by Diana Nixon
Bella was right - I always smiled when I got another message from him, even though he didn’t send anything personal, just work questions or lists of things I needed to do. But I was still happy to know he didn’t delete my number or want to fire me as soon as possible. Molly said he asked her about me, and even though she promised to never tell me about it, I was glad she did.
“You did something to him, Olivia,” she once said, after she finished her talk with Leo. “He wouldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“What makes you think so?” I pretended I had no idea what she was talking about.
“He asks about you every time he calls. Which happens from 3 to 5 times a day. I think it speaks for itself.”
“Really? What does he ask about me?”
“What are you doing? Who’s calling you? What time did you leave the office? Did you have lunch?...” She gave me a questioning look. “What’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing.”
“Aha. Then why has he never once called you to ask all those questions in person?”
I shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he hates my voice or something.”
“Or something… So I thought.”
I knew she knew a lot more than she pretended she did. She was Mr. Cohen’s friend, and I was sure he told her everything about my ‘situation’ with Leo.
By the time the taxi arrived, Bella and I were ready to go.
“Have you packed your favorite perfume?” She asked when in the elevator.
“I have. Why?”
“You need to smell good when Leo joins us for dinner.”
I smiled. “I think you think too much about what Leo might think or say about me.”
“You just used the word ‘think’ three times in one sentence. Which makes me think you think about it too. A lot more than you are brave enough to admit.”
“Thanks for summing this up for me.”
“You’re welcome.”
We left the building and got into the back seat of the taxi. I gave the driver the directions and took a deep breath that felt like not enough to fill my lungs with the needed amount of oxygen to calm me down.
Bella took my hand in hers and said, “Everything’s gonna be all right. Stop worrying.”
Easier said than done, I thought to myself.
The rest of the drive we spent talking about Leonel’s parents. Bella wanted to know everything about them, and I told her as much as I knew. She really wanted them to love her as much as my parents did.
“Shall I call them grandpa and grandma, or shall I use their first names?”
“Good question… Why don’t you ask them how they want you to call them?”
“Okay.”
She was taking the upcoming meeting much easier than I was. I really wished Leo was there too. At least I would feel more comfortable in his presence. Mr. Cohen said his wife was shocked when she found out about Bella, but she really wanted to meet her. And considering Bella had been my responsibility lately, I felt like I was responsible for everything that was going to happen at Cohen’s.
By the time the driver parked at their house, I was all nerves. I swear I could feel my knees shaking.
“Ready to go?” I asked Bella.
She gave the beautiful house an excited look. “Yes!”
I paid for the ride, got out of the car, and took our bags.
Just then, Leonel walked out of the house, and Bella ran into his arms.
“Leo!”
He laughed, swept her up, and spun with her. “I missed you, little troublemaker.”
“Likewise.” She kissed him on the cheek, and I couldn’t help but smile. The two of them looked just so adorable together.
Then Leo put her down and looked at me. “Olivia.” There wasn’t much warmth in his voice. It was more like a very cold ‘hello’ to someone you didn’t like much.
“Leonel.”
He looked great, as always. Not a single thing about him betrayed what he was feeling or thinking at that moment. He was wearing blue jeans and a V-neck white sweater that contrasted with his tanned skin and the darkness of his hair and eyes. The sleeves of his sweater were pushed up to his elbows, and I suddenly caught myself missing being in his arms. God, the week that we spent apart only made my feelings for him grow stronger.
He walked up to me and took my bags. “My parents made a room for Bella. You’ll stay in one of the guest bedrooms.”
“They made a room for me?” The little one asked, excited.
Leo smiled at her and nodded. “Wait until you see all the surprises they have prepared for you.”
She gave me a shy look. “Is it okay if I stay in my new room? Or shall I stay with you so you don’t feel too lonely in the guest room?”
Leo looked at me, and I felt like he was going to say something about my ‘loneliness’, but he stayed quiet.
“You may stay wherever you want.”
“Thank you!” She did a happy dance.
“Is Jace here too?” I asked Leo in a whisper.
“No. And I don’t think he’ll join us today.”
“I see.”
As if feeling my emotions, Leo said, “Let’s take one step at a time. Trust me, meeting my parents will be more than enough for one weekend. Mom’s gone a bit crazy preparing for it.” A ghost of a smile touched his lips.
“I bet.”
We walked to the door and Leo said to Bella, “Don’t worry, they already love you.”
Then he pushed the door open, and we walked into a spacious living room. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen were there to meet us. But instead of saying something, Mrs. Cohen came to Bella and hugged her tightly.
Tears pooled in my eyes, and I turned away for a moment, afraid I would flood the room with them.
But when I felt Leo’s palm on my back, and my eyes met his, I knew his emotions were overwhelming too, even though he wouldn’t show them. His touch didn’t last long, but it was enough to feel his support.
“You look so much like your dad,” Leo’s mom said, looking at her granddaughter.
“Why are you crying?” Bella asked her.
