He Belongs With Me (22 page)

Talk about effective—that got him to put on the brakes. I'm not sure why those untrue words popped out of my mouth so easily but they did. I hadn't really considered how I was going to carry out my plan to hurt him, but an opportunity to go for the jugular had presented itself and I took it. Andrew stepped backward off the front porch, bending over with his hands on his knees and his face wrinkled in pain. “Once?” he coughed out.

Did that somehow make it okay?
“No. Repeatedly.”

He moaned, clutching one hand to his chest. It took him several seconds to compose himself enough to even look at me. He didn't deserve any sympathy, but I suddenly felt absolutely awful. I'd never purposely been this cruel to anyone in my life and it actually hurt me seeing him so hurt.
Dammit.

“I went away with him to New York for the weekend and it just happened,” I explained.

He nodded and slowly straightened back up. I noticed his hands were shaking and his eyes were unexpectedly filled with tears. “Are you going to keep fucking him?”

I gulped. “Yes.” I couldn't retract the lie now that I'd put it out there and truthfully, if Leo would have given in to me, I would have slept with him—repeatedly. “We're together now. Like
together
together.”

“Then you should know he does this sort of thing all the time.”

“What sort of thing?”

“Do you really think you're the first girl he's whisked away on his private jet and put up in one of his fancy park suites in Manhattan? You're a pretty toy, Clara, but for the kid who has everything money can buy, there will always be a prettier toy out there. And when Leo gets bored—like he always does—where will that leave you?”

My breath became trapped in my lungs. I didn't know enough about Leo's past relationships to contradict Andrew. And unfortunately, I sort of believed him. It didn't surprise me to find out that Leo might be a manwhore. But before I could dwell on that any longer, Andrew once again surprised the hell out of me. Instead of kissing me again, he gave me an honest-to-goodness genuine hug. I didn't return the gesture, but I didn't push him away either.

“Leo's not good enough for you,” he muttered. “He's not good enough for anyone. Don't let him into your heart because he will break it the first chance he gets.” He let his arms fall away from me and then started off toward his car.

The problem was...I'd already let Leo into my heart.

“You're wrong,” I shouted before Andrew could leave. “Leo's good. Maybe some of the stuff he does isn't so good, but he's good. He would never hurt me.”

I know he heard me but must have realized there was no point in arguing, because he got in his car and drove away.

“You mean that?”

I shrieked in surprise and whipped around to find Leo standing on the porch behind me, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck in that sexy way he did when he got nervous. His eyes were so freaking blue—lit up by the sinking sun—that they totally unnerved me in two seconds flat.

“How much of that did you just hear?” I demanded.

“Everything. Maggie and I heard everything.”

The front door opened wider, revealing my twin sister with an unreadable expression on her face. I guess I must have left the door ajar and hadn't known they'd been standing behind it, listening the whole time.

“Why did you tell him we slept together when we haven't?” Leo asked curiously.

Blood rushed to my face. I didn't really want to hash this out in front of Maggie. “I don't know. I wanted to hurt him. Did Maggie tell you that he cheated on her? When he confessed he liked me a couple of weeks ago, that's when I came up with the idea to fake-date him. I thought I could use his feelings against him—make him fall hard and then crush him the first chance I got. Seemed like now or never,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Leo gave me a small smile. “Well, I personally enjoyed seeing Andrew bent over, dry-heaving on your front lawn.”

Maggie giggled. “Classic.”

“You guys saw that?”

“We were peeking through the window. Next time just kick him in the balls. It will have the same effect and get the job done quicker,” Maggie said.

Despite myself, I laughed. I'd spent so many years butting heads with Maggie and Leo, but for the first time ever it felt like the three of us were on the same team—I loved it.

“You're ruthless, killer,” Leo said, smiling widely at me now, “and very deserving of that nickname.”

The easy smile faded from Maggie's face. “Well, I’m still going for a drive, so I better go before it gets dark.” Then she hugged me. Of all things, she hugged me. “Thanks for getting even with Andrew for me. You're braver than I am,” she said as she let go and walked off toward the garage.

