Leo

Chapter 14

Today we're finally going back home from this trip and Leo and I haven't talked, neither have Johnny and I.
As soon as I plopped down in the bus seat, Jacky leaned in between me and Evelyn.
"I hear Leo has a secret girlfriend." Jacky whispered. Mine and Evelyn's heads whipped around.
"How do you know?" I asked way too quickly.
"Kai told me he heard Leo and a girl talking last night in his room. He didn't want to stay there long enough to hear, but it was definitely a girl." Jacky raised her eyebrows to build suspense.
"Was it Amanda? It couldn't have been right?" Jacky whined, pulling on our arms.
"Of course not." Kai turned around in his seat in front of me," Amanda has an annoying snobby voice. Totally different."
Kai looked down at me, raising his eyebrows with a smirk. I bit my lip and looked away.
"I wonder who it is then." Evelyn mumbled confusingly.
I looked forward and I sighed. Right now wouldn't be the best time to tell them, having Johnny in a seat nearby. Ugh. When did this get so complicated?
Leo suddenly walked in, sitting with Amanda who was pulling him alongside her. I didn't mind. At least, not right now. I was too into my thoughts.
As soon as I hoped off the bus, Johnny was waiting for me outside. He turned towards me and smiled. I felt my stomach tug upwards nervously. This isn't supposed to happen.
"Hey." He sighed.
"Hey." I mumbled.
"I hope you didn't think about my confession too much." He quickly said.
I smiled weakly," How Can I not?" I answered, which I realized was the wrong answer because his eyes suddenly flashed.
"I wanted to ask you out. You know, on a date. If that's fine with you."
I opened my mouth to say something when a voice came from behind me.
"What are you doing?" Leo scoffed.
I turned around almost instantly, seeing Leo's face scrunched up like how it is when he's mad.
"Why? Jealous?" Johnny raised his eyebrows.
"She's my girlfriend. Of course I am." Leo walked towards him threateningly.
"I like Marlie now. So we'll see who she goes with." Johnny was getting close to Leo also.
"Guys stop." I pushed them both away.
"I just..." I mumbled," I need time to think. Just let me think." I quickly turned away and Jacky, Evelyn, and Kai stood there.
"You're the culprit!" Jacky pointed at me in shock.
"Shut up." I mumbled quickly pulling her and Evelyn along with me.
-
"And that's why I didn't tell you." I confessed to Jacky and Evelyn, explaining the whole story, from the bus stop to now.
Jacky was pretending to be mad, with her arms crossed.
"Jacky," Evelyn urged," Aren't you happy for Marlie?"
Jacky turned away," Of course not."
I furrowed my eyebrows.
"I know you like him bu-"
She cut me off while throwing her hands up,
"I'm not mad because I liked him!" She yelled.
Mine and Evelyn's eyes widened," Then Why are you mad?" I asked softly.
"I'm mad because you didn't even tell us. How Can friends keep stuff like that from each other? We're supposed to be best friends forever and we're keeping secrets?" Jacky scoffed.
Evelyn looked around as if she had some huge secret.
"I'm dating Kai." Evelyn suddenly blurted out.
My jaw dropped.
"Kai?" I asked if I heard correctly.
"My brother? Ew." Jacky scrunched up her nose.
"It started since that project we were assigned." Evelyn explained.
"I like don't need to details." Jacky held up her hand.
I laughed.
"So, what are you going to do about Leo?" Evelyn looked over at me.
I shrugged," I love him. I really do. Johnny's confession just...threw me off."
I liked talking about Leo to them. I felt like all the weight I've been carrying for the last months has been lifted straight off my shoulders, well almost all the weight.
"Why didn't you just tell him?" Jacky raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know!" I exclaimed," Cause I'm confused?"
"You love him. You should tell him." Evelyn put a hand on my knee and squeezed.
Jacky did the same.
"Awe, you guys." I smiled. This was too cheesy.

