A Series Of Emotions

Ch 2: Valentines Day (cont.)

At the coffee shop, Leo arrived first. Well, actually the two of them arrived at the same time, Leo just made it through the door and to a table before Alexander could get out of his car. She smiled as he slid into the other side of his booth, laptop in tow. It wasn't a date, but a meeting.
Alex couldn't help as his heart fluttered a bit, the sight of her in something different from their usual school limitations warming him. A lovely pale blue fit and flare dress, that hugged her body just perfectly. She wore black flats, and her makeup was touched up. Around her neck, a gold necklace with a rose quartz gem hung. A tiny circle lie next to the gem, engraved E.I.Z. and 2018 on either side. A graduation gift, it had to have been.
Leo offered the warmest, most inviting smile she could to Alexander as soon as he walked through the door. She definitely admired the way he adapted to casual wear. Sure Alexander looked nice in plain t-shirts and blue jeans, but the dark jeans with his black and lime green Santa Cruz hoodie underneath was different. It brought attention to the lack of color in his eyes, that stayed an enticing gray color. She couldn't help it as the words slipped from her lips and into his ears.

"Lexander, you look nice." She hummed softly, her voice soft and gentle. Velvet against the skin was Leo's voice to Alexander's ears.

He stood shocked, but only for a second. He didn't want her to stop talking because he reacted like everyone else probably does. "You look quite lovely yourself, Leo." He spoke in a gentle tone in attempt to match hers.
It was different from the usual slightly loud, but welcoming tone he held so well. Leo liked it, quite a lot actually, but it wasn't the Alexander she knew. She began to ponder, on how much she actually knew of the boy though. He's already surprised her twice today, and it's only been eight minutes into this... date? No, this wasn't a date. They were just meeting to talk, and work yearbook. Right? Alexander had to have known that this was-

"What kind of coffee do you want?" He asked, having already set up his work station and slid out of the booth.

"Just coffee with hazelnut cream. I'll add my own sugar.." she gave another smile and he nodded, taking off to the line.

When he returned, Leo had began to work on their work. She quietly thanked him with a nod, and offered him money but he shook his head and began to work himself. Almost an hour went by before someone spoke.

"Hey, Leo?" Alex asked hesitantly. "Last year wasn't a joke. I'll be honest, I had a crush on you."

Leo looked up to make eye contact, at a loss for words, but his head stayed down, eyes locked to his screen. "Lex..." she whispered, reaching out to touch him, in hopes to soothe the nervous boy.

"No, I.." he breathed, his breathing just slightly unhinged. "I should've told you. And your response of rejection just left me unable to think." He shut his laptop, pulling away from her. He hated that he liked the comforting feeling that her thumb sliding over the back of his hand provided. "And I shouldn't have let you believe it was all some sort of joke. Or my friends telling you they liked you as me. That's not what happened. They were telling you I liked you. I'm sorry." He confessed, letting out a shaky breath as he looked up at Leo for the first time.

"Lexander. You don't need to apologize." She slowly pulled her hand back to her side of the table, and shut her laptop as well. "I'm not stupid and I didn't believe your note, I just let it go." She gave a small smile and her green eyes melted to the soft meadow like green he loved so dearly from a distance.

"Is everything going to be weird between us now?" Alexander asked with a small laugh after a five minute passing of just silence and coffee sipping. Leo had engaged herself in someone else's conversation in a table a few booths away. She looked up at him again from her coffee and shook her head, no. Silence had taken over her again and Alexander couldn't help but be hurt by it.
Sure, the silence wasn't intentional, but it came in waves. Alexander didn't know it, but Leo did. So automatically she expected him to go along with it, the same way Savannah and Penelope always do. Her dearest cousin and best friend just accepted the silence from Leo. Almost welcoming it, in an odd sense of normality. But Alexander, she knew he didn't understand.
He began to stand up, and smiled at Leo as she lost interest in her empty coffee cup and in him again. The way her eyes followed every action he made, observing all the details, was something he liked about her.

"I think it's time to head home now, correct?" He asked quietly. She nodded, and accepted the hand he didn't realize he extended to her. As he helped her out of the booth and they both grabbed their stuff, he spoke again breaking the comfortable silence in attempt to coax her into speaking. He just wanted a memory of her sugary sweet voice once more. "Can I walk you to your car?" He asked, and was met with another nod, this one saying yes.
As he reached Leo's car and she placed everything into her trunk, he stood by and leaned against the side of her car with a smile. It was his turn to be observant. The way she neatly placed her laptop bag down, and then the wrapped charger next to it, as if it weren't going to move around in the trunk with every possible turn she was making tonight. The way the girl reached up to close her trunk, her fingertips barely catching onto the trunk to bring it down just hard enough for it to click shut. The way her cheeks warmed with a light blush, as she realized he was watching her. And his favorite was the way her long, thin fingers slid a stray chocolate strand of hair behind her ear, where her glasses usually held it. She was truly stunning sometimes. And he wouldn't, no he couldn't admit it if it wasn't the two of them alone together.
"Goodnight Leo. I'll see you tomorrow in yearbook." Alexander's voice a calm but happy followed by warm, breathy laugh.
Leo simply nodded again, yes. She slid past him and opened her car door, before turning around and clearing her throat.

"Lexander?" She spoke no louder than a whisper and he turned to look at her, giving her his full attention. "I never spoke to you tonight. Please, let no one know."
And before he could respond, Leo had already climbed into her car with the door shut. He was the silent one now, with a short nod before walking off to his car with his things. And the only question that ran through his head was simple.

I've got to be dreaming, right? Eliana Zandigo. Leo. Her voice really is like the soft ocean breeze on a warm sunny day, enough to keep you cool as the sun beats down violently on your skin. Soothing.