Seriously? Did that just happen?
I swallowed hard. This day just went from weird to weirder.

“Are you mad about what I told Andrew?” I asked Leo, now that we were alone. He'd moved to lean against the porch railing and had his arms crossed over his chest.

“No. I don't care if you tell the whole world that we slept together,” he said with his signature cocky smile. But it only lasted for a moment and then his face grew serious. “I'm hoping one day it might be the truth. But you need to know...some of the stuff Andrew said about me was true. I
have
taken other girls away for weekends away in my jet. Not because I liked them, but because I wanted to get them in bed. I haven't done that sort of thing for a while now, but that doesn't excuse it.” He sighed heavily. “Because I'm crazy about
you
. This isn't the time or the place I wanted to say this, but you need to know...I'm in love with you. Clara, I always have been.”

CHAPTER 19

MAGGIE

Driving usually cleared my head. That wasn’t going to work tonight though. Too much had happened. Leo and Clara were '
together
together'—as she put it—and I didn't exactly know how to handle that. I intended to drive to Blacksburg and stay the night at my apartment there, but somehow I ended up parked in front of a very rundown apartment complex.

Robby's very rundown apartment complex.

CHAPTER 20

CLARA

Stupefied. No other word could better describe how I felt in that moment. A couple of days ago, I would have bet money on the fact that Leo Maddox didn't even know what the word ‘love’ meant. Now, one of his many layers—a great, big, giant one—was just ripped away and it had left me confused as hell.

“What?” I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't see straight. I needed to sit so I collapsed onto the concrete steps, my back to Leo.

“I love you,” he repeated.

“Yeah, I heard that part already,” I groaned. “So, last summer when I called you ‘gay’ and you called me a ‘lesbian’—you were secretly in love with me the whole time?”

“Yes.”

“At my graduation party, when you called me ‘ridiculous’ and said I was a baby for getting into that fight with Dad, telling him I never wanted to play stupid golf again—you secretly loved me then too?”

“You
were
being ridiculous and childish. Everyone knows how much you love golf. But yes, then too.”

“And when—”

“Yes, Clara. Yes, every single moment, good or bad, I’ve loved you.”

Goosebumps pricked at my skin and tears stung at my eyes. “Why?” I dared a glance over my shoulder and our eyes met. He hadn't moved from where he stood by the porch railing, and despite the heaviness of his words, he looked so freaking calm and collected. “Why me? I don't understand.”

“I don't understand it either,” he said and then shook his head before quickly adding, “No, that's not true. I understand it perfectly.” He moved across the porch and sat down beside me on the steps. My whole body tensed as he reached out and intertwined one of his hands in mine. He was trembling...or maybe that was me. I couldn't be certain. All I could do was stare blankly at our joined hands.

“I love you because you say and do whatever the hell you feel,” he told me. “You aren't afraid to call me on my shit and tell me when I'm being an asshole. You look at life differently than anyone I've ever met—like it's a gift and you can't get enough. You don't make friends easily, but when you do, you're the most loyal person I know. You can be incredibly thoughtful yet unbelievably stubborn, and I love both of those sides of you. And when we're in the same room...I can't take my eyes off of you. I always want to be near you and hear what you have to say, even if it only leads to us fighting.”

This strange whimpering sound escaped me. He really did love me? All these years—all this time—Leo had been in love with me?

His free hand cupped my cheek as he said, “I care about you so much it hurts. I want this to work between us. I've never wanted anything more.” Without even thinking, I leaned into his touch and my eyes drifted closed. I let out a sigh of contentment as he dipped his head, brushing his lips against my shoulder. The gesture was so tender that it sent a jolt of electricity through every square inch of my body.

“Um.” I swallowed hard and opened my eyes, still confused about so many things. “What did you mean when you said you haven't done ‘that sort of thing’ for a while? You haven't taken girls to different destinations or you haven't…uh, dated?” My face blazed with heat as I spoke, but I needed to ask.

