“So what happens next?” he asked, anxious to break the silence.
“I wish I knew,” Nora whispered into his chest. “I think a break is important, and then, I’m not sure.”
“For how long?” Leo pressed, hoping for a more clear-cut answer from her.
He hated being in limbo. Were they dating, or not? Was she breaking up with him? He could feel his agitation rising once more.
“I don’t know, Leo,” Nora admitted sadly.
She sat up and uncurled her body so she could look at him.
“I just need time to sort through all my feelings. I knew the time was coming even before everything that happened, but tonight just made things so much more complicated.”
“I can see that,” Leo agreed, in spite of the fact that he was still feeling anxious.
“The thing is, I was planning a trip to the east coast. I have some vacation time coming to me. I was going to visit the family, and stuff,” he continued, dropping a little bait, something for her to sink her teeth into, to prove to her that he had meant all the things he said to her.
He wanted to introduce her to his parents, and had planned on doing it down the road, but if a spontaneous visit tipped the scales in his favor.
“You should do that,” Nora urged hastily, before he added the part that he wanted to take her with him, as though she knew what he was leading up to.
She smiled at him warmly, nodding her head encouragingly.
“I think a visit with your family right now would do you a world of good, Leo.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he shrugged, his words trailing off, unwilling to make himself appear any more vulnerable.
Maybe for now there was not much he could say, he thought.
“I should go,” she said hesitantly, leaning forward, so reluctantly that Leo thought maybe she didn’t want to leave.
He reached out and took her hand, pulling her towards him. He kissed her softly on the mouth, cradling her face in his hands. He didn’t want her to leave either. She accepted his kiss, moaning softly into his mouth. His tongue gently parted her lips, desperate to coax out her passion. He wanted her in that moment, more than he ever had before, as though her indecision bore a deep hole in his soul, excavating and exposing every lonely, desperate, needy part of him.
He leaned her back into the sofa, shifting his body over Nora’s, his mouth pressing passionately against hers, showing, in the best way he knew how, that he needed her, and that he could give her something that Coop never could. He trailed his fingers down her body, raising her skirt to expose her creamy, white thighs.
“Leo, I can’t,” she whimpered, sitting up and easing herself away from him.
He offered her a naughty grin, certain she was playing coy with him. He shook his head slowly back and forth, and wrapped his hand around the back of her head to ease her back into another kiss. She calmly laid her hand against his chest, stopping him.
“I won’t do this tonight,” Nora whispered, her eyes filled with regret. “I’m just way too unnerved right now.”
He knew she was vulnerable, but he wanted to leave her with little doubt about how much he needed her, that if she didn’t choose him he would be crushed.
“Nora, I,” he croaked, struggling to put his thoughts together.
There were so many unfamiliar feelings he couldn’t define.
“Don’t go. Stay with me tonight.”
“Oh, Leo, my beautiful Leo,” she cried, tears pooling in her eyes, “I can’t stay.”
She fell into his arms, sobbing silently, and holding onto him fiercely. Although she turned down his affection, her tears were validating. He didn’t like to see her cry, but they expressed to him that she had deep feelings for him, and the break she needed didn’t necessarily indicate a break up.
“I have to go,” she said, releasing her hold on him.
She wiped away her tears, stood up, and gathered her belongings. He watched while she took her phone out of her purse and texted for an Uber. Leo stood up and followed her to the door.
They waited together, sitting silently side by side on his porch steps, his arm draped loosely around her shoulders. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he sensed that she couldn’t handle any more words. A few minutes later a black Sedan pulled up in front of the house, and Nora stood up to walk away. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back, his eyes begging her for one last kiss. She smiled at him sweetly and kissed him goodbye.
“Ciao, Bella,” he whispered, as he watched her walk away.
Chapter 24
Gage
“Thanks for meeting me, I wasn’t sure you would,” Leo smirked, kicking the chair out beside him so Gage could sit down.
“Why wouldn’t I come?” Gage questioned, taking a seat beside his old friend.
Leo shrugged and motioned for the waitress to come over. The truth was, Gage had been surprised to hear from Leo. He honestly didn’t think Leo would have much to say to him, but he received a text from him just a few short hours after he had left him alone with Nora, two nights ago.
Leo had seemed a little unhinged the last time he saw him and Gage had been concerned about his mental state ever since. When Leo called, he welcomed the idea for a chance to hang out and chat, mainly to see how his friend was handling everything, but also to clear the air between them. Although Leo had come a long way since they were teenagers, he still wasn’t sure how any of this would affect him. Leo typically avoided situations that required him to be vulnerable, hence the extensive list of loose women, friends with benefits, and empty affairs. It shocked the hell out of Gage when Leo had told him there was a woman he wanted him to meet. It was the first time since Leo and Corrine had split up.
The young waitress came over, a pretty red head with a curvy ass and a plunging neckline. She flirted with both of them, flaunting her cleavage in their eye line, sealing the promise of a big tip at the end of the night. Gage averted his eyes the best he could, not really in the mood for playful banter, but Leo’s teasing did not go unnoticed. As much as he loved his friend, he’d be lying if he said it didn’t piss him off.
