Chapter III: Late Night Confessions

AN: Once again, thank you for all the reviews/follows/favorites. I apologize if this took a little longer to put up, but I hope that the length of this chapter will more than compensate for that.

"Hey, you."

Finally gaining consciousness, April slowly lifted her eyelids and saw a worrisome Leo standing by the side of the bed. Her eyes traveled left to right as she looked around the room, and as she tried to put the pieces together, she realized that she was now in a different space of the suite.

"Wh..what happened?" She asked, her words slurred.

"You honestly don't remember? Uh-oh, wouldn't want your family to think that I kidnapped you. Or worse.."

She shook her head gently at him as a form of reply to his comment. She couldn't remember a single thing; zilch. Everything around her still seemed a bit out of place, like she was living in a different dimension. But then again, maybe it had more to do with her just feeling so out of it.

"You..uh, you fainted, April. When I saw you, you were on the floor practically bleeding all over the place," he said, the tone in his voice now more serious than before.

"How long was I out?"

"About two hours, tops."

"Great," she said as she propped her elbow up on the bed, just as Leo sat on the open space next to her. The look on his eyes still expressed nothing but genuine concern.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. I'm a lot better now. Really, I am."

"Well, you need to get some food in you. I'll have someone bring up some—"

"No Leo, don't. Actually if you don't mind, I was thinking—"

"Okay seriously, you need to drop this whole…independent woman act you got going on. I know you can take on the world yourself, but as a friend, let me help you. Because that's what friends do, they look out for each other."

Wow, Leo Hendrie being candidly sensitive. April wasn't used to seeing this side of him before.

"What I was actually going to say was that I hope you don't mind…if I take you out to dinner."

"Wow. Moving a little too fast there, are we? I must say, this is such a turn-on…no girl has ever offered to pay for dinner before."

…And there it was. The touching moment with Leo Hendrie was over in a matter of a few words.

"That's not what I meant," April said, shaking her head as her cheeks turned slightly rosy. She let out a little chuckle before she continued. "You've already done so much for me, so at least let me return the gesture. For starters, let me earn my stay in this amazing hotel."

He pondered on this statement for a second, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She knew this surprised him a bit as well, probably because he wasn't used to having people do something nice for him without anything in return. His eyes slowly revert back to hers, and just from the look on his face, April knew that he was opposed to the idea.

"I'm not asking to be rewarded for my good deeds, if you think that's what I'm doing. Besides, we need time for you to recover, so we can hold off exploring until tomorrow."

A little hesitant at first, April reached out her hand and touched Leo's. Soon as she did, she could tell that this surprised him, but thankfully, he didn't retreat.

"You told me that I need to start seizing the day. Well, all I've been doing since we left was sleep and pass out. I would hate for us to spend our first night here in Paris locked away in this suite, when we could be out there."

A short pause clouded the room. She waited for his reply as she watched him take a deep sigh.

"Is that what you want?"

"Yes Leo, that's what I want."

"Then your wish is my command."

The end of his lips curved as he watched April's eyes light up like a million stars. The sight of her in his bed, accompanying him in Paris, sharing and making new memories with him, was enough to knock the wind out of Leo's lungs.

"I must say I'm surprised, with you carpe dieming the day and all," he said as he let out a chuckle. "I guess I'm finally rubbing off on you, aren't I? Though I have to be honest, not in the kind of way that I was hoping for. Don't worry, we'll get there eventually."

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes as she pushed him out of the bed. She got up and made her way back to her room to get ready, now feeling a little excited. More than she would like to admit, Leo was starting to rub off on her…but more importantly, he was starting to move his way into her heart.

As promised, April took Leo out to dinner where they both settled for a good helping of pasta and wine. With the sunset fast approaching, Leo drove them to Bois de Vincennes, Paris' largest public park, to get a glimpse of the sun coming down the horizon. Soon as they arrived, they traveled on foot to get to Lac Daumesnil, one of the four lakes in Bois de Vincennes, because according to locals, this was the best place to watch the sunset.

"Here we are," Leo said as they finally arrived at their destination.

After much walking, April found herself at the top of a shallow cliff, under a cemented gazebo with pillars holding up the dome. From the looks of it, the gazebo may have been around for centuries, as it showed some signs of heavy aging, but the garden surrounding it was kept in pristine condition. The place certainly looked as though it was ripped straight from a page in a magazine, and it rendered April speechless.

"Oh, my God. This is beautiful, Leo."

Silence took over for a few minutes as April looked out into the horizon, watching the sunset as darkness slowly enveloped the night sky. As she did this, she began to think about how many remaining sunsets she had left to see, especially with the cancer slowly taking over her life. Moreover, she began to think about Leo, how he only had a few months to experience little things like these, and the thought of this saddened her. It's not fair. It just isn't fair. I don't deserve this, and neither does Leo. However, she didn't let this get to her. All that mattered now was that they were together, fighting for their lives as they try to live with what little amount of time they had left in the world.

"Do you know what the locals call this place?" he began, finally breaking the deafening silence.

"No, I don't. Enlighten me."

"The Temple of Love."

"Oh really now?"

"Mhm."

"Huh, well I'm willing to bet that you brought all the girls here when you used to live in Paris, didn't you? Like, how many are we talking here, Leo? Ten? Twenty?" she teased.

He laughed at this before he proceeded to answer.

"More like one or two…just one."

"Seriously? Why do I find that so hard to believe?"

"Well, believe it."

"Wow, well she must've been a very special girl then! Can I get a name at least?"

Instead of satisfying her with an answer, Leo simply looked straight in April's eyes and let out another one of his infamous crooked smiles. He hoped that this gesture was enough for her to take a hint.

"Oh, I see," she answered hastily as she looked down the lake, breaking their eye contact. Her cheeks immediately flushed burning red as this realization finally hit her. She couldn't have possibly been the only girl he had brought in a romantic place such as the Temple of Love before. He's Leo Hendrie, son of politician Bruce Hendrie, who also happened to be one of Boston's hottest bachelors. What does he think he's doing?

"You know, a lot of couples choose the Temple of Love to get married in."

Breaking the awkward tension between them, an elderly man who looked to be in his mid-sixties joined Leo and April under the gazebo. Standing beside him was also an elderly woman, presumably his wife, who clung to his arm for support. April has never been happier with their impeccable timing.

"So, you and your wife…you both got married here?" Leo asked, turning around to meet the couple face-to-face.

"Sure did. This is also where we first met."

"Oh, really? How did that happen?" April asked, joining in the conversation.

"I had just moved here from another country, straight after graduating from college. I also just broke it off with my boyfriend at the time, so I came here, everyday, to clear my head. Then one day, he just came up to me and helped me ease into my transition here, all while healing my broken heart in the process."

"Chance