54. Lucy
Lucy
When I walk into the house, Wally runs up to me, wagging his tail.
I crouch down so I can pet him and hug him and give him kisses.
“Aww, did you miss me, boy? I was only gone for eight hours.” I chuckle when he licks my face.
Leo walks out of the kitchen. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets and hunches over slightly, like he’s nervous.
“Can I show you something?” he asks.
I stand up. “Sure, what’s up?”
“It’s in the shed out back.”
I follow him out the back door and into the backyard. There’s a large shed that Leo uses for storage.
When he opens the door, I see stacks of cardboard boxes. I’m confused. Is this what he wanted to show me?
But when I step inside and see what’s written on the boxes, I gasp.
Dad’s gardening tools. Mom’s clothes. Mom’s jewelry.
Tears fill my eyes as I run over to the boxes. I open the one closest to me. I hold my dad’s gardening gloves in my hands. I let out a quiet sob. I see his rusty old trowel and spade. I let out a snotty laugh when I see the small chipped garden gnome he displayed in the garden. He named it Gnomeo.
I set the box aside and wipe my hands on my jeans as I open the box of my mom’s clothes. The light vanilla scent of her favorite perfume wafts through the air. I let out another sob.
I rifle through her clothes, my chest aching. I see her favorite red blouse, the worn jeans she refused to throw out, the paisley print dress she let me wear to play dress up when I was little.
“Oh my god…” I rasp. “It’s all here. All their stuff is here.”
I open another box and gasp when I see the framed photo of my parents, Wally, and me in front of our Christmas tree. My favorite photo we ever took.
I let out a quiet sob, touching the dusty frame and glass. I hug it to my chest. I never thought I’d see this photo ever again.
I look up at Leo, who’s standing off to the side, his eyes teary as he watches me.
That ache in my chest deepens, radiating right through my heart. He did this. He got all of my parents’ stuff. For me.
“Leo, how did you get all this?”
He blinks and swallows, then clears his throat. “The guys and I went over to your house to talk to your stepdad. We convinced him to let us take your parents’ things to give to you.”
My head spins. He makes it sound like he just waltzed in there and had a polite conversation with Richard. But I know him. He was probably drunk and aggressive. There’s no way he let them walk out of the house with all this without a fight.
“Wait, wasn’t he upset?” I ask.
“Yeah. But I convinced him to rethink things.”
Something flickers in Leo’s gaze. It’s sharp and hard.
I don’t think he’s telling me the full story. But honestly? I don’t care how he got my parents’ belongings. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m just so happy to have them.
I walk over to him and hug him, crying into his chest. “Leo, this is…I can’t even…” I look up at him. “Thank you,” I say, my voice shaking with emotion. “Thank you so much.”
He cradles my face in his hands. Heat and emotion flash in his eyes as he gazes at me.
And then he kisses me. It’s so soft and gentle; it makes my heart ache.
“Anything for you, Luce,” he rasps. “Anything in this world.”
His whispered words wrap tight around my heart. He’s said this to me before, and I believed him then, but it’s different now.
I’ve seen just how far he’ll go for me. What he’s willing to do.
Emotion courses through me. It’s so powerful that it’s hard to breathe.
“You’re such a good friend, Leo.” The second I say it, I regret. Because “friend” doesn’t seem like the right word at all.
He is so much more than a friend.
He’s the guy who protects me. Who planned the most thoughtful birthday surprise ever. Who drops everything to help me. Who’d do anything to make me smile. Who loves my dog as much as I do. Who kisses me breathless. Who turns me on like no one else can.
I swallow hard, feeling hot all over.
I think about how I told Leo I don’t want to get serious and that I just want us to have fun together.
I don’t want that anymore. I want more. Because I’m falling for him.
I almost say it…but then I stop myself.
This is just how Leo is. He helps people. He goes out of his way for the people he cares about, without question.
Yeah, he did this generous, selfless thing for me…but he’d do it for his teammates, his sister, his mom, a stranger.
I swallow back the words sparking on my tongue. If I spill my feelings to him right now, he might get freaked out at how quickly I’ve gone from only wanting to just have fun to something more. And he might not feel the same way about me…
I need to wait longer before I tell him how I feel. I need to be sure he feels the same way about me.
