prepared a late lunch for them, Leandro hadn’t spoken a word since they arrived at his place. He no longer lived at the dorm, having finished his degree back in Greece. But all the furniture from his old place had been moved here, making the place feel new and unbearably familiar at the same time.
Bittersweet memories assailed Bobby. She saw the 3D television mounted on the wall and thought of the time she had lost a bet with Leandro, giving him the right to record their lovemaking and then making Bobby watch it with him afterwards.
Gah!
Why did she have to remember that of all things?
Leandro looked up when Bobby suddenly appeared at the doorway of his kitchen. He frowned at the uneasy look on her face. “What is it?”
“I…” She fidgeted, not knowing how to ask her question.
He waved for her to come in and she took one of the stools opposite him. She watched silently as he unwrapped the foil cover from the container, which bore the name of a famous Italian restaurant. “Pasta?”
“Yes.” He opened the container, and the delicious scent of baked spaghetti filled the air. “Also, you’re beating around the bush.”
Bobby made a face. A part of her couldn’t believe they were bantering in the kitchen as if they were a married couple. But then, there was also this small shameful part of her that liked it. Too much so.
“Smartass,” she muttered under her breath.
Leandro raised a brow. “And you weren’t such a coward in the past. Did missing and loving me too much make you so?”
She glared at him. “Ego much?”
“Still beating—”
“I just want to know what you did with our video.” The words tumbled out of her mouth so fast she wondered if he understood her.
When Leandro’s lips slowly curved into a smirk, Bobby knew that the jerk unfortunately did understand her. “Why,” he asked, “are you thinking about that? Did you look at the TV and remember it?”
Her jaw dropped. How did he know that?
He thought about making a joke and decided against it. He gazed at Bobby, and his heart clenched hard at how right she looked sitting across him. If he had his way, he wanted it to be like this between them forever. “I remember, too, mégaira,” he said seriously. “Everywhere I look, there’d be something that would remind me…”
“I don’t want to hear any more.”
The words stabbed him, but he willed the pain away, knowing he deserved it.
The way Leandro whitened at her words made Bobby bite her lip hard and she looked away, knowing she needed to compose herself and strengthen her defenses. Leandro’s penthouse apartment had an open layout, with the breakfast counter allowing her to see all the way to the living room and the balcony.
The frame next to the balcony doors caught her eye, and she realized with a jerk that it was a letter. Her letter. She always used personalized stationery when penning letters, and the gold initials engraved at the top of the paper was distinct.
“You received it.”
Leandro finished plating their food before following Bobby’s gaze. Ah. She had seen it. “I did.”
“You never answered,” she said in a thin voice.
“It was my punishment not to.”
The words were so surprising that it made her head snap towards him.
“When a member of our family passes, it is tradition for us to make a personal sacrifice for a year. For my mother, she simply fasted. The loss of my father – her husband – was already the greatest sacrifice. For my younger sister, she withdrew from school even though it meant losing her spot in a prestigious academy.”
Bobby asked faintly, “I was your personal sacrifice?”
“I died every day not being able to see you or beg your forgiveness,” he said simply. He looked back at the framed letter. “Amongst all of us, I had the most to atone for. I did not give my father an easy time raising me. I was always bitter and defensive – I couldn’t make myself lower my guard and allow him to love me. I was
Bittersweet memories assailed Bobby. She saw the 3D television mounted on the wall and thought of the time she had lost a bet with Leandro, giving him the right to record their lovemaking and then making Bobby watch it with him afterwards.
Gah!
Why did she have to remember that of all things?
Leandro looked up when Bobby suddenly appeared at the doorway of his kitchen. He frowned at the uneasy look on her face. “What is it?”
“I…” She fidgeted, not knowing how to ask her question.
He waved for her to come in and she took one of the stools opposite him. She watched silently as he unwrapped the foil cover from the container, which bore the name of a famous Italian restaurant. “Pasta?”
“Yes.” He opened the container, and the delicious scent of baked spaghetti filled the air. “Also, you’re beating around the bush.”
Bobby made a face. A part of her couldn’t believe they were bantering in the kitchen as if they were a married couple. But then, there was also this small shameful part of her that liked it. Too much so.
“Smartass,” she muttered under her breath.
Leandro raised a brow. “And you weren’t such a coward in the past. Did missing and loving me too much make you so?”
She glared at him. “Ego much?”
“Still beating—”
“I just want to know what you did with our video.” The words tumbled out of her mouth so fast she wondered if he understood her.
When Leandro’s lips slowly curved into a smirk, Bobby knew that the jerk unfortunately did understand her. “Why,” he asked, “are you thinking about that? Did you look at the TV and remember it?”
Her jaw dropped. How did he know that?
He thought about making a joke and decided against it. He gazed at Bobby, and his heart clenched hard at how right she looked sitting across him. If he had his way, he wanted it to be like this between them forever. “I remember, too, mégaira,” he said seriously. “Everywhere I look, there’d be something that would remind me…”
“I don’t want to hear any more.”
The words stabbed him, but he willed the pain away, knowing he deserved it.
The way Leandro whitened at her words made Bobby bite her lip hard and she looked away, knowing she needed to compose herself and strengthen her defenses. Leandro’s penthouse apartment had an open layout, with the breakfast counter allowing her to see all the way to the living room and the balcony.
The frame next to the balcony doors caught her eye, and she realized with a jerk that it was a letter. Her letter. She always used personalized stationery when penning letters, and the gold initials engraved at the top of the paper was distinct.
“You received it.”
Leandro finished plating their food before following Bobby’s gaze. Ah. She had seen it. “I did.”
“You never answered,” she said in a thin voice.
“It was my punishment not to.”
The words were so surprising that it made her head snap towards him.
“When a member of our family passes, it is tradition for us to make a personal sacrifice for a year. For my mother, she simply fasted. The loss of my father – her husband – was already the greatest sacrifice. For my younger sister, she withdrew from school even though it meant losing her spot in a prestigious academy.”
Bobby asked faintly, “I was your personal sacrifice?”
“I died every day not being able to see you or beg your forgiveness,” he said simply. He looked back at the framed letter. “Amongst all of us, I had the most to atone for. I did not give my father an easy time raising me. I was always bitter and defensive – I couldn’t make myself lower my guard and allow him to love me. I was
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