twentyfour
Aaliyah's POV
I can't stop smiling.
Like-actually cannot stop.
It's embarrassing.
I'm standing in Leo's bathroom, brushing my curls into place, wearing my dress with a certain someone's shirt on top, and I keep catching my own reflection in the mirror looking like:
??????
I splash cold water on my face.
Doesn't help.
Nothing can fix whatever dumb little glow is radiating off me right now.
I walk out into the living room, and Leo is at the door, keys in hand, looking at me like...
Like last night is still happening.
Like he remembers every second.
Like he wants a repeat.
My heart cartwheels.
"You ready?" he asks softly.
"Mhmm."
He opens the door for me, hand on my lower back as I step out, and my entire soul does a little backflip.
?
It's quiet.
Comfortable.
The windows slightly cracked, the warm morning air drifting in with the scent of flowers and toast from someone's apartment.
Leo drives one-handed, the other resting casually on my thigh.
My eyes keep drifting to it.
Not on purpose.
Okay maybe on purpose.
He catches me looking.
Raises a brow.
"You good?" he asks.
I whip my head forward. "Yep. Very good. Perfectly good."
"...You're blushing."
"I am NOT."
"You are."
"Stop looking at me!"
"I literally can't."
I almost melt into the seat.
The worst part is-
I'm smiling again.
Like a maniac.
I cover my face with both hands.
"Why am I like this?"
He chuckles-soft and warm, the kind of laugh I want to bottle.
"You're cute," he says.
I peek at him between my fingers.
"Don't call me cute."
"Why not?"
"Because then I feel cute."
He smiles.
And it ruins me.
"You are," he says simply. "Cute."
My heart does a little boom-boom-BOOM in my chest.
I hide behind my hands again.
"This is humiliating."
He nudges my knee with his.
"Hey."
I peek out.
His eyes soften.
"You don't have to be embarrassed," he murmurs.
"I like seeing you happy."
I swear...
my whole chest turns into warm caramel.
?
He pulls up to my building and parks his car-NOT just dropping me off, actually parking like we didn't just spend the night tangled up in each other.
He gets out.
Walks around.
Opens my door.
That alone almost launches me into the sun.
I step out, dress still a little wrinkled from last night (I refuse to think about that), hair slightly wild even though I tried to fix it.
Leo stares at me a second too long.
"Stop looking at me," I whisper.
I blink. "No?"
He steps closer.
Shadows under his eyes.
Soft morning light catching on his jaw.
That little half-smile that only shows up around me.
"No," he repeats.
"I'm gonna look as long as I want."
I become a puddle on the pavement.
We walk to my building slowly-too slowly, on purpose-and his hand brushes mine.
Once.
Twice.
Then he just... takes it.
My fingers slide into his like they always belonged there.
We stop at my door.
I turn to face him.
He looks like he's debating something.
"What?" I whisper.
His thumb strokes my hand.
Just once.
He leans in, voice low, warm, sinful:
"Come here."
I step in-
And he kisses me.
Slow.
Morning-soft.
Sweet.
The kind of kiss that isn't trying to start something-
Just trying to say something.
When he pulls back, we're both breathing lightly.
"You good?" he murmurs.
"I'm... yeah," I whisper, blushing. "Really good."
He brushes his thumb under my lip-
gentle, intimate, like he's checking if I'm still real.
"I'll text you later."
"Promise?"
His eyes soften even more.
"Yeah," he whispers.
"I promise."
I open my door.
Take one step in.
Turn back.
He's still staring at me.
I can't help it-
I smile.
He sees.
Smiles back.
The slow, deep, heart-wrecking kind.
And I know in that second:
I'm already in too deep.
And I don't even care.