“So, this is pretty fucked up, isn’t it?” Leo offered candidly, his eyes following the ass of the waitress all the way back to the bar.
Gage sat back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of him.
“You can say that again,” he agreed.
“I didn’t want to get into it with you the other night, not in front of Nora,” Leo continued, smiling sheepishly when he realized he had been caught leering at the server.
“I’m sure that was a wise choice,” Gage agreed, curious about Leo’s take on the situation.
It was obvious to Gage that Leo was uncomfortable. They both were.
“Did you know she was seeing someone else?” Leo asked, obviously putting out feelers.
Gage really didn’t want to discuss his and Nora’s relationship with Leo, but under the circumstances, what choice did he have?
“Yeah. We talked about keeping things casual, at least until the NHL season was over. She told me she was dating other people,” Gage explained, wondering where Leo was going.
“Did she say there was anything serious?” Leo asked tightly.
His smile was friendly but his eyes were not, Gage observed.
“No man, we didn’t talk about that,” Gage assured.
He sat forward, leaning his arms on the table in front of him, ignoring the sticky residue left after a half-assed job of wiping off the table with a dirty bar towel.
“Yeah, she was honest with me too,” Leo admitted, easing his tone, “about seeing other people. Truthfully, I didn’t think much of it. Up until a few weeks ago, I was unsure how I felt about things. I was happy to keep things casual, too.”
Both men sat back, as the waitress returned with their beers. She placed them down in front of them, immodestly leaning over so that Leo could enjoy the view. He took full advantage of it.
“What changed?” Gage ask
ed, not sure he really wanted to know. “A few weeks ago?”
“I dunno man, I just started thinking about her more and more often, you know? Every time we were together I just felt more at home,” Leo said, pausing to take a drink of beer. “She just has this way about her. She makes me believe in love again. She makes me feel happy.”
If Leo had been talking about anyone else but Nora, Gage would have been thrilled for him. For years he had wanted his friend to meet someone that would help turn him around and give up his philandering ways. Leo rejected love because he didn’t think he deserved it, but the truth was, he was fucking terrified. Gage knew it would take a special women to crack through his armor, someone patient and decent. Someone like Nora. But he was fucking pissed at the godless bastard that put Nora in Leo’s path. He loved the man. They were bros. But Leo had the emotional intelligence of a baboon, and the attention span as well. Even if Nora wasn’t the woman Gage was crazy about, he would hate to see her with a guy like Leo.
“I think I love her, man,” Leo admitted, toasting his glass to the air, before taking a long swallow.
Gage looked away, hiding his expression from his friend so he wouldn’t reveal his cynicism, or his hurt.
After a thoughtful pause, Gage replied, “Well then, we do have a dilemma, don’t we?”
“Do we?” Leo asked, grinning passively.
Gage shook his head and chuckled, certain that Leo was goading him, pissing on his tree or something.
“It sure looks that way,” he offered flatly, standing his ground.
“Why is that?” Leo mused, trying to push his buttons.
Gage shrugged his shoulders, unfazed, “Because I know I’m in love with her, man.”
Leo sat back in his chair spreading his thighs, the way men do when they want to metaphorically compare dick sizes, to intimidate each other.
“So, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t think it’s up to us man,” Gage chirped, taking a swig of his beer.
Gage knew that Leo was playing him, hoping that he would back down. The truth was, Leo had always been the alpha male in their friendship, mostly because Gage knew it was more important to Leo than it was to him. He typically acceded to Leo on most issues, whether they were debating politics, deciding where to hang out on vacation, or even where the fuck to eat dinner. He let Leo win because it was just easier, not because he was weaker.
“So, just let Nora decide?” Leo grunted, curiously raising a brow.
Gage shook his head, smiling impatiently at his friend, “Of course let Nora decide. This is about what will make her happy. You and I already know what we want.”
“And you’re okay with that?” Leo questioned, his face unsuccessfully masking his discomfort.
“I trust her, man. She’s a beautiful, caring, intelligent woman. I know that she will make whatever choice is right for her, and if that’s you, Leo, then I’ll accept it. I won’t be fucking happy that she didn’t want me, but I’ll wish her the best, because that’s all I want for her,” Gage admitted, his thoughts drifting to the woman he loved.
“I guess,” Leo muttered, swallowing the last of his beer.
The waitress walked by and he smiled at her, gesturing for another two beers. Gage waved her off, declining one for himself. He had to be at the arena in a few hours. Tonight was the last game of the season, and it was a big one. He needed to be sharp.
“Nora and I are good together, Gage. I don’t know what you two have, but she gets me, you know? She has helped me work through a lot of my shit. Corrine fucking messed me up. I loved that woman and she just threw me away like yesterday’s garbage. I wasn’t going to ever let that happen again. I never intended to fall for Nora, just have some fun with her, you know? But she just kept surprising me, over and over again. She just makes me... better... like I want to try to be the kind of man that she deserves,” Leo shared, his words appearing soft and truthful.
