Chapter 26
twenty-six
*SOREN*
Robin and Valentina have their heads together, whispering excitedly while staring at two figures further away. One of them I recognize instantly. It’s Leo. The other is one of the most handsome men I have seen in a long while.
Definitely more handsome than I am!
What’s going on?
“Who’s that?” I ask with a frown.
Aspen looks equally suspicious, so at least I have the excuse of not being unreasonably jealous. “I have no idea, but Leo looks nervous.”
He is right. There is a visible tension in Leo’s shoulder. I make sure to pick up my pace and approach Robin and Valentina.
“You won’t believe it,” Robin whispers before I can even voice my question. “That’s Michael.”
“And who is Michael?” I ask.
“Leo’s former boss.”
Aspen sits down next to Robin, while I take the empty seat next to Valentina. We must look stupid the way we are sitting in a row like sparrows on a power line. But no matter how stupid we look, we all want to watch what’s going on. It’s curiosity on the others’ part, and more like anxiety on mine.
I don’t know much about Leo’s former job, just the way it ended for him and how he was blamed and framed for a crime he didn’t commit. He did mention, though, that his boss supported him.
So, it’s good that he is here, isn’t it?
Why don’t I feel good then?
“I don’t believe I have ever seen anybody as handsome as him,” Valentina mutters.
“Don’t let Hector hear that,” Aspen says.
“Hector would say the same,” she argues.
“Talking about Hector, where is he?” I ask.
“Went on a walk with Barkley.”
“Valentina is right, the man looks like he jumped right out of an ad,” Robin says. “The body is tea, too.”
“You can barely see it,” I argue.
“I see enough,” he says with Valentina nodding her approval.
“Do we know anything about the guy?” I ask Aspen.
The Aspen tosses me a knowing gaze, instead of teasing me for my very obvious discomfort, he just nods.
“Michael Grant,” he says. “He is the CEO of the company Leo worked for. When I couldn’t reach Leo, I called him, ready to tear into him, but he was actually very worried and helpful. He fully believed in Leo’s innocence.”
“So, a decent guy?” Valentina asks.
“Seems like it,” Aspen says. “But keep in mind I don’t know him any more than you do.”
Michael and Leo shake hands, and Leo smiles.
“Do you know why he is here?” Aspen asks Robin.
Robin shrugs. “It seems like Michael is coming with good news. He approached us and asked to talk to Leo. Something about him offering Leo his job back. That’s all I know.”
“That’s already plenty,” Aspen says, clearly stunned.
“And?” Valentina pushes. “What did he answer?”
“You mean Leo?” Robin asks.
“Goodness, Robin, yes!” Valentina exclaims. “Give us something. You usually love gossip.”
“I am sorry.” Robin looks a tad flustered. “I really don’t know more. That Michael guy pulled Leo aside before he answered.”
Leo and Michael shake hands once more. Michael says something, and Leo laughs. It shouldn’t bother me, but it does. It’s not like I think that Leo will jump the next hot guy he meets, but it’s the way he smiles and how happy he looks.
I know that Leo loved his job, he loved what he was doing, and he was good at it.
Everything he did for the town the past couple of weeks is proof of how talented he is.
I don’t know a lot about him yet, but I know that design is his passion, anything that sparks his creativity.
I am not surprised that his old boss wants him back.
Seeing how dedicated, talented and reliable he is, any company would want him.
“Here they come,” Valentina blurts out. “Pretend like we were just talking about something else.”
“Yeah, very believable, considering how we were being really subtle,” Aspen mutters.
“Guys!” Leo comes walking towards us at a fast pace with his former boss in tow. “I am sorry. I let myself be dragged away for half an hour.”
“More like my fault, not yours,” Michael says, a smirk curling his lips.
Robin and Valentina exchange a meaningful gaze, wiggling their brows.
Michael reaches out his hand to shake Aspen’s. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person,” he says.
“Likewise,” Aspen smiles.
He smiles.
Aspen usually never smiles at strangers.
Who am I even kidding? The guy is fucking perfect. He has dark, sleek hair, perfectly styled, is wearing a fashionable suit and an equally fashionable coat on top of it. And he doesn’t need glasses. “You probably know it already,” Leo says. “But Michael is my former boss. He helped me a lot.”
“I’d say we are more friends than anything else,” Michael says, once more showing us his perfect smile with his even more perfect teeth.
“So, you are a CEO?” Robin asks curiously.
“And a model,” Leo explains. “He modeled for some of my ad campaigns at least.”
“Of course he did,” Robin says, for the first time since I know him, he looks flabbergasted. Michael’s radiant charisma might even be too much for him.
“I am going to look for Hector,” Valentina says. “Before I forget I have a husband.”
