Page 43 of Saved By A Dark Billionaire
"Liv!" I heard someone yell from behind us before we reached the exit doors.
I turned to find an out of breath, Leo, making his way to us. He jogged over to Hailey and me, who stared at him in surprise. He stood straight as he reached us, giving himself a moment to catch his breath before he spoke.
"I thought that was you." He smiled at me.
"So you ran down two flights of stairs because youthoughtit was me?"
"Well, yeah." He chuckled nervously, scratching at the back of his neck. It’s his nervous habit. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"You did all that to make sure I was okay?" I was surprised by the effort he had put in. "You know, you have my number. You could have called."
"I enjoy seeing and talking to you in person, so of course, I'll run down two flights of stairs to see you." His answer made me blush, and my heart swoon. It was sweet, and I hadn't noticed he felt this way about me.
"What are you doing here anyway, Leo?"
"My dad's business wants to buy this hospital. I've been in charge of the company since his accident. I was touring the entire facility with a group. It'sreallyboring."
"It sounds important. Shouldn't you get back to it?" I raised a brow.
"Probably." He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Can I get a hug from you to keep me going?"
I smirked at his request, rolling my eyes happily. I opened my arms towards him to show him my willingness. He grinned merrily as he wrapped his well toned arms around my waist, leaning down so his face was in the crook of my neck. He kissed me there, surprising me with a rush of emotions I wasn't expecting. His face stayed there a moment before pulling away.
"Thank you, Liv. Text Lucas and I when you're ready to spread your mom's ashes. We'll be there, I promise," he said as he jogged back to the group he had run away from.
Honestly, I was surprised to see Leo or to hear he was in charge of his dad's business. I didn't think about those kinds of things with his father passing away. A lot of responsibility ended up falling on Leo's shoulders. I feel he's too young to be worried about this kind of stuff. He looks like he knows what he's doing, which makes me wonder how young these guys are when they are taught to run a business. How long had his father been grooming him to take his place before his accident?
"I like Leo. I think he's very sweet and very smitten with you." Hailey smiled at me as we walked towards the door again.
"I think I like him too." I admitted.
"Stop fidgeting, you look good," Hailey scolded me as I pulled at the collar of my black dress. It felt like it was choking me, but maybe it's just the panic inside. I don't know how to do this. I have never held a wake before. Thankfully, it wasn't one of my experiences.
"Do you think they'll show?" I asked Hailey, worriedly.
"If they were her close friends, then yes, they'll show."
Surely enough people emerged out of the woodwork. They introduced themselves to me with sad smiles as they entered. The room was small with a few chairs for us to sit and view mom, who I had dressed in a white sundress I'd found in her closet. She looked stunning with her makeup on. You would think she had fallen asleep. As everyone arrived and greeted one another, I thanked them all for coming and asked if there were any memories of mom they wanted to share. It didn't take long for someone to volunteer knowledge of her.
"Some of you already know me, and some are fresh faces. I'm Linda. I was Abi's first friend in New York about a decade ago now. Abi looked so scared when I first laid eyes on her. She had just arrived from New Hampshire and had no idea what she was doing. After getting to know her and seeing her stay at the homeless shelter I volunteer at, I offered for her to stay with me. She and I bought the loft she lives in together. She got her life together, going back to college and investing her money well. When she got tired of my shit, she bought my half of the loft from me." Linda laughed along with a few others, who must know her well. "To Abi!" She raised her glass of water.
"To Abi," everyone joined.
People continued to go up and talk about mom. She volunteered a lot, mainly at the women's shelter. She ran charities, was very smart and apparently funny. Mom was loved by every friend here. Not a single one of them had a complaint about her. I felt oddly proud, but also jealous she flourished so well without me. I was her daughter and I doubt any of them knew about me when they first met her. How long did she wait before telling them about me?
"She helped me get out of my abusive relationship, having been through it before. She told me the right words to keep me from returning to him again. I've lived outside that man's cage for 5 years, all thanks to this woman." She gestured to mom. I think her name was Penny. "I can't express how much I needed her at that time. It hurt me to see her hurting over her daughter." Her eyes landed on me.
Things continued on for a while. Sob stories, funny stories, touching stories. They were all beautiful, piercing my heart deeply. I was hugged and kissed goodbye as they all left when mom was taken to the crematorium. A few promised to come visit me at mom's loft, and one even lived in the same building.
"That went well." Hailey smiled at me, hugging me again. Hearing all those stories, seeing the life mom had lived these past few years, had helped me heal a little. I felt a sort of bittersweet feeling in my chest.
"Yeah, it did." I nodded. I jumped when I heard my phone buzz on the table, breaking the silence. Hailey and I both giggled at my reaction.
Lucas:We're headed to the spot now. We'll wait for you here. We didn't want to cramp the wake. It felt more like something for you and your mom's friends to share.
Lucas' text made me feel even better. I was feeling all the love from everyone.
Olive:Thanks, we'll be up there soon.
