14. Are You Staying?
Are You Staying?
Leo
Eighteen Months Ago
This was not how I expected today to go. Ten years . I thought we’d mark the occasion together. Hell, somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, I thought we might even be together by now. Instead, I was working, and I didn’t know if I could even still consider her a friend.
We’d seen each other, of course. After all, when push came to shove, we were family. We’d had Christmas and birthdays, and we’d had Bowie. When Doug’s daughter had come along, it stunned all of us how much we loved that kid, how protective of her we all were, and you better believe it, when Miss Bowie Campbell said she wanted to see her Uncle Leo, I was in Forest Falls in a flash, so I’ve seen Zoe plenty, it just hasn’t been the same.
‘Leo, someone here to see you.’ Fi, my apprentice, poked her head around the curtain of the back room where I was currently laid out in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. ‘Is this a private area to stop customers having to expose themselves or for you to take naps?’ she sassed as I pushed myself up.
‘Nobody’s taking naps,’ I grumbled, ‘although you’re working so slowly, you might as well be.’
She laughed. ‘Don’t take your pissy mood out on me, boss man. Eat some chocolate or something.’
I was so busy glaring at her, stunned that she was talking to me like that again , that I didn’t notice who it was leaning against the counter until she spoke.
‘He doesn’t eat chocolate,’ Zoe said, her husky voice making my ears perk up as my eyes found hers, and she smiled. ‘You’re sweet enough, right?’
‘Zo,’ her name was a breath of relief as I stepped forward and wrapped her up in my arms.
‘Hey, honey,’ she said softly against my ear, and I squeezed a little tighter.
‘I didn’t think you’d come,’ I admitted and heard her inhale shakily.
‘Nowhere else I’d rather be today.’ I released her, and she thumbed over her shoulder toward the door. ‘Want to take a walk?’
Nodding, I grabbed my jacket and cell phone from behind the counter and followed her out.
As we headed down the street in the direction of the river, silence surrounded us, but it wasn’t the same silence that I’d resented for these past few years. It was a calm type of quiet — comfortable.
Zoe shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her, and I instinctively wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She didn’t shrug me off or push me away. She moved closer, and fuck, it felt good.
‘You doing okay today?’ I asked softly, and she nodded, yes.
‘Can we find a bar or something? It is way colder than I realized when I said walk instead of drink.’
I laughed and released her to look around. Then, without overthinking it, I took her hand and led her toward a bar I knew around the corner. Inside, I found us a table and got her situated, then headed over to get us some drinks.
She looked beautiful. Her hair was a cool white-blond color, almost silver, and hanging to her jaw, it suited her so much. She was always changing up her hair, so I tried not to get too attached, but I loved this on her. It made her caramel eyes seem bigger, as they shone as bright as they always did.
Don’t fuck this up, Leo, I told myself. I couldn’t lose her from my life again.
Heading back to the table, I felt nervous. She smiled softly up at me as I sat opposite, and I waited. My big mouth got us into the mess we’ve been in, so I was keeping it closed now.
‘I’m doing okay,’ she said, and I swallowed. ‘You asked me outside. I am. I’m doing okay.’ I nodded, happy. I was doing okay, too. ‘It’s weird, you know. I thought ten years would feel bigger, but it’s just another day without him. There’s no milestone counter. I think I told myself it would hurt to get to today, that it would be painful, but I’m doing okay.’
‘Good, I’m glad,’ I said and leaned forward. ‘Zoe, I …’
‘Don’t.’ She reached for my hands on the table, and I felt my heart rate pick up. ‘You were right. You and me, we needed to detach from one another, and we needed space to figure out our own stuff.’
I inhaled deeply, not sure what to say. We needed the space, but I hated every second of it.
‘What happened with um…’ She looked away, then brought her eyes back to meet mine. ‘You were seeing somebody.’
‘I lied,’ I admitted, and she nodded. She knew that.
‘We really did need space, huh?’ She shrugged, and I smiled, nodding.
‘We did, munch.’ My hand wrapped around hers. ‘Ten years.’
I blew out a breath as she inhaled deeply.
‘In some ways, it feels like yesterday and then in others…’
‘It’s a lifetime ago.’
‘Do you think he’d be mad?’ she asked, and I met her watery gaze. ‘At us, I mean, for what happened.’
‘No, Zo. I don’t think he’d be mad at all.’
I know he wouldn’t. He’d be pissed that I pushed her away, but nobody could be more pissed than me about that. I took a breath. I should tell her. I should let her know what he made me promise, but I don’t ever want her to think that’s why.
‘I’m dating,’ she blurted, and I widened my eyes a little. ‘I mean, nothing serious, nothing that’s sticking, but I have been on dates.’
I nod once. ‘Okay. Why are you telling me that, Zo?’
‘I don’t know. I just, I guess I just want you to know where I’m at.’
I nodded again, then something I hadn’t noticed grabbed my attention.
‘Hold on, what the fuck is that?’ I reached for her right hand and pulled it toward me. Glancing up, I noticed her grimace. ‘You let somebody else tattoo you?’ That was a kick in the balls.
‘I’m sorry. I was in Florida with Bree, and we just did it without thinking.’
‘Bree got her first tattoo from somebody else?’
I heard the way my voice went up a few octaves, and I held my hand to my chest.
‘Oh, honey, do you need some pearls to clutch?’ she sassed, and I glared.
‘This is a betrayal, Zoe Campbell. A betrayal.’
‘Bennett,’ she corrected, and I shut up. I forgot. How the fuck did I forget?
‘It’s not bad,’ I admitted, turning my focus back to the tattoo, a B and a D with some butterflies above her thumb and up onto her wrist. ‘The lines are a little thick.’
‘Okay, perfectionist.’
‘What did Bree get?’
‘Same, but on her shoulder and obviously a Z instead of a B.’
It was easy. It felt too good to have her in my space — no Bree, no Doug, no Bowie, just me and her and the special connection we still felt.
‘Do you want to talk about him?’
‘No, I think we’ve said it all. I just want to remember him. You help me do that.’ She smiled at me, and the look in her eyes made promises I wanted to keep. ‘Tell me something positive. How’s the shop doing?’
‘So good.’ I smiled. It really was. I was about to take on a piercer next month and open up some regular guest spots to other artists. ‘I have to go up to Seattle in a couple of days for a convention and then a month spot at a shop up there.’
‘Wow, great exposure.’
I loved that she got it. Zoe loved tattoos as much as I did and knew how the industry worked.
‘Yeah, I can’t wait.’
A comfortable quiet descended, and I smiled softly. This felt good.
‘I like having you to myself today,’ she admitted, and my gaze fell on hers.
‘Me too, munch.’ I nodded to her drink. ‘Are you staying?’ She’d had as many as me, and I didn’t want her driving home.
‘I guess I should. Is that okay?’ As she asked, I realized I was not only still holding her hand but stroking my thumb over her soft skin.
She looked up at me, smiling a soft smile, one I saw that night, and I swallowed hard.
‘Of course.’