Chapter 9
.
I'm going through exams and tests, projects and work problems. Sorry it took so long!
~Brandacelynn ~ lol! Thanx for the kick in the pants, hun! I needed it to get going again :D hope this satisfies you!
~Jess ~ Hey hun! XD Hope you like the update!
~ Ravenhearst~ I'M UPDATING! Finally huh? Hope you like this!
.
The smell of strong, black coffee wafted up her nose in the early hours of morning and Charley groaned, rolling over onto her stomach. One bright green eye cracked, peaking at the room, glaring at the window's curtain that was open.
She'd closed it.
Frowning now more than ever, Charley pushed up on her elbows, looking about. Everything was as she'd left it, except the curtain was pulled wide, revealing the heavy storm and deep gnarled clouds.
Leo.
Of course it was him. He always got up at ungodly hours of the morning, talking of "morning works outs" or that the mornings brought some set of "peace".
Yeah right.
Running nimble fingers through her curls, she stretched out like a cat; back bending and twisting about. Swing her legs out, Charley stepped right into her plush slippers, then padded towards the bathroom to freshen up and look somewhat decent when she went to the kitchen for coffee.
Because damn it all, Leo made good coffee and she wasn't about to miss out on it no matter how mad...Or sad she was.
The bathroom mirror showed her reflection of a freckled face and unruly head of bedroom curls. Her cheeks were stained red with a blush from her short sleep and her curls seemed to frame her pretty face. Wrinkling her nose, Charley made a face at the mirror.
Nodding at herself, Charley turned swiftly back to her room to throw on her pyjama pants and a tank top instead of the green t-shirt she was sporting now.
Once dressed, she quietly walked down the hall to the small worn out kitchen where Leo would probably be.
The kitchen was filled with the smell of breakfast, but it was the scene of it all that made her jaw drop, ever so slightly for she was a modest woman after all.
Leo.
He was puttering away around the kitchen, stirring this or wiping a messy counter before he'd turn around and set another dish down, this one filled with fruit.
Not only was Leo cooking, but he'd even set up the old ratty kitchen to almost look romantic. Almost.
Her frown deepened, and she took two steps into the small space. "Leo?" She said, tone light. "What on earth are you doing?"
Any other time she would have prided herself on the fact she'd snuck up on Mr. Almighty, however now it just annoyed her that he was giving her the deer caught in the head lights look.
"I didn't think you'd wake so quickly" Leo said softly. His head was bowed as if he were talking to someone more worthy and it bothered Charley more then she'd like to admit.
"Coffee would wake me from the dead" She stated. Leo flinched slightly at her words and she realized she was using an extremely hostile voice at him, yet couldn't quite change it with her next words, only soften it slightly. "Though I guess you wouldn't know that, would you?"
He blinked. Once, twice, then a third.
"No." He said, voice more determined this time as he seemed to become more of a normal Leo again. "I suppose I didn't know that."
Charley nodded curtly, sitting in her favourite spot, so emerged in thought she nearly missed Leo's comment.
" I do now though."
"Yes...You do" Charley answered, quieter then a whisper.
Leo went to the counter, grabbing two plates and two mugs; one with coffee the other a herbal tea.
Placing them on the table, Leo turned back and flicked on the radio, the volume low so it would really just be background noise, then took his seat across from Charley.
The soft music from the radio filled the silence, a soft song about, ironically, heart break.
"Once in a life time...You'll open up your heart, baby once in your life time...you'll swear to never be apart...you'll think your loves on solid ground, then out of the blue it all comes tumblin' down..."
Charley shifted in her chair, her brow under her curls creasing slightly before her hand went out, seizing her coffee cup, her fingers drumming in a nervous gesture.
He'd have to work fast if he wanted her to listen. She was always more relaxed in the morning even if that relaxed state often had a morning grumpiness that stayed long after her first cup of coffee.
"Charley" He started, pronouncing her name slowly like it was foreign on his tongue. "I'm sorry. I'm for everything...And I didn't- I mean I wasn't trying to do something wrong- it wasn't like you actually were doing anything! I knew you had work...Or all...all that other stuff and then there was when we just couldn't hang or be together and Dammit Charley I know you. Or at least I thought I did and I know I didn't try or-or I pushed you away then when I should have tried harder... Was it just -"
"Leo"
He looked up into burning green eyes and wondered when his entire plan had fallen through to leave him a complete mess babbling on with little to no sentence structure at all.
