Chapter Thirty-Six
Leo
Spotting the woman who was picking us up turned out to be remarkably easy.
Standing in the sun just outside the baggage claim terminal was a woman who looked like I imagined Sophia would in twenty years.
Sophia sprinted to her and hugged her as I followed along with both our bags, smiling at her joy.
“Mom, this is Leo.” Sophia gestured to me as she let go. “Leo, this is my mom, Laura, and I have to pee so bad—just don’t say anything embarrassing, Mom.”
She sprinted back inside to the bathroom, leaving me alone with her mother.
Before I had a chance to wonder if this would be awkward as hell, Laura wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me, speaking quietly.
“Thank you for being with her when we couldn’t be.
You have no idea how much it means to me that you took care of her that night. ”
I hugged her back, my eyes stinging at the thought of Sophia’s traumatic night and her mother’s gratitude. I imagined being so far away from her daughter when that happened hadn’t been easy.
I smiled at her as she let go. “Laura, I love your daughter very much. I promise, when she’s in Boston, she’s safe with me.”
Laura blinked away moisture in her eyes and looked at me quizzically. “Does she know you love her?”
“As of two days ago,” I said proudly.
“Ah, I see,” she said with a chuckle. “I guess changing her flight and getting stranded at the airport worked out for both of you after all.”
Sophia came back and looked between her mom and me, her eyes landing on her mom. “Are you being embarrassing?”
“Of course not, honey. Let’s go, Elena’s been dying to meet this boy who apparently loves you”—Laura wiggled her eyebrows and put her arm around Sophia’s waist—“and Dave promised not to be weird.”
“You told her you love me?” Sophia looked over her shoulder at me.
I shrugged and laughed. “I want her to know I’m committed.”
Laura glanced at me as I fell into step on Sophia’s other side. “I like him,” she said.
I smiled smugly and Sophia rolled her eyes. “That’s just going to go to his head, you know,” Sophia said.
It wasn’t a long drive to Laura and Dave’s house.
Sophia and her mom chatted the entire way while Sophia and I sipped the coffees that had been waiting in the car for us.
They pulled me into conversation enough that it wasn’t awkward riding in the back seat by myself.
I could tell how close they were by Soph’s relaxed demeanor and the way she said everything that came to her mind without blushing once—even when she recapped the story of stumbling upon my father yesterday morning in the hallway.
Their openness with each other reminded me so much of my own family that I marveled at how we’d found each other across an entire ocean.
My biggest risk of embarrassment for the evening was probably falling asleep while someone tried to talk to me. I was exhausted. After a while, I rested my head against the seat with my eyes closed. It seemed like this day had already lasted twenty-four hours with nothing but a measly nap.
It felt like I’d barely closed my eyes when Laura turned the car off. I opened my eyes to see we were in the driveway of a modest-size, contemporary home and a dark-haired girl with purple streaks in her hair came sprinting out of the front door.
That must be Elena.
Sophia unbuckled and jumped out of the car, immediately embracing her.
“I missed you like crazy,” Elena said as I stepped out of the car. “The boys made me play with their toys all day yesterday because you weren’t there to humor them.”
“I’m sorry, El. I bet you did great,” Sophia said.
Laura moved our bags from her car to what I assumed was Sophia’s car before stopping to watch the girls.
Elena laughed. “I gave their GI Joes a makeover. Cut some fancy suit clothes out of fabric Aunt Kat got me. They were not impressed, of course.” She turned to look at me as she let go of Sophia. “And who is this chiseled, male specimen?”
“Elena,” Sophia scolded, shoving her shoulder.
“Hey, let the girl speak her truth, Hawaii,” I said, tossing an arm around Sophia and pulling her against my side. “I’m Leo, and I’m in love with your sister.”
Sophia glared at me. “Are you going to say that to every single one of them?”
“Would you prefer I wait and abruptly declare it over breakfast tomorrow like you did?” I said, kissing her head. “I want them to know where I stand.”
Elena snickered as she and Laura fell into step ahead of us. “He’s kind of a dork like you, huh?”
“Okay, never mind what I said about letting her speak her truth. How do we make her stop talking?” I asked.
Sophia laughed and took my hand, pulling me toward the house. “Come on. Let’s go introduce you to Dave. He fell in love with my mom in less than a week, so he’ll probably take you seriously and won’t think you’re a dork.”
“I’m objectively not a dork,” I said to the pint-sized, evil sister as she held the door open for us.
