PERMANENT - Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 40 - 'Beauty Queen'

Thursday 3.57am

"Oh h-....bloody hell,"

Upon hearing the voice, Leo detached himself from me at lightning speed, not that it was any use - it was too late.

We froze, staring at Theo, who stood unmoving like us, stopped in his tracks, mouth open in shock. I took a very slow, careful look at Leo, who looked like he didn't know what to do with himself, lips still parted, with my lipstick smeared across his mouth.

"Theo," I started, not knowing where I was going with my attempts at conversation. "That wasn't- we uh- that wasn't what it looked-" Theo's eyes squinted at my stuttered rambling accusingly "We aren't- oh god," Leo cut me off with a look. a look that told me to shut up before I made things worse. I knew that look well.

"Look, man, don't sell this story to the press, okay?" Leo started, and I sighed, biting my lip at the mess that was unfolding in front of me. Of course Leo didn't know who he was (I wish I didn't know who he was too). "What, you- you want money?"

Theo looked lost, like he couldn't even comprehend what he had just witnessed, and to top it off, a burning anger bubbled in his eyes, and I could tell he was fuming by the way his nostrils flared as he stared at us. "What the hell," he exhaled "Penelope," he turned to me "Are you fucking serious-"

"Hey," Leo said firmly, threateningly, as he stepped forward protectively, putting a hand out as a way of telling Theo to cut it out.

"Seriously? You go over there and jump at the first guy you see, right?" Theo carried on, reminding me an awful lot of Jake, when I told him we were over. The same accusing tone that tried to make me feel like I was at fault.

Leo's eyebrows frowned in confusion. "Look, pal," he said sarcastically, but frustratedly "Why don't you leave us alone, huh? How 'bout that?" Theo didn't back down, puffing his chest out a little more (what an idiot) and stepping closer to Leo.

"Or what? The tabloids' favourite beauty queen Leonardo DiCaprio gonna get into a fight outside a seedy nightclub? That'll go down well. It'll be especially good for the reputation of your new film, congratulations, by the way," I shook my head in disbelief. Disbelief that he was saying these things, disbelief that he was being such an asshole, disbelief that I ever went out with him.

I could see Leo getting angrier by the minute, but it wasn't worth it. Theo was a trash of a human being, so I grabbed Leo's arm gently "No, Leo," he looked at me, calming down fast. "Let's go."

Leo looked back at Theo in disgust, then walked back inside, brushing past him. We were left to us two, me and Theo, as he looked at me smugly. "You're disgusting." I said, deadpan, before pushing past him forcefully, leaving him standing alone in the alleyway.

The heat hit me hard, and I only now realised how humid it was in the club, after spending some time outside. I looked around, looking for a familiar face. The room seemed to be spinning, but I wasn't sure if it was from the heat, what had just happened, or the alcohol that was still in my system.

I felt a hand grab mine, so I turned, even though I already knew who it was. "Hey," Leo said, all anger wiped from his face and his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you out there, I just....God, what an asshole." I laughed at this "So I take it that's the ex you told me about?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's the one," I said, somewhat defeated. "Way to ruin the mood, huh? Psycho ex boyfriend comes out right when things were getting good," he whispered teasingly, and I slapped him on the arm lightly as I laughed. We quietened down again, and he just gazed at me, and I longed to kiss him again. He opened his mouth, leaning down to my ear as I breathed in his scent.

"Let's get out of here."