Chapter 32

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Those next two weeks we managed to save $489.76. Between paying for our room at the motel, shampoo, soap, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, cigarettes, and the bus ride to Santa Monica just to see how it looked, we somehow were still able to save a little under $500.

"We're rich!" Leo exclaimed as he finished counting the money. He was sitting on the bed and $1 bills and coins surrounded him, every so often you could spot a $5.

I giggled from the chair I was sitting on across the room and continued to right down a new list of songs. "Whoo hoo!" I yelped.

"Well...it's time." Leo spoke quietly to himself as he carefully stood up from the bed, trying to avoid letting the money spill off the edge.

"What?" I asked, still scribbling down ideas.

"Nothing. It's a surprise" He smiled as he gathered the change and bills together into a giant plastic ziploc bag. "But you just stay here and I'm going to be right back."

"Wait, what, no! I want to come." I pleaded, putting my pen down on the tiny wooden table.

"Baby trust me!" Leo laughed, his voice resonating around the room. "I'll be back before 7:00 and then we'll go out."

"That's two hours, Leo! Two hours that I have to spend figuring out how to entertain myself."

"Don't leave the motel, please. It's dangerous, okay? And lock the door, too." He leaned in and kissed my forehead as I frowned.

"But you're leaving the motel." I challenged him. "I should go with you so we're both okay." Raising my eyebrow, I crossed my arms and expected for Leo to give in.

Instead, I was surprised to suddenly feel a pair of lips collide with mine, kissing me quickly but softly. "You're so cute. You're so little." Leo mumbled against my lips and laid his hands down around my hips. I clasped my fingers around his neck as he picked me up effortlessly from the chair. "Such a grumpy gills." He chuckled as he went down to kiss my neck. Turning around, he laid me down onto the bed and continued as he pushed my hair behind my ear. "I just want to make you happy. I want to surprise you." Leo whispered and I wrapped my legs around him.

"Okay." I managed to faintly whispered back as he kissed my neck and back up to my jaw. "Okay."

His tongue slowly crept into my mouth and I let it, feeling his hands pull me up and laying me on top of him. I propped my hands up beside his shoulders and my knees on either side of him. I looked down into his eyes and smiled. "What're you doing?" Leo smirked, my face growing closer to his with his hands around my back.

"What're you doing?" I questioned with a smile. "You have two hours to go do whatever the hell it is you have to do." Leo grinned and rolled his eyes. I sat down against his lap as he still laid down, watching me with anticipation. I laid my hands on his stomach and fumbled with the end of his shirt, slightly touching his skin every once in a while. "I'll wait here like the good little girl you want me to be." He slightly winced every time my fingers lightly slid across his lower stomach. "All alone in this big bed," Leo closed his eyes and I smirked as I felt a bulge grow up beneath me. "with nothing on." I spoke slowly and then swiftly got up from his lap and walked back to the chair.

"Oh, baby."

"Yes, baby?"

"Don't leave me this way." Leo groaned, covering his face.

"Oh, don't worry, you can go now." I smiled innocently. "See you in a bit."

He laid there motionless for maybe 5 minutes until he got up and put his wallet, cigarettes, and motel key in his pocket, and then grabbed the bag of money. "I've got the perfect mix of angel and devil right here." Leo spoke, smirking as he looked at me. 

"Hurry home and I'll make you very, very happy." I winked.

Leo bit his lip, "God, I love you."

I spent those two hours working through some new songs, trying to distract my mind from filling up with thoughts of Leo. I wanted him so bad all the time. I sang through several songs until I decided on three to add to our street shows. By this time, we were already getting groups of 15-20 people that would stand and watch several songs at a time. I looked at the clock as it quietly ticked away. 6:49 P.M. Leo would be home any minute. I quickly got up and headed to the shower to get ready for wherever he wanted to take me. I smiled to myself as I got in, remembering the way he looked as I sat in his lap only 2 hours before. I wonder what his surprise is for me.

I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard the front door knob jingle and open. "Baby?" I heard Leo call out.

"I'm in here, one sec." I yelled. I can still remember crystal clear every small detail about this day, like it happened only moments ago. I was wrapped in the fluffy, dark blue motel towel, took my hand and wiped a spot clear in the foggy mirror. I parted and combed my hair to the ends, letting the excess water squeeze out. I then leaned over and slid my towel up to my head and shook my hair to get as dry as possible. I stood up and easily set my hair back to its original parting and stepped out of the bathroom. Once I got out, I looked to see Leo with a serious expression on his face as he sat on the bed. He slowly raised up and I watched him in confusion.

"Wendy..." Leo spoke softly, his eyes intense.

"What's going on?" I asked, worry piling up in the pit of my stomach.

He stepped closer and pushed a damp ringlet of hair away from my face and took my hand.

"I love you, Wendy. More than anything. You're my world. You became my world the second I saw you in that old abandoned factory." He smiled, seeming to reminiscence on the memory. I was still confused and trying to put my finger on exactly what was going on. My heart was racing and I could barely catch my breath. Leo cusped his hand on my cheek and said warmly, "It's okay." As my heartbeat slowed down again, I trusted his words and waited for him to continue. "Back in New York, I always felt like something was missing. I felt like someone had taken a piece of me out. It was like breathing without lungs." Where is he going with this? What's happening? My heart felt warm at the sound of his words but my mind raced. Something happened. Something must've happened. He's saying all this so that when he breaks it to me, I won't feel so bad. I could feel my eyebrows narrow and I couldn't help but let worry show on my face. Leo looked at me as his eyes filled with tears, the light blue in them looking like fragile glad. My heart went from 0 to 1000. My breathe was choppy as I stood in my towel, trying my hardest to stay calm for him. My throat ached as it held a lump. I could feel my hands slightly twitch in fear.

"I love you, Wendy. You're my Wendy." Leo vaguely smiled as he tried to hold back his tears and I smiled back, using all my strength to force mine from forming. I was prepared for the worst. I'm ready, Leo. Just say it.














"Marry me."

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