-
{Leo's P.O.V}
I hopped into David's car and he didn't drive.
If you're confused, let me clear some stuff up for you.
David is or used to be part of a bad crowd. In order to protect his family, he had to leave so that his trouble wouldn't put their life in danger in the future. A few years ago, I was in huge trouble, and David got me out of it, which meant I was in debt with him. Wherever he went, I go. That sort of deal. Sorta like his sidekick. Luckily, I'm already halfway through my debt and that means I don't have to follow him any longer than about three more years, at most. Currently, a new threat made by Johnny's father was against Marlie, causing him to come back into town to keep an eye on her, or rather, me keeping an eye on her.
David looked out onto the road and I looked over at him.
"What?" I asked suspiciously.
"You know our deal right? Wherever I go, you go?" David looked over at me. My stomach dropped.
"You aren't saying, we're leaving." I mumbled in doubt.
"You know our deal. Three months here, then we leave. We can't stay around Marlie for that long. She'll be in trouble again." David started the car.
"But, Johnny is here. Isn't she in trouble?"
David shook his head " Johnny won't do anything to her. It's his father we need to watch out for, who isn't here anymore."
"Where are we going then?" I asked harshly.
"Somewhere far away." David drove. I looked down, not really knowing what to do with myself. If im leaving, then I'll have to say bye to Marlie. I didn't want to say goodbye to her. Not now.
"Is there any way for us to stay?" I blurted out. David looked at me suspiciously.
"No. You know that."
I rolled my eyes. What a terrible day.
-
{Marlie's P.O.V}
After careful consideration, I have decided that I'll go to Leo's house and tell him that I love him. I couldn't wait any longer. I felt bad also about earlier when I ran off without him. I didn't like Johnny. I loved Leo. And I knew that. I knew that with everything in me. That's why when I knocked on his door, and he opened it, i felt my heart race pound faster.
He looked at me with a stern face and I smiled.
"I..." I started. He cut me off.
"Let's break up." He blurted out. My stomach instantly fell.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm moving away. Let's break up." He said it louder. It wasn't like he looked happy about it. He looked tired and his eyes were a bit red.
"Why?..." Is all I managed to say.
"It's a job thing." Leo blinked while looking away," Nothing personal."
I scoffed, tears filling my eyes.
"Nothing personal, huh?" I rolled my eyes at that. Leo met my gaze and he gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
"Let's break up." He repeated. It seems like that's all he has to say.
"Is it because of me? And that Johnny thing?" I looked up at him a few tears escaping my eyes.
He shook his head," No. No. Not that." His voice got soft again and he wiped away my tears with his thumb. I flinched at his touch.
"I just don't want you to be waiting for me. That's all." He sighed.
"Who are you to decide who I wait for?" I moved away from him.
"Marlie..." he started.
"Leo," I called out while crying. He looked at me with hurt eyes.
"Why tell me that you love me if you're just going to leave?" I was beginning to raise my voice at him," Why hold my hand? Why kiss me?"
Leo blinked down at me," I'm sorry." It almost came out as a whisper.
"Leo," I breathed," Did I not mean that much to you? Is that why it's so easy?"
"What?" He furrowed his eyebrows," Of course you mean so much to me. But I can't stay here. I need to go."
He reached steadily into his pocket and he grabbed my hand, placing something in the palm of it.
I looked down.
"This is for you. I hope you keep it." Leo mumbled. I looked down at it and it was a heart necklace.
I licked my lips and looked away.
"I don't want this." I grabbed his hand and slapped the necklace back into it.
"Keep it." He stuffed it into my pocket and I rolled my eyes.
"So you're just going to leave?" I raised my eyebrows at him. I hated how I sounded. He said it was for work. I should respect that.
"I want to stay. I do." Leo sighed," But it's just not that easy."
I looked away, afraid that more tears were going to fall and that I'd look like a mess to him.
"Goodbye Leo." I mumbled, before walking away.