Gage raised his eyes, assessing him, hoping for a ‘but’, like a, ’but I know I could never make her as happy as she deserves,’ or ‘but I’m not ready to settle down with her,’ but it never came. He had never heard his friend talk like that about anyone. When he had walked into the bar that afternoon he was prepared to fight for Nora, figuring he would uncover the truth that Leo was only using her, or duel to the death for her, but now, now he wasn’t sure.
Everything happened for a reason, didn’t it? Maybe Nora was meant to come into Leo’s life. Maybe he did need her. Seeing his friend happy was something that Gage had always hoped for. Leo was good shit, deep down, and if there was a woman that could draw that goodness to the surface, could he stand in the way?
The waitress came by and set Leo’s beer in front of him.
“Here you go, anything else I can do for you?” she purred, picking up his empty glass.
Leo looked up and winked at her.
“That’s all for now, Darlin.’ If I need anything else, I’ll come find you,” he flirted.
“At your service,” she teased, suggesting more than another cheap beer.
She sashayed away, leaving behind the scent of desperation and drug store perfume.
Leo looked at his friend and shrugged, as if to say, ‘what’s a guy to do.’ Gage wanted to overlook the flirtatious exchange and stay focused on the words Leo had just confessed, but it nagged at him. If Nora did choose Leo, would she be destined to a life with a man who’s eyes landed on every pretty skirt that walked by? Could he be faithful to her once the reality of monogamy set in?
“I hear you, Leo, I do. The thing is, I don’t need Nora to make me happy. I’m already happy and I want to share that with her. I love ya, man, you know that, and I don’t want to see you hurt. I have been there for you half my life and I know how hard it’s been for you to find the right woman. Nothing makes me happier than hearing you admit that you want to be the kind of man Nora deserves. But, buddy, I’m already that man, and make no mistake, I’m ready to step up and make that woman mine,” Gage offered confidently, his determined eyes urging his friend to challenge him.
Leo sat back, smirking at Gage, assessing his words as though carefully sizing him up. Gage didn’t flinch, instead he grinned back and waited to see what his friend would do. They sat that way for several minutes, like two Old West gun slingers, waiting to see who would draw first.
Finally Leo started to laugh, not in a nervous way, but in the way friends do when they know they’ve pushed the boundary of their friendship as far as it will stretch and suddenly realize the bond is unbreakable. It took a minute for Gage to recognize that Leo was standing down. Not giving up necessarily, just admitting that he’d met his match with Gage.
“Okay, so no matter what happens, regardless of who Nora chooses, we’re still brothers, right?” Leo asked warmly, his expression relaxing. “If she happens to choose me, we stay friends?”
Gage thought about it for a split second and nodded, “Of course. I love you man. I’ll bow out gracefully. And if she chooses me?”
Leo inhaled deeply, as though he hadn’t really considered than an option.
“I’m not gonna lie, I think it might kill me to see her with you, but I guess I will have to deal with it if it comes.”
Gage had a feeling his friend would be okay. He had built up a pretty thick skin over the years, and even though his coping skills were questionable, they were easily accessible.
“If she does choose you, don’t fuck it up man,” Gage warned.
His tone was humorous, but his words were not.
“I think it would kill me to see Nora hurt.”
Leo looked at him, and at first he seemed insulted, but his eyes quickly softened with understanding. He held out his hand in a gesture of friendship, sealing the contract between them. Gage accepted the gesture, and shook Leo’s hand, hoping the best man would win Nora’s heart.
“Listen, maybe we’ll regret this, but let me run something by you,” Leo enticed, a playful grin materializing on his lips.
Chapter 25
Nora
Nora searched frantically for her phone, anxiety racing through her blood. No matter where she looked, she couldn’t seem to find it. The incessant ringing calling out to her, tormenting her. Just as she was ready to give up looking, she found it, oddly right in her purse.
It was Leo calling her. As soon as she saw his name on the display her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t heard from him in days, not even a text message. Both he and Gage seemed to be respecting her need for seclusion.
She had spent the weekend taking care of herself, and even though her vacation was starting on Monday, she took a personal day, feeling too unsettled from Leo’s party to face her Friday patients. She slept, read, cried, worked out, and whatever else struck her fancy in the moment. The only thing she didn’t do was talk, to anyone, not even her sister. She was hoping for an epiphany, a sign from the universe, like a giant cartoon mallet bouncing off her head. Anything to help her reach a conclusion about the two men she had fallen in love with.
Now she stared at the phone in her hand, waffling with indecision, uncertain if she should answer or not, yet aching to speak to him. Her thumb, hovering over the answer button, pressed down as if it had a mind of its own.
She said hello, her heart beating in her chest, both desiring and dreading his words at the same time. He told her that he missed her, that he needed to see her and asked her to come to his house. She told him that she couldn’t, that she wasn’t ready to see him, she still hadn’t made up her mind, and that it wasn’t fair to Gage. He told her Coop was there too, and that they both wanted to see her. He said they had been talking to one another and they thought they had a way to help her. He insisted she come by, that everything would make sense when she got there. So she agreed.
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