Page 80 of My Promise To Keep

‘This is us.’

Leo opens the door, and we step into the room. It’s nice. The bed is huge in the middle of the room, and I’m tempted to dive straight onto it, but the windows are calling me over. It’s early afternoon, and the view across the city from here is beautiful.

Leo’s arms wrap around my waist, and his lips press against the top of my shoulder.

‘Let’s go out,’ he says softly, his breath against my skin making me shiver.

I turn in his arms. ‘Out?’ My eyes widen. ‘I didn’t think you’d want to leave the room.’

His smile matches mine, but he looks… what is that, nervous?

‘You okay?’ I ask, raising my hands up to wrap around his neck.

‘Yeah, I just want to explore a little bit.’

‘Okay,’ I nod. ‘Let’s go.’

‘Oh my god, he’s so cute.’

I press my hand against the glass, and honestly, I could cry. I’ve always had a thing for beluga whales, and having one right in front of me is making me a little emotional.

‘Smile, munch. Let me take a photo.’ Leo holds up his cell phone, and I smile. When he suggested the aquarium, I was a little unsure. I’m not used to seeing animals in captivity, but we decided to give it a shot, and I’m having a great time.

‘Okay, I’m kind of hungry. Is there somewhere to eat here?’

Leo laughs and pulls me to him. ‘You go from zero to one hundred when you’re ready for food.’

‘I’m a growing girl.’ He wraps his arm around my shoulder and starts to guide me toward the food.

‘Munch, you were done growing a long time ago, but it’s all good. I like the little package that you are.’

He pulls me in to kiss my head, and I can’t keep the smile from my face. This feels so good.

We get some burgers and fries and find somewhere to sit.

‘You havin’ fun?’

I nod, already chewing on a French fry. ‘I am. I love this.’

‘Good, I’m glad.’ He picks up his burger and takes a bite. ‘Listen, I wanted to talk about something,’ he says, still chewing, and I screw up my face, making him laugh.

‘Swallow your food before you talk to me, Leo Bennett.’

He laughs loudly. ‘You literally just talked with a fry in your mouth.’

‘A French fry is not the same as half a cow.’ He laughs again, and I can’t help but giggle. ‘What do you want to talk about?’ I pick up my milkshake and take a sip.

‘So, I um,’ he reaches for my hand, ‘I wanted us to set some ground rules.’

I freeze, my straw between my teeth, and my eyes widen.

‘Ground rules?’ Why does that make me feel so unsettled?

‘Yeah, Zo.’ He reaches for my hand and takes a deep breath. ‘You wanted us to take this slow, but my feelings for you are not slow. They are big and fast, and I don’t want to fuck this up.’

Wow. I swallow hard and wait.

‘So, I’ve never had a serious relationship. I’ve never had someone to answer to or even really consider before, and you have been on your own for a long time. This is going to be a steep learning curve for us both. I’ve been thinking about that and how we can still go slow even though this is serious.’ He takes another breath. ‘There are going to be times when we both need a little space, and we will piss each other off sometimes. I want us to be able to respect that and take what we need. If you need a break from me, you need to tell me, okay?’

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