"Leo" She said again, less flat and with even the bare minimum of her usual softness. "Just...Just shut up and eat your fruit."
Leo did as instructed, lowering his head to his breakfast and placing strawberry after strawberry on his tongue to keep himself from making the situation any worse than it already was. Silence ticked on with the soft radio in the back ground.
"With all the things we got...How can love just stop? Tell me... Somebody help me understand..."
Freckled fingers drummed to the beat of the music on her coffee cup before she picked up a napkin, tearing it at the edges.
Running out of fruit Leo grabbed his tea that was now luke warm.
"I lost my job"
... "What?"
Charley cocked an eye brow meeting Leo's gaze for half a second before her eyes flickered down to the ripped napkin.
"I lost my job." She said again, "Said I wasn't up to par"
She dropped the last of the napkin into the pile of torn squares. "I wasn't making it into work, Leo and when I did I was running on no sleep or very little."
Nodding slowly, Leo saw the stress filled lines around her vibrant eyes and realized that was probably the reason she'd been disappearing on him during the days and nights when he came over. She was looking for a job and he'd accused her of...
"What about the money from your Grandfather?" Leo asked, trying to catch her gaze.
After Charley's Grandfather had past he'd left all of his savings to his only granddaughter and Charley had used that money to get away from her parents and moved to New York to start her life over. She'd cried many nights over his death and Leo suspected the man was probably the reason Charley had turned out so wonderful.
"It's paying for the apartment" Charley ran her finger through her curls again and seemed to grow dark, huffing. "What did you expect Leo? That I was living in New York with a job I could fling around! I knew I had work, but then you'd be here, or Jack would need me at the shop and then...Then you started accusing me. And I didn't know what to do beside try and all you would do was blame and damn it all, Leo I couldn't take it anymore! You never listen! You hear me, you see me but you never ever take what I say and just trust me. Why couldn't you ever do that? Why was that so hard?"
There were tears in those emerald eyes and Leo felt his chest squeeze painfully before two perfect steams ran down her cheeks. "Please don't cry, Charley" He whispered.
"I'm not" She screamed, standing and sending her chair to clatter on the ground. "I'm frustrated! I'm angry and I'm pissed at you and why dammit do you suddenly give a damn? Why? Why now"
She was sobbing, one hand clenched in her hair while she wiped her face with the other and it was then that Leo realised she was still talking.
"You never cared. It was always questions and accusations and then you'd be sweet and I'd say so then you'd walk away I was always, always, left wondering, Leonardo. "
" Wondering, fretting and all...All I could do was watch as you pushed and pulled because no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, it was never enough for you was it? What changed now, Leo? Why are you here?"
The tears weren't running anymore but they still sat in her eyes making them look unnaturally bright in a way that made her look almost alien, almost too beautiful in such an angry state. Silence. She was waiting for his reply.
Two steps forward and he had her face in his hands and her back against the kitchen wall. No escape unless he released her or she struggled but he knew she wouldn't. His hands went front her face to her upper arms, holding her lightly. He locked her eyes with his own and didn't let go.
"Because" He said, voice cracked so he tried again. "Because I love you, Charley. And I know I didn't say it, but I'm saying it now. When you told me it was done, Charley I couldn't breathe, I still can't. I love you, Charley and I can't let you go. I'll try harder; I know I can trust you with anything, with my heart... Charley you already have my heart I just didn't know it, I didn't know. But I do now, see? I can't stand the thought of you with anyone else, it hurts just thinking about it. I love you Charley."
Leo searched Charley's eyes for anything; Hurt, joy, anger, just something. Yet, there was just a blank look with dull eyes, slack lips and slow breathing.
"Charley?" He tried again.
No response.
"Charley, say something please."
...
HA You get a cliff hanger. Sorry~ But I have to go to bed :/ BUT what do you think? How was it? REVIEWS PLEASE!
.