“Are you staying the night?” Aspen asks. “Or longer?”
“I can’t stay for more than the night,” Michael says. “There is an inn here that looks pretty comfortable.”
“Definitely not,” Aspen and Leo say in unison.
“My place is small,” Leo says. “But I can stay at Soren’s place, and you can sleep at mine,” he offers. He looks at me. “Is that okay for you? Sorry, I didn’t even ask beforehand.”
Fucking yes! Anything but to have him stay anywhere together with Mr. Handsome. “More than okay,” I reassure him.
Leo turns red when he looks at Michael. “Soren is my boyfriend,” he says. Even the tips of his ears have turned red. For somebody with his backstory, this had to be so difficult to say. To come out to someone from his previous life.
Now I feel silly for being jealous of Michael.
Wrapping an arm around Leo, I pull him closer. “Very proud boyfriend,” I add.
“I am so happy for you,” Michael says, sounding genuine.
Robin turns to Leo, beaming at him. “You don’t need to give up your apartment for the night,” he says. “I have plenty of room.”
“Me too,” Aspen adds. “Michael, you can either stay with Robin or me. We both have a guestroom.”
Robin nods rigorously until Michael smiles.
“Thank you,” he says. “I will take you up on your offer then.”
“Come, we’ll show you around,” Aspen offers. “The town might be small, but we know how to celebrate Christmas.”
“I actually grew up in a small town myself,” Michael says. “Christmas was always big there. Actually, all holidays were. I bet you have good food here.”
“We have,” Robin says, walking ahead a little. “Come, we’ll show you the best food stands.”
Before he can leave, Michael turns to Leo again. “Leo,” he says, surprisingly insistent. “Please think of my offer properly. Take a night to sleep on it at least.”
Leo tilts his head, his eyebrows furrowed, then he nods. “Alright. I will.”
I was so preoccupied with Michael being somewhat attractive and the shock of him popping out of nowhere that I completely forgot about what he came for. Robin even told us that the first thing he did was to offer Leo his job back.
I was focusing on the wrong problem—
I force myself to stop thinking any further. It’s petty. Leo was broken when he lost his job and when he was framed for something he didn’t do. He was fucking devastated. I have no right to stop him from moving on and from returning to his job.
My god, my mind is spinning.
I just know I need to support Leo. I can’t hold him back and stop him from doing what he loves, and I certainly don’t want to stop him from reclaiming his life.
“The snowball fight was hilarious,” Leo says, taking my hand. He grins, looking more relaxed than ever. His whole face seems to radiate, and somehow it gives me a pang in my chest. “I still don’t get the rules, though.”
“Yeah, they are a bit silly,” I say. “There is a whole rulebook for the game.”
“No way!”
“It’s seventy pages long,” I explain.
Leo chuckles. “You meant to say, seven.”
“No, seventy,” I clarify. “This area is very serious about their snowball fights! Some regulars train for it the whole year.”
Leo laughs at my explanation, his grip around my arm tightening. I love this so much. I love walking with him like this and just talking to him. I love having him close. I love having someone who listens and who appreciates those around him.
A genuinely good person agreed on dating me, which makes me the happiest man alive.
Or rather, it should make me happy, but instead, I can’t help my thoughts from spiraling. I just don’t want to lose him.
“Soren?”
I look at my boyfriend, trying to stop my thoughts from running wild. I am normally not that anxious. What’s going on with my brain? “Yes?”
“Is everything okay?”
“Of course. Why are you asking?”
“Because I asked you if you want to grab something to eat with me,” Leo says. “And you haven’t answered. Something is worrying you, isn’t it?”
“I don’t want to be in your way,” I say, before I can truly grasp the meanings of my words.
“In my way?” Leo blinks. “What are you talking about?”
“You are really good at your work. A natural talent.”
Leo tilts his head. “Thank you, but I still don’t get it.”
“Listen,” I take his hands into mine. “This is important to you, and I will never stop you from doing something you want to do. With your job back, you have so many opportunities.”
“Are you talking about my job with Michael?”
“I don’t want to hinder you in your progress,” I say, my chest clenching painfully. “If you move back to…” My voice trails off. It’s pathetic, I know, but I can’t even finish the sentence. “I am not going to hold you back,” I add.
I’d rather let him go than be in his way.
Leo lets go of my hands. “That’s good to know,” he says, his expression unreadable.
I try to reach out to take his hand again, but Leo takes a step back. Oh fuck. I don’t know how and why, but I fumbled. Before I can say anything, Aspen calls out to us.
“Hey, guys, are you coming?” he calls from one of the stands. “Leo, they have chocolate-covered chestnuts here. You used to love them. Should I buy some?”
“Yes,” Leo calls back. “But I want to see for myself first.”