She smiled. “These are happy tears. I’m so happy to meet you.” She ran one hand down Bella’s hair and looked at me. “Hello, Olivia. Please, make yourself at home. You are a part of the family now. I don’t want you or Bella to feel uncomfortable.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Cohen.”
“Call me Charlotte.”
“It’s a beautiful name,” Bella said. “Can I call you Charlotte too?”
“Of course! It will make me feel a little less old.” She winked at Bella.
Mr. Cohen walked up to Bella and gave her candy.
“My favorite! How did you know?”
“Your aunt shared a few secrets with me.”
“Not fair!” Charlotte said, as if deeply offended.
Mr. Cohen laughed. “All’s fair in love and war. Right, kids?” Those words were not addressed to Bella, but to Leo and me.
He and I shared a glance but said nothing.
“What’s your name?” Bella asked her grandfather.
“It’s Brian.”
“Nice to meet you, Brian. I’m Bella.” They shook hands, and Mr. Cohen asked if she wanted to see her new room. Needless to say, she was more than happy to follow him upstairs. Leo, Charlotte, and I followed them too.
“I still can’t believe she’s here,” she said, walking next to me.
“Me neither. To be honest, I didn’t even know if she would ever meet you at all. After everything that happened between her parents…”
“I know… I’m so worried about Jace and your sister… How is she, by the way?”
“Last I checked, she couldn’t stop thinking about your son. She loves him, and I think it’s incurable.” I looked at Leo who was a few steps ahead of us and sighed.
My love for him wasn’t any less hurting. If only he knew…
We stopped at the door painted bright pink, and Mr. Cohen opened it for B
ella,” Welcome home, princess.”
“Wow…” Was the only thing that she said when she walked in. The room was twice as big as the one she had at my place. It was white, with lots of pink and blue things here and there. The curtains, as well as the sofa, were soft pink; and the carpet was of a brighter shade of pink, as well as the pillows on the bed, crowned with a transparent white tester.
“Do you like it?” Leo asked.
Bella was still speechless, so she just nodded in response. Her grandparents looked delighted to see how happy she was.
Mr. Cohen started telling her about all the small secrets of the room, showing her toys hidden in the drawers, and the clothes they bought for her. “I hope you will love spending time with us,” he said to her.
It wasn’t about buying her love; I knew their love wasn’t a pretense. I could see it in their eyes, as well as hear it in everything they were saying to her.
“Come on, Olivia, I’ll show you your room,” Charlotte said. “Leo will bring your things later.”
Our eyes met again, and again I felt like he wanted to say something, but not a word followed.
We passed by several doors and stopped at the one at the further end of the hall. “It’s right next to Leo’s,” his mother said, opening the door to the guest room where I was going to stay. “I thought it would be better to let you two stay close… In case you need something, or… In case you two decide to talk after all.”
Damn it, she knew her son was still angry at me.
“I didn’t mean to make him hate me,” I said.
She smiled warmly. “I know. And so does he. Just give him a little more time to overcome his pride. Because it’s the only thing that suffered in this situation.”
I smiled too. “You aren’t angry at me, are you?”
“Angry at you? Never! If it wasn’t for you, we would never meet Bella.”
“I’m sure Winter never meant to hide her from you.”
Charlotte took a deep breath and motioned for me to take a seat on the couch. My room wasn’t as big as Bella’s, but it was beautiful too, made in ivory and light blue colors.
We sat down and she said, “From what Leo told me about her, I know that she isn’t a bad person. She’s lost, just like Jace is most of the time.”
“Wait a minute… What does Leonel know about Winter?”
She hesitated with the response, probably not sure if I needed to know about Leo’s secret investigation. “He went to visit her last week…” She looked at me carefully, waiting for my reaction to the news. “He needed to make sure she couldn’t take care of Bella so that he could protect your rights for her in court.”
“Oh… I didn’t know anything about his visit.”
“The doctor wouldn’t let him talk to her, but Leo said he saw her through the window, and she looked as thoughtful and lost as Jace looks when he’s deep in his inner world. I think it’s what pulled them together. They are two souls that are too fragile to live in the world like this.”
“So true… My sister had always been different from her friends or classmates. I thought she was simply too sensitive to catch up with their way of living. But then I realized it would never change.”
Charlotte nodded as if she knew exactly what I was talking about. “Same it was with Jace. I never knew how to make him feel happy. He spent a lot of time alone in his room. He played the guitar and wrote lyrics, but rarely shared them with anyone. I was scared he would never have friends, not to mention a girlfriend. But you know what? I think Winter knew how to find a key to his soul. It was a few years back, probably when the two of them started dating. I didn’t recognize my son. He smiled a lot, and he looked so happy. But he never told us about Winter or the fact that she gave birth to Bella. We would never judge them. Brian and I always wanted to have grandkids. And it doesn’t matter if they were planned or not. Kids should never pay for their parents’ mistakes. And Bella should never suffer because of the lack of love from her mom and dad. Who knows, maybe they will find a way to become a family one day. I would really want it to happen.” There was so much sadness in her voice. She and I both knew it was a faraway possibility, but we still kept hoping for the best.
