“I’m sorry,” I repeated, my voice cracking. “I’ll do better. It’s not your responsibility to make me feel secure. Please don’t hate me.”I sounded exactly like I did in that dream I’d had—the one where I begged him not to walk away. That same pathetic ache tightened my chest, and before I knew it, tears stung my eyes.Suddenly, Leo burst out laughing, catching me completely off guard.“Don’t hate me?” he repeated between laughs. “Like I would ever hate you! You’re so adorable. Charlotte".“Stop teasing me!” I snapped, my voice a mix of embarrassment and relief.“It’s not my responsibility to make you feel secure? What are you saying?” His tone softened, but it carried a quiet firmness. “You are my responsibility. I just told you that. I’m not complaining, am I? I love you, and I don’t expect it to be easy because of your past trauma—but we’ll work it out. I promise you that. I’m not blaming you. Remember that.”I nodded, staring at the wall and blushing so hard my face felt hot.“Than
“Baby, maybe I was just overthinking it—” “No, you weren’t overthinking it. Don’t try to defend her. You shouldn’t have to feel that way in a place that’s supposed to be yours too.” His voice was firm now, layered with an authority that made me pause breathing for a second. “She works for me—for us. If she can’t understand that, she can find another job. I mean it.” I sat up, clutching the phone tighter against my ear. “I… I don’t want trouble. It’s really okay—” “It’s not okay,” he cut in gently but decisively. “You said she looked down on you. That’s not something I can just ignore. You’re my woman, Charlotte. You deserve respect—especially in your own home.” My throat tightened. Hearing him say that—my woman... your own home—melted something deep inside me. He sighed, quieter this time. “I should’ve introduced you to her myself. Maybe that would’ve made things clearer. I didn’t think she’d be rude to you. I made a mistake.” “You didn’t do anything wrong,” I said quickly,
"Alright, alright, I’ll stop," he laughed, panting out of breath. "You’re unbelievable," I murmured. "You wanted it, so I had to say it. I actually wanted to skip and return home, but you said you’d be fine, so... I decided to finish up." "I thought you were supposed to be at the company." "Yeah, but I decided to take a day off and hang out with my manager. So we both went to the gym in his neighborhood." "Did he hear you when..." He laughed. "Sure... he had secondhand embarrassment, I’m sure." I cursed inwardly."Sorry about that". "Don't! I enjoyed it. It made the ladies cringe and move afar from me. I am more comfortable now".Wait, some bitch was disturbing him before?I frowned. "Anyway,I don’t usually hang out. I was just too excited and happy—I just went with the vibe," Leo added. My frown loosened and I smiled at that. "I’m happy you’re having fun. Make friends too." "I’ll try." "I guess I’ll let you focus on your workout now." Then I remembered the housekeeper.
“Just breathe. I’ll stay on the phone until you fall asleep.” His voice cuts into my dirty thoughts. I blinked, speechless. That was it?! A wave of mortification washed over me, so intense I had to stifle a nervous giggle. I am so dirty-minded! I forgot he is the last person to do something like that. I mean he was trained to be a priest. I am such an idiot. I chuckled, the sound strained and embarrassed. “You… you don’t have to.” “I want to. I want to make sure you’re okay.” That's the kind of thing, teenagers in love would do but hey, I am not complaining. “Alright, I will do just that. I closed my eyes again, willing my pulse to slow. I drew a deep breath, and in the silence that followed, I became acutely aware of his. He was breathing fast. Really fast. The rhythm was sharp and ragged in my ear. The sound was intimate, visceral. It made the inside of my veins feel like they were filled with liquid fire. He wasn't saying a word, ju
“Thank… thank you.” “For what?” he asked. I frowned, the back of my hand coming up to scrub away the stubborn tears that clung to my lashes. I took a shaky breath, trying to anchor my voice, to steady the tremor that threatened to betray the storm of emotions inside me. “For everything. I can’t thank you enough. I want to do everything possible for us to work, too.” I heard his soft chuckle, a warm, intimate sound that seemed to travel through the phone and wrap around me. “You’re so adorable.” “I’m a grown-ass woman!” I protested, my voice gaining strength. His grin was audible in his reply. “Yeah, I know. Still, you’re adorable, Charlotte.” The use of my name, spoken with such tender affection, melted my heart. I curled my fingers into the soft fabric of my duvet, seeking an anchor. “Please promise me you won’t leave whatever you are doing for me. You need your space, too. Your work is also important. I am fine. Also, I am expecting Olive and Emma, so I won’t
“You said I was your best girl.” “Maybe I said that because I wanted to believe it too.” It felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I couldn’t breathe. “Leo…” My voice broke completely. “You can’t mean this.” “I do.” He rubbed his temples, stepping back toward the door. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do it anymore. You’re a beautiful person, but you need to love yourself before trying to love someone else. Right now… you’re a mess. And it’s breaking me too.” “Let me fix me! Just—give me time! Please, Leo.” He looked at me for a long, silent moment — the kind that stretches and hurts more than words ever could. Then he whispered, almost too softly to hear, “I’m sorry.” And before I could move, he turned and walked out the door. The sound of it closing behind him echoed in my chest like a shatter. My knees gave out. I fell to the floor, pressing my hand over my mouth to muffle the sobs clawing out of my throat. He was gone. And the last thing he said was that loving me was a