My throat is tight as I gaze up at him and hold it all in.
When I don’t say anything, he flashes a small smile. “I’ll leave you alone so you can have some time with your parents’ things.”
He kisses my forehead, then walks back into the house.
* * *
I watch Leo race across the ice.
It’s the last game for Hollis U before Thanksgiving next week, and both the team and the crowd are fired up. The stands are packed. Everyone wants a win before leaving for the holiday break.
I’m sitting in the stands with Poppy, Briar, and Anna, watching the guys as they go to battle with Richmond State. It’s the second period, and Hollis is down by one goal.
My gaze follows Leo as he crosses the ice at neck-breaking speed. Nick has the puck and passes it to Blake. Leo pushes through the Richmond players posted up by the goal, interrupting whatever defense strategy they’re trying to employ.
Blake takes a shot, but it bounces off the goalie’s pad and goes flying. Nick scrambles to grab it again. He doesn’t have a clear shot—the net is too crowded.
But Leo shifts over to the side slightly, behind a Richmond player. Nick hits the puck to him, and Leo smacks it into the net.
I’m on my feet cheering with the rest of the Hollis U fans.
Leo celebrates with his teammates before looking up. He finds me in the stands and winks. My tummy tumbles as I bite back a smile. Exchanging cute looks with Leo while he’s on the ice is my favorite part of watching him play.
Maybe next game, I’ll wear his jersey.
I think about the look on his face when he sees me…how surprised he’d be. And maybe a little turned on too…
Or maybe he’d be weirded out because wearing his jersey is a decidedly girlfriend move, and I’m not his girlfriend.
I try to ignore the disappointed feeling that swoops through me and refocus on the game.
In the third period, Blake and Nick both score goals, winning the game for Hollis.
We head out of the stands and make plans to eat dinner at the diner with the guys. We’re weaving our way through the crowd when my phone buzzes with a text.
Leo: Hey. Can you hang back for a sec? I wanna ask you something.
Me: Sure thing, meet you outside the locker room.
I tell Anna, Poppy, and Briar that I’ll catch up with them at the diner, then head over to find Leo.
He walks out of the dressing room still in his jersey and pads. His dark hair is wet with sweat and plastered over his forehead. A red flush paints his cheeks.
My breath lodges in my throat. He looks so ruggedly hot.
He flashes a sexy smile. “Hey. Sorry, I’m pretty sweaty and gross.”
“You’re not. You look really hot after a game.”
His grin widens. “You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
I tiptoe up to kiss him, but I still can’t reach him. He’s more than a foot taller than me barefoot, but in skates, I’d have to climb him like a tree just to get to his mouth.
The thought makes my thighs quiver. That actually sounds pretty fun…
He leans down and presses a sweet kiss to my mouth.
“So what did you want to ask me?” I say when we break apart.
He clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck like he’s nervous. “What are your plans for Thanksgiving?”
“Hanging out with Wally at the house, watching the parade, and making myself an epic turkey sandwich.”
I spent last Thanksgiving in my car, so I’m excited to be in an actual house this time.
“Um, would you maybe want to spend Thanksgiving with me?” Leo asks.
“Really? You want to do that?”
“Of course I do.” He scoops my hand in his. “My family has a big gathering every Thanksgiving at my mom’s house. I’d really like you to be there.”
Excitement bursts through me. Leo is asking me to spend the holidays with him. That’s such a couple-y thing to do.
You’re not a couple. You’re just two friends having fun. He’s just being a good friend by inviting you.
I tamp down on that hopeful feeling. Especially since I’m moving out in a month. I finally have enough money in my savings account from working both of my jobs that I can afford a deposit on an apartment of my own.
A soft pang lands at the center of my chest when I think about moving out—when I think about no longer living with Leo.
I can’t keep living with him though. He’s done more than enough generous things for me—like now, when he’s inviting me to spend the holiday with him.
“I’d understand if you don’t feel like it,” he says. “Your plan for the day sounds pretty awesome, honestly. I’d do that if I didn’t have to hang out with my family.”
I squeeze his hand. “I’d love to come to your family’s Thanksgiving.”
His eyes light up. “It’s a date then.”
He walks off, disappearing into the dressing room. I stand there, grinning like an idiot, a million butterflies swarming through my tummy.