I took her hand in mine and squeezed it slightly. “I think making Bella happy is what we shall focus on. Now that she has two grandparents more, I’m sure she will feel all the love you give her.”
With the tears glistening in her blue eyes, she nodded and smiled at me. “Let’s go check on her. I wonder if Brian came up with more tricks to gain her affection. Candy was a nice try.”
I chuckled. “Bella is crazy about apple caramels. As well as about apple pie, apple jam, and everything apple.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Is there anything else I should never forget?”
“Nothing special. Except for the fact that she’s too smart for her age. And it’s hard to fool her.”
Charlotte laughed. “Sounds so much like her uncle. I wouldn’t be surprised to know that she was his daughter and not Jace’s. But for that, he would need to stop being a stubborn idiot first.”
“Talking about me again?”
Leo stood in our way.
“Who else would be a stubborn idiot here?” His mom asked with a meaningful glance.
“Thanks, mom. I love you too.”
She pinched his cheek and said, “Give Olivia a tour around the place. It’s very impolite to be a moody host.”
Chapter 17
“Kitchen, dad’s office, dining room…” Leo opened one door after another, indifferently showing me every room of the house. He pretended it was the most boring thing to do when the truth was - my presence bothered him as much as his bothered me.
But I was so damn tired of pretending I didn’t care about him.
“Can we stop please?” I said, catching him by the hand.
He turned around, and his eyes glued to the place where my hand was touching his.
“Sorry.” I removed my hand and showed both hands in my jeans pockets. “Can we stop and talk. Please?” I said one more time.
We were alone in the middle of the hall that led to the sunroom.
“What do you want to talk about?” He asked, taking one step closer to me.
“I…” God, did he always has to be so fucking gorgeous? I could stare at him for hours and daydream about repeating the night we spent together. It felt like it happened forever ago, but the fire it made burn within, still warmed me up pleasantly. I couldn’t help but want for him to make it burn brighter again.
“I wanted to thank you,” finally I said.
“For what?”
“For being an ass with me this whole time,” I snapped, a little irritated by his coldness. I wish I could play it as cool as he did. But I was too hopelessly into him to control the situation. “Sorry. I wanted to thank you for letting Bella stay with me.”
“She would stay with you anyway.”
“Then why did you try your best to make me believe differently?”
He shrugged. “Because I wanted you to be in my shoes. To feel what it’s like to know that the person you trusted might so easily betray your trust.”
“Leo, listen… I’m sorry, okay? I really am. And at this point, I have no idea what to do to make you forgive me.”
“No, really?” He took one more step closer, and I took one step back.
Just to find myself locked in between the wall that was behind me and Leo’s chest.
“I can come up with a few things for you to do to…entertain me.” He put both palms on the wall on the sides of my head; his lips leaned closer to mine. “But I’m afraid forgiveness is a lot harder to gain than hate.”
“You don’t hate me,” I said, breathing heavily. My stupid heart raced in my chest, and I knew if he pushed it a little harder, I would give him everything he wanted.
“Are you sure about it?” His eyes slid down my face and lingered on my lips, which all of a sudden, felt too dry to move. I licked them, and Leo’s ey
es immediately caught the move. His eyes darkened.
“You are angry at me, but you don’t hate me,” I said. The closer his face leaned to mine, the harder it was for me to keep thinking straight.
“Unfortunately, being angry at you doesn’t help a fucking thing…” His breath feathered my lips; my palms went to his chest. I didn’t want to push him away, on the contrary – I was desperate to touch him, to feel his heartbeat beneath my palm, to check if it was as rapid as mine.
His lips teased mine with a barely tangible touch. It felt almost like a kiss, almost like surrender, but…
“Leo, are you there?” Mr. Cohen called.
I shut my eyes and put my hands down. A part of me was glad we had been interrupted. Kissing him wouldn’t change anything, at least not until he was ready to forgive me for my lies. When I opened my eyes again, Leo was walking down the hall and away from me.
“He’s always been a hard act to follow,” someone said.
I turned to the left and saw Leonel’s copy coming from the sunroom.
Jace…
“You scared me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. You must be Olivia.”
“How do you know my name?” Despite the fact that he and Leo were twins, I could see the differences. Jace’s hair was of a lighter shade of brown. His eyes were more round, unlike Leo’s almond-shaped; and his jawline and cheekbones were much sharper than his brother’s.
“Leo told me about you.”
“What exactly did he tell you about me?” I asked, crossing my arms. It was the first time that I met the reason for my troubles, and I was sure I would hate him to the bone, but to my surprise, I felt nothing but sorry for him.
“He said you made a great aunt for Bella.”
I watched him, not knowing how to act in his presence. There were so many things I thought I would tell him when I met him. But right now, there was only one thing that really mattered.
“Are you here to meet Bella?”
He lowered his head as if hiding his eyes from me. “Not today. I just… Wanted to look at her.”
