45. Leo
CHAPTER 45
Leo
My eyes snap open, but I don’t turn around to face her. I can’t. What do I say? How would I come up with a lie on the spot like this? My palms are getting clammy, and I haven’t felt my heartbeat since she called my name.
I keep my eyes forward on the guests dancing around me. On Stephanie, who is still talking with a woman. Chloe steps around me, pulling my attention away from the crowd.
“Leo?” She folds her arms over her chest, the way she does when she is about to pout because she isn’t getting what she wants. “That is the second time I’ve heard someone call Camille by that name,” she huffs out.
The second time? I glance over at her shoulder to Stephanie, who is now looking in my direction. Chloe looks back to see what I’m staring at. When she turns back to look at me, her eyes grow wide as the irritation arises.
“That woman was at the dress shop. She called Camille ‘Veronica’ too.”
“Do you know who she is?”
Chloe spins around, looking at Stephanie, and then faces me again. “No. Camille said she knew her from school. That the lady wasn’t nice to her growing up. Camille wanted to avoid her, but when we were about to leave, she approached Camille and called her Veronica.”
Goddammit!
I guess I’ll add that to the list of things Veronica kept from me. Although it pisses me off that she kept it from me, what fills me with rage is that Chloe was involved.
Veronica is a risk to my family. I knew this, but I decided to put my revenge on her first. I let her bullshit lies bring my emotions that I’d hidden in the dark to resurface.
I can’t let this go on any longer.
You know what needs to be done, Leo. Don’t waste another second.
“Leo.” Chloe’s concerned voice tugs me away from the Devil in my head. “Why did you call her—” She stops for a second, and I see the wheels turning in her head. The moment her eyes light with realization is the moment that I feel destroyed. “Veronica. As in the patient you helped escape?”
“Chloe—” I take a step towards her, but she takes a step back.
As her breathing speeds up, I can see the mix of emotions running through her mind—first, confusion, then disappointment, shame, embarrassment, hurt, disgust, and finally, rage. She scoffs and inhales a deep breath as she begins processing all of the lies.
Shock and hurt line her face. “She—I befriended her! Months ago! Before you even got released from prison.”
“I know.” My face twists in pain. “She came back for me.”
“What…” She shakes her head. “Why…” Her hand begins to slowly rub her temples. “How…” She pauses, her eyes lifting to mine, shooting daggers at me. “How long have you known it was her?” Her voice is fierce, full of fire.
I hesitate for a second, hating myself with each second that passes.“Since the night you introduced us.”
“Jesus!” She laughs in disbelief and then points a finger in my face. “You knew the whole time! God, Leo, what were you thinking? She is dangerous, and you kept her in your life… in my life… in Carter’s life! You let me trust a murderer with my child! She stabbed you, Leo! What’s to say she wouldn’t have done it again? To you, me, or anyone else we love?”
“I’d never let her hurt any of you. If I thought she was any danger to you, Carter, and the baby, I wouldn’t have let her near you,” I plead.
“Oh my God, Leo!” I can see her head spinning inside. Realization after realization continues to play through her mind. Her anger increases every second that passes. “She pretended to be my friend for all these months. I let her be in my wedding! I made her my Maid of Honor for Christ’s sake! And you didn’t at any point think to tell me I was letting a murderer, and the person who put my brother in the hospital, in prison for years, be a part of what is supposed to be the happiest day of my life?”
Her mouth hangs open as she rapidly shakes her head, showing nothing less than a complete and utter shock that I let this happen.
Her eyes meet mine again, with so much disappointment from this information that it makes my heart twist.
Then, she snaps.
“So not only did you lie to me, but you stood by and let me get close to her, trust her, all while knowing it was a ruse? She never wanted to be my friend; she just wanted to get close to you again, and you let her right in! How could you so easily forgive her and let her back into your life? Our lives? I don’t understand why you would do this. To yourself. To me . To Carter . He loves her! I loved her!”
“I’m sorry, okay, but I have it under control,” I try to reassure her.
“Under control? Under control!” she spits the fire into my face. “What’s your plan, Leo? Huh? Did you think the two of you would ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after?”
“No! I didn’t ask for her to come back into my life!” I say, but I stop speaking when Myles approaches us.
“What’s going on?” he questions, looking from my expression, which is full of despair, to his wife’s, which is full of rage.
“Does he know?” She keeps her dagger-shooting eyes on me.
“Do I know what?” Myles asks slowly, voice full of confusion.
