Page 141 of Reconciling With the Rival

“Well, I don’t want you,” I lie. I can’t handle this. It feels like too much. I must be dreaming, because there’s no way in hell this is actually happening.

He scoffs as he comes over to me, his hands finding my waist as he pulls me closer. “You’re lying, Ella. I can see it all over your face. You forget how good I am at reading every single part of you, even the parts you hide from everyone else.”

I shake my head. “Leo—”

“Am I truly that bad? Truly so awful that you would lie and pretend like you don’t feel this pull too?” His hands snakes up to my throat, and my head lifts to welcome it. Stupid fucking force of habit. “Even your body remembers how much it loves me, darling.”

“Stop, Leo. My feelings aren’t some fucking joke you can throw around whenever you choose.” I loosen from his hold.

“This isn't a joke, Ella! Nothing about what I’m feeling is a joke, and I’m over here hanging by a goddamn thread waiting to hear how you feel about me.” He kneels in front of me. “You’re all that’s been on my mind night and day since you walked out of the restaurant. My heart is in your hands. Please, free me from this grasp you have on me if you don’t feel the same way.”

My hands rest on his shoulders, his body keeping me upright as his words filter through my ears. “You drive me crazy, Leo. With your stupid fucking smirk, your perfect hair I want to run my hands through, all of it. You’ve been a thorn in my side since I took that shot from whatever girl you were trying to send it to.”

“I’m the luckiest bastard in the world that the bartender gave it to you instead.”

“Don’t say that,” I tell him.

“It’s the fucking truth, Ella! Now, you need to tell me the truth: do you love me? Yes or no?”

“Leo—”

“It’s a simple question, Ella. Yes or no!”

It bursts out of me before I can stop it. “Yes! I do!” He stands back up, the two of us now chest to chest. “I love you, you ass! And it pisses me off because I swore for so long I would never end up in this situation with you, yet here we are!”

“Give me all of it, Ella. Lay it all out,” he coaxes me, his smile spreading from ear to ear.

“I used to hate needing people. I used to think I could go through life all on my own without needing help, and then you decided to come along. For some reason, these past few months, I’ve started to run toward you, rely on you, and it pisses me off you were able to break down my walls so effortlessly. I thought I was stronger, but somewhere along the way, you became my person instead of the pain in the ass I always thought you were.”

“Keep going.”

“At some point, I started to see the real you, not the version I had created in my head, and in his place was someone who reminded me of myself. Someone who wanted to be loved without asking. Someone who wanted to take care of me because, my whole life, all I’ve done is take care of everyone else.”

“And I’m that person for you, Ella?”

I smile at him, my body feeling lighter after my admission. “Yes, you are. I can't believe I’m admitting this, but I love you, Leo. So fucking much, it scares the crap out of me.”

He cups my face. “It scares the hell out of me too, darling. But nothing could have stopped me from falling for you like I did, and I’m so fucking thankful you feel the same way.”

My smile takes over my face as I settle into his embrace. I feel safe here. Loved. Wanted. Not just for who I am, but for who he sees me to be. “If you don’t kiss me in the next two seconds—”

“Always so fucking bossy, Ella,” he says as he captures my lips with his. This kiss is unlike any other ones we’ve had. It’s consuming. It’s loving. It’sperfect, and he deepens it as if he never wants to let go.

I don’t want him to. I want to get lost in him for the rest of my life; if I told myself that a few months ago, I’d have laughed.

But now, I’m sure wherever the future takes us, Leo will be by my side for all of it.

“You broke one of our rules, you know,” he says between kisses.

I smack his arm. “So did you!”

“Well, you broke it first by falling for me, so does that mean I won?”

I roll my eyes at him. “I wasn't aware we were competing.” I grab his head and bring his mouth back to mine.

“You’re right, darling. You win,” he says as he grabs my shirt and starts to undo it. “How about I make it up to you with a few orgasms?”

“Well, it is theleastyou could do,” I say as I smile, and for the rest of the night, Leo and I get lost in one another as we whisper sweet nothings through soft kisses.

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