La Bella E La Bestia: Could He Be Saved?

With A Single Kiss

The midday hours approached. Still, there was no sign of Bella. With each passing second, Leon grew in his despair. When Bella left three days ago, he was confident she would want...him. But now he had wanted to hold on to his desire for her. He was so certain he could gain her heart and she would want to be with him in that particular craft. 

But now all he could do was drown his sorrow with the sedative Armand created. This drink had helped his scar since the night of the fire. But now it had to dull the pain of Bella's rejection, his agony. After pouring himself more of the beverage, he kept glancing up, hoping to see her. To see his trust in her wasn't misguided. 

He took a swing of the glass, his mouth tighted as he felt the anguish creeping up in his heart. That was when he heard his cousin, Helene's tone. Leon knew he would torture himself. Even for a slim chance Bella would choose to come back to him. He would risk heartbreak for her.

He didn't want to listen to Helene. He refuse to believe he had overestimated her. No, she had to return to him. Helene didn't suffered like he had. He was in too much shock and turmoil to ask what she meant. Helene put her hands on his shoulder, telling him Bella couldn't understand a man like him. Was it because Bella chose not to? Was it because she was young, innocent and naive when it came to men and what their intentions might be?

Would she relinquish him for her desire to travel? It was at this time the head gates gave way. From the balcony, he could see her. Leon couldn't stop his eyes from lightning up. "Bella." He whispered, a wide smile was seen on his features. "Bella!" He quickly left the balcony. 

Leon through his coat on the first chair he saw as he made his way to her room. He took a seat on the edge of her bed, across from the window. He sat there quietly for what seemed to be an eternal amount of time. When he heard the screech of the door opening, he fiddling with her duvet, his head tilted to the side. It was when she noticed him.

Bella entered the room, closing the gap between them sightly.

Her voice draw him out of his thoughts. "Where you looking for something?" She inquired. Leon stood up abruptly, walking to her, a hand gliding along the bedpost. When he was near he couldn't suppress the emotion in his voice. "You." He confessed gently.

Bella stared at Leon briefly before setting her bags down, shutting the door. Leon gripped her wrist, pulling her to him, his mouth landing on hers. His fingers digging into her hair, finding their way to her shoulder bones and went to the nape of her neck. Bella pushed away from him lightly. "Wait." She said to him tenderly. "Wait."

Leon pierced his ocean blue eyes intensely to her. There was something about this young woman that calmed him, made him feel at ease. Made he believe for one moment he wasn't beyond hope. Bella moved away from him. All he knew was he wanted to preserve what he felt. He turned about and grasped her lower arm gently. "I've waited enough." He divulged to her tenderly.

Bella could see he had missed her. She noticed the love in his eyes. Her own must have show him how much she cared for him. She went to him, each hand wrapping around the nape of his neck tenderly. He was all she would think of. This man loved her.

Her mouth found his. Such an act demonstrated the longing and excitement. With a single kiss, Bella was able to make him feel a sense of worth and hope. She was able to make him whole. She was his remedy. She was the cure for all the pain he endured, physically and mentally. With a single kiss, she brought about an awareness he had all but forgotten.

Unable to end the kiss, Bella removed her coat. Once she did so, she placed her hands on Leon's shoulders. His hands finding her pressing her against him. When she removed her frock coat, he lifted her and laid her on her bed. He slouched down to his knees.

Pressing her lips to each of her hands, he backed away. This was no longer a game. It wasn't about the ridiculous bet anymore, either. He felt things he hadn't in years. He was aware now. He knew he loved Bella. Truly, he did. He couldn't do such a derision to her. He was devoted to her. He cherish each and every single moment with her. With a single kiss, she made him into a decent man. A true Prince. He had to put a stop to this activity at once.

Leon stood up and went to lay himself beside Bella. His hand touching her knees. He lean over her and caressed her hair. Bella glanced up at him, but she exhausted from her travel. She lowered her gaze. She brought a hand up, moving his hair away from the mask. He clasped her wrist in his hand and lowered her arm to have it rest.

He brushed his lips to her temple. He couldn't afford to deceive himself any longer. Bella was the woman he loved. Now he had to prove he deserved her. He would never allow her to be hurt by any man let alone himself. Bella kept trying her best to cast her eyes on him. Leon glanced down at her, in a soft voice he had requested her to do one thing. "For now, just sleep." He continued to stare at her. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll talk."

With that, he was off her bed and out of her room. He walked along, knowing to win her heart he had to be straightforward. Which meant he had to tell her about the disgraceful bet he made with Helene. But how could he? It would wreck her. He knew if he told her it would wound and torment her. Suddenly, he longed for tomorrow and yet at the same time he wanted to postpone it.

He slowly understood why Bella was, indeed, different from any other woman he had ever known. She was daring. Her favorite passed time was gaining knowledge from books. Not to mention, she knew how to hold her own with him, didn't mind telling him off either.

His colossal concern was only this: Would she have him? Would she announce to the world, to her family she had decided he was the man she wanted? Leon couldn't breathe at the thought.