“Of course not,” she said sarcastically.
“Hawaii?” I said, turning to Sophia for backup.
“You’ve never been insulted before, have you?” Sophia laughed.
“No. Why is she so mean?” I leaned closer to Sophia and pretended to whisper. “Is it because she’s small?” I smirked at the five-foot-two Elena who appeared to be unfazed by my presence.
“I blame her father,” Laura said, gesturing at the tall Hawaiian man walking briskly toward us.
He lifted Sophia off the ground in a hug. “Hey, Soph. Merry Christmas.” He set her back down. “I saved you some of everything at your dad’s. Had to beat Elena off with a stick to keep her away from the manapua so I figured it was safer there.”
“Thanks, Dave,” Sophia said. We all moved away from the front door and stepped further into the living room, where Laura and Elena sat down together on the couch. “Leo, this is my stepdad. Dave, this is my boyfriend, Leo.”
“Boyfriend? Well, that escalated quickly,” Dave said, holding out a hand for me to shake. I took it and noticed how firm his grip was. “I’m the easiest male in Sophia’s life that you’ll meet during your stay. Welcome to the home that I built. With my bare hands.”
“Mom! I thought you said he wasn’t going to be weird?” Sophia said, her cheeks pink as she stared at them with indignation.
Laura smirked. “That wasn’t weird. I thought that was sexy.” She turned to Elena. “Was that weird?”
“Yes, Mom,” Elena said with an eyeroll. “He just wants to remind Leo that he’s strong. Soph, if you didn’t think he was going to be weird, then that’s on you.”
“I’m happy to start with you, sir,” I said, dropping his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d also like to let you know that I’m in love with Sophia, and I intend to always treat her with respect.”
Unless you look too closely at the way we fuck, but she likes that.
Sophia snorted, but Dave looked impressed.
“Just ignore him,” she said to Dave, shaking her head at me. “He said I love you to a girl for the first time two days again and now he’s clearly having some sort of brain malfunction.”
“Have a seat, Leo.” Dave gestured to the couch across from his wife and daughter. “So far, I find myself impressed.”
Score! One down, two to go.
After an hour with her family Sophia and I were both yawning frequently and she suggested that we go to her dad’s before it got any later.
“I need Soph’s help first,” Elena said, pulling her off the couch and dragging her to the kitchen.
Laura stood up. “I’m going to grab a few things for Sophia to take with her.”
“I’ll help,” Dave said, standing up.
I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes, starting to drift off before the conversation between Sophia and Elena traveled back to me in the quiet of the house.
“He’s really hot,” Elena said. “You can’t tell me sex isn’t fun now.”
I snorted. I should not be hearing this. But where am I going to go?
Sophia laughed. “Um, no. Sex with him is incredible. I was very wrong.”
Okay, well that was worth the accidental eavesdropping.
“Who knew a scheduled one-night stand would land you a guy like him? He looks at you like you’re a diamond,” Elena said.
Because she is.
“No, he’s just infatuated because we finally admitted how we feel. We’re not going to last long term, so don’t get your hopes up,” Sophia said.
I felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart at the reminder. I really should not be listening to this. I opened my eyes to see what my escape options were. I can go stand outside.
I pushed myself off the couch.
“Why not?” Elena asked.
“Leo’s going to play professional hockey in Boston after we graduate and I’m going to come home to all of you.
I’ve always wanted to come back here when I finished school,” Sophia said.
The sadness in her voice made me pause with my hand on the door.
I wanted to go to her to kiss her and tell her that everything would be okay.
“That seems like a terrible decision, Soph. But I get it,” Elena said. “We’re a pretty great family and you know I never want to leave. Then again, what does he look like under all that?”
Sophia must have been demonstrating or whispering because I didn’t hear an answer, but Elena squealed. “Shut up! Do not come home after graduation, Sophia. I mean it.”
Sophia laughed and at the sound of her joy I turned the handle and opened the door, but not before I heard her say one last thing. “This is my home, El. But in the meantime, I’m really happy with him.”
Laura and Dave came back into the room just as I stepped outside. “Oh Leo, wait!” Laura said, causing me to stop and turn back into the house. Sophia and Elena returned as well, Sophia looking at me curiously as I closed the front door behind me.
“I have good news and bad news for you kids,” Laura said.
“The last time someone said that to me, I got to ride on a private jet.” Sophia laughed and Elena shot her a jealous look.