“That Camille is the reason my brother went to jail.” She turns just in time to see Myles’s guilty stare. “Oh my God. You did!”
“Chloe, listen… please?—”
Her arms go up in defense, but her mouth remains closed. No words leave her because she doesn’t know what else to say.
Between the shock and disbelief that both Myles and I were keeping this from her, she can’t form another sentence. Tears start to well in her eyes from how overwhelming all of this is for her.
When she can finally form a question, she asks, “Why did you do it? Why did you let her back into your life?”
“Because… I love her, Chlo, or at least I thou?—”
“Are you serious?” She moves closer to me, and her eyes, which were once filled with anger, quickly fade into sadness, pity, and sympathy as she takes in what I just admitted to her. “She stabbed you, Leo.” She lets out a long sigh and continues, “Someone doesn’t just stab the person they love. She doesn’t love you, Leo. She used you. Again. This is all some kind of sick game of hers. You have to see that.”
“I know. I’m handling it, Chloe. I promise. She will be out of our lives.” Sooner than I anticipated . “Myles, take her up to your room so that she can have a quiet place to calm down. Please?”
He nods, taking Chloe’s hand in his. She doesn’t protest as he walks her towards the exit. Fuck. Not only did this night go to shit because of Veronica, it ruined the happiest day of my sister’s life. I need a place to calm myself down.
Turning around, I head off the dance floor towards the doors that lead to the parking lot. Right now, I don’t know if I’m going outside to find Veronica or get fresh air. I really don’t think seeing Veronica right now will do me any good. Not with how angry I am.
As I pass the remaining guests, I am stopped by the person I didn’t want to talk with.
“Dr. Madden, I never thought I’d see you again.”
Freezing in my spot, I turn my head to look at the woman. “I never thought I’d see you again either. And it’s just Leo now.”
“Ah, yes. You no longer have the doctor title, thanks to my sister,” she says it with such a snarky tone it makes me want to hit something.
Controlling my breathing and anger, I say, “What are you doing here, Stephanie? At my sister’s wedding?”
She sighs. “My friend was invited. She is a friend of a friend and asked if I wanted to be her plus one. I never turn down a chance to get dressed up.”
I nod and offer a tight smile. “Enjoy yourself, then. I have a private matter to attend to.”
I sidestep her, only getting a foot behind her when she says, “With my sister?”
My body freezes, and I slowly turn around to face her. Veronica told me that her sister didn’t recognize her at the shop. She was so sure that she convinced her sister that she wasn’t who she thought.
“I’m not stupid, Leo.” She rolls her eyes. “When I ran into her at the store, I knew it was her. I was skeptical at first, but no matter what changes she makes to her appearance, I can tell. She is my sister, after all.”
“And yet you haven’t turned her in to authorities. Why?”
“I plan on it. She deserves to be locked away. Veronica isn’t right in the head; you of all people know this.”
The music around me has since turned silent. Not because it stopped playing, but because I am in my head and can’t hear anything other than Stephanie's voice paired with the one that thinks we are friends.
She has a point. It says. Veronica isn’t right in the head. She needs to be dealt with.
“I’m dealing with her,” I respond to the voice, but Stephanie takes it as if it was meant for her.
Are you? Why won’t it leave me alone?
“How are you dealing with it, Leo?” Stephanie folds her arms across her chest. “Why haven’t you called the asylum to lock her back up?”
“Why haven’t you?” I throw the question right back in her face.
“Call me curious.” She shrugs. “When I was shopping with my friend for tonight, I saw our sisters at the same store. Veronica’s voice gave her away, but when I got closer to her and realized I wasn’t losing my mind, I didn’t tell her I knew it was her. I wanted to see what she was doing before I called. Part of me hoped she got better and deserved a life outside of Black Lake.”
“And she doesn’t deserve one?” What did she see in Veronica that day that made her believe she wasn’t fit for civilization?
“No. She doesn’t.” Stephanie drops her arms, closing the gap between us. “Veronica needs to be in a place where she can’t hurt people anymore. Physically and emotionally.” She flashes a sad smile, knowing that Veronica has hurt me in both ways.
Physically, with the knife, and emotionally, she has hurt me twice. And that shit hurt just as much as the metal that pierced my skin.
“Call the asylum, Leo. You know it’s the right thing to do.”
“I know.” It isn’t the right thing to do.
“Good. Because if you don’t, I will.”
With that, she walks off, leaving me alone. My teeth clench together, the pressure hurting my jaw. Huffing out a breath, I head outside to clear my head.