Page 20 of Willowbrooke
Leo was the one to break the quiet for a second time. “I tried calling after I calmed down, but it went straight to voicemail. I was worried about you. What made you come back?” he asked timidly, perhaps feeling he didn’t have the right to pose such a question.
A fresh wave of tears crashed over me as the impact of the evening sunk deeper into my bones. I didn’t even know why I was crying. I should have been relieved that things were over with Adam and that I hadn’t even had to lift a finger to make it happen.
Without another word, Leo reached across the console and took my hand in his to comfort me. His skin was warm and soft, a comforting blanket on the coldest night. Something seemed to shift between us, and my stomach fluttered hopefully.
Leo had been open with me, and now it was my turn to be vulnerable, despite my humiliation and foolishness.When I felt capable of speaking, I exhaled, then said, “The short story is that I was moved out of my apartment and have nowhere to go.”
Leo’s warm hand gently squeezed mine in support. “And the long story?” he dared.
I sighed, swallowing back more tears, trying to regain some sort of composure. “The long story—the long story is that my boyfriend—or I guess now ex-boyfriend—things haven’t been good between us for a while. I’ve been wanting to break things off, but I could never find the right words, or the right time…not that there’s ever a right time.” I rolled my eyes at my continued excuses.
“Why did things sour?” Leo’s thumb gently began to stroke the tender skin of my hand.
“Mina says he’s all talk, but no action.” I smiled sardonically in the dark at her astute observation. “We met at my parents’ firm. He was very charming, and things happened really fast in the beginning. But lately…” I sighed.
“He’s the kind of guy who can turn things around on you. He’s very flirtatious, and if I said anything he’d call me jealous and insecure. Then he’d apologize later and say he wanted to fix things. I wanted to believe him.” I ran my hands over my face. “But I’m an idiot.”
“No you’re not. It sounds like he’s been gaslighting you for a while. That’s a difficult cycle to break,” Leo argued, pulling both my hands back into his, silently encouraging me to continue.
I gave a humorless laugh. “Hindsight, Leo,” I chided.
“I knew things were bad. He wasn’t thrilled when I left the firm. The doorman said he gave notice after he got a promotion at work. Now I’m wondering if he was only with me to get ahead in his career. I’ve been walking on eggshells for months, but by the time I started working here, we barely spoke anymore—we were less than roommates.
“He was always out late with people at work and had constant plans on the weekends. I was never invited. But it was better when he was gone anyway.” I felt the truth spilling from me. I’d been holding in so much, even from Mina.
“Why didn’t you leave?” Leo asked quietly.
“I don’t know. I wanted to. I tried a few times, but he’d twist what I was saying and offer to work on things—to make things better,” I answered honestly. “I wasn’t strong enough to be firm, and I was…scared.”
I leaned back into my seat, careful not to sever the physical connection with Leo. His warmth was the only thing tethering me to reality.
“That’s—a lot,” he managed, shifting in his seat so his shoulder touched mine across the console. “I’m so sorry.”
“I had nowhere else to go. Mina is out of the country for the next two weeks and doesn’t have room at her place anyway. My parents haven’t spoken to me since I left the firm in September. Sloan—my sister,” I clarified, “she has room and would let me stay for a day or two, but would immediately rat me out to my parents, and I can’t take themsaying ‘I told you so’—I might actually murder them if I heard them say it one more time.”
“And I don’t know if I even still have a job.” I grimaced, addressing the elephant in the room.
“Of course you do,” Leo said without hesitation. “If you’re still willing to put up with me, that is. I promise to never raise my voice with you again. Ever.”
“Thank you.” I sniffled, feeling a huge sense of relief at the confirmation. I might have been homeless, but at least I wasn’t completely destitute.
“And don’t be ridiculous—you’ll stay here, with me,” Leo said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, despite it being an invitation I never imagined I'd receive.
“Leo—I couldn’t impose on you like that,” I argued. “It’s going to take me forever to find a local rental I can afford—”
“Penny,” Leo stopped me.
I looked up at him.
“I should have been more clear. I’d like for you to stay here for the duration of the project.”
My lips parted involuntarily.
“I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner.” He gave a wry smile. “You’d be doing me a favor, after all—less of a commute means I’ll have more of your time at my disposal.”
His reasoning was paper-thin. But I knew better than to argue.
I had no other options. He was throwing me a much needed lifeline.