“Both. I lost myself for a long time to drugs and drinking and girls, but you saved me. Without even knowing it, you helped pull me out of the dark. That night freshman year, when I fell off that balcony in The Village, a lot of shitty things had been running through my head. Then you appeared and it reminded me of how crazy I'd always been about you. It gave me hope when I needed it more than ever. And since that night, I've been working at being better. I'm not sure I'm ‘good’ like you told Andrew, but I'm trying. And no, I haven't dated since then. I’ve been all yours, even if you didn’t know it. Always yours. Do you remember sitting with me after I fell that night?”

I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes. I had to think hard, but the rest of that night came back to me as if it had happened yesterday.

Leo cursed as he dropped his cigarette into his lap and fell backward off the railing he'd been perched on. His head thudded hard against pavement. Holy cow, that had to hurt.

I rushed up to him.

“Dammit, gravity,” he moaned.

I laughed, utterly surprised and oddly relieved he hadn't cursed me. I bent down to offer him my hand. As he took it and allowed me to pull him up, I noticed he smelled like straight bourbon, but I was tipsy myself so I couldn't really judge. “You dumbass,” I joked.

“You smartass,” he retaliated, smiling.

“You must have hit your head pretty hard. I haven't seen you smile in years.”

He pursed his lips together, trying unsuccessfully to wipe the smile off his face. I laughed again as he wobbled into me.

“Steph,” I said, turning to my friend who stood watching us. “Could you go inside and see if maybe they have some ice? He might have a concussion.”

“Are his pupils dilated? I read once that's a sign of a concussion.”

I looked up at Leo's familiar blue eyes. His pupils were huge, but I was willing to bet that wasn't from hitting his head. “They are.”

Steph hurried inside for the ice. I sat down with the unsteady, clearly-stoned-and-drunk-and-who-knows-what-else Leo, and let him rest his head on my lap. He was lucky he caught me in a good mood or I never would have been so nice to him.

“You don't have to stay with me,” Leo said. “I'll be fine.
”

I already had my phone out, searching for ‘signs of concussions.’ “I need to wait with you until I know you're okay.” It wasn't like he was some stranger off the street; this was Leo and I couldn't just leave him.

“I'm okay now,” he said groggily.

“Whatever.”

Thinking about it now, Leo
hadn't
been all that nasty to me over the last two and a half years. I'd been so caught up assuming he'd be mean whenever we were together that I'd never given him a chance to be nice. Had he really not dated anyone since that night? As in
not slept with anyone?

“A few minutes with you was all I needed and suddenly nothing seemed so bad anymore. So, even if nothing comes from this—if it all ends tonight—then at least you finally know how I feel. Either way, I'm always going to be here and I'm always going to love you. It's not something I can stop. Trust me, I've tried. But like I said when I kissed you in the Alligator Lounge, I sure as hell don't want to fight my feelings anymore.” He stood to his feet, his hands moving to his pockets, and I got the impression he was waiting on an answer.
Did I love him back?
I wasn't exactly sure—this was all happening so fast. And frankly, some of the stuff he’d said scared the shit out of me.
But did I want this to end tonight?
Hell no.

“Leo, I—”

Totally interrupting the moment, Dad came out the front door just then and joined us on the porch. “Oh, there you kids are.” His eyes shifted back and forth between Leo and I—like he knew something was up—but he didn't comment on it.

“Did you need something, Dad?” I asked.

“Yeah, I called Ed over at Ed's Heads Salon. He happened to be there late today and said you could come over. You need to leave now though,” Dad told me. “He won't wait around forever.”

For crying out loud.
The old man was so dead set on me changing my hair color that he called and made me an appointment! I stood to my feet, a little shaky from all of the adrenaline still running through my veins. I was on a high from the things Leo had told me and coming back down to reality wasn't easy.

“Fine, Dad.”

“And Leo,” he said, motioning for Leo to follow him. “Come inside and tell me more about that private detective you know.”

Dad disappeared inside, fully expecting Leo to follow behind immediately.