leo..."

He kept his hold on me as I apologized for lying, "I'm really so sorry I kept Harvard a secret from you and that you had to find out that way. I would never want to purposely hurt you, I love you."

Leo pulled away and stepped in front of me. I couldn't read the emotions on his face but I feared the worst would come out of his mouth.

"And I love you."

I gaped at his response as he pulled me towards him and placed his lips onto mine. I grasped the back of his neck as he held my waist against him and before I knew it he was gently laying me onto the edge of the trail.

I stood up on my elbows as he quickly untied the jacket from around his waist and laid it out under me. I sat back and Leo hovered above me, switching between kissing my lips and the skin on my neck.

"Karla" He whispered tugging the hem of the shirt I was wearing.

"Not here, not now." I shook my head pulling his face back up to kiss me.

He nodded in understanding pulling my body as close to him as he could.