So...reviews were kinda lacking last chapter. And now here we are at the LAST chapter. Enjoy!
Before heading over to Leaves' for operation 'Forgive Me and Take Me Back', I spent over an hour in the bathroom getting ready.
Face masks, hair cremes, moisturisers and plucking; the lot. So hopefully now, I'll look so damn gorgeous Leaves will have no choice but to pin me to the wall of his hallway and kiss me.
Right?
Oh God, what if I'm totally wrong about this? I mean, what if he's not going to take me back despite my efforts? After all, Leaves doesn't go for the whole beauty on the outside thing, he's more of an 'It's what's inside that counts' kind of guy.
Hopefully what's inside me is enough to lure him back too then.
Well, here goes nothing.
I knocked on his big brown door and smoothed down my skirt. I'd opted for a casual, natural look, so hopefully you couldn't tell how much it took for me to look like this.
Just as I was adjusting my bra, the door opened. I jumped back and dropped my hands.
Leaves looked surprised to see me. Surprised, and something else. I'm hoping for 'happy'.
"Mia," he said softly. "What are you…" He stared at me for a good minute. I didn't say anything, I didn't move a muscle. "Ah hell, screw it."
Before I could utter one syllable of my well versed apology, he grabbed me and mashed my perfectly lip-lined mouth with his.
I almost went for it. I almost lost myself in the moment and forgot all about what had happened to us recently, but then I remembered and pulled back.
Leaves' lips were covered in my lip gloss, and I could feel it all over my cheeks. There goes half an hour of make-up time.
"What?" he asked.
"Before we do that," I said, restraightening my skirt. "I need to say something. I need to apologise."
"Mia, I don't need to hear it. It's enough that you came, that you're here. I'm never going to let you out of my sight again."
He reached for me again but I stepped back.
"Mia…" he droned.
"Leaves, you may not need to hear it, but I need to say it. Can we just go inside and talk?"
He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. If that's what you want."
"Thank you." I stepped past him into the apartment and sat down on the leather couch.
"Are your parents' home?" I asked, looking around at what looked like an empty apartment.
"Did you come here to see them?"
"Of course not. I came to see you."
"Good. Because they're at dinner and a show. They won't be home for hours."
I nodded and looked down at my hands. Why are apologies so much harder when it actually comes to saying them? I must have practised this about a hundred times in my head while I was getting ready, and now I can't spit it out.
"So…" he said.
I looked up at him, catching his gaze with mine. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened. We broke up over something silly in the first place. I should have tried harder to find a balance between you and Michael. You're both so special to me; I don't think I can not have either of you in my life."
He nodded but didn't say anything.
I continued. "But at the same time, I think you need to be more understanding of my friendship with Michael. You need to be more accommodating to it."
Finally he spoke. "To your friendship with Michael, or to your relationship with him?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and sinking back into the couch.
Damn, I was hoping not to bring that up.
"Look, all Michael and I have is friendship. Whatever happened with us, it was a mistake. I don't think that…"
"Mia, stop." He reached out and rested his hand on my knee. "I don't need to hear about what happened with you and Michael. If you're willing to move past it, then I am too. No explanation necessary."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Deal."
He smiled at me. "Is that all you have to say then?"
I thought about it for a second. "Um, I think so. Just the apology and uh, Michael."
As I'd been talking, Leaves had inched his way over to me and was now right next to me, almost on top of me.
"So can we get back to doing what we were doing before?"
"Sure."
He pushed me back into the couch and kissed me, running his hands through my hair and on the small of my back.
God, I've missed this. Not that Michael's kisses weren't satisfactory, Max was right about him being a damn fine kisser. But when Leaves kisses me, I feel something…more. Like he means it more.
"Oh," Leaves pulled back and looked me in the eyes. "I'm sorry too. About not being accommodating to Michael before. I'll try harder now."
"Leaves, shut up and kiss me again."
He pretended to look offended, then he cracked out into a smile. "Okay. But, one more thing…"
"Yes?" I asked impatiently.
"I love you."
He kissed me again before I could reply.
-
After school the next day we were walking around downtown eating ice cream, when we saw two familiar figures walking hand in hand a few blocks away.
They both look so happy, with Michael resting his head on Max's shoulder as they plod along, their hands joined and swinging between them.
"Should we go talk to them?" Leaves asked.
"Nah, let them be happy alone."
Besides, I'll get the goss from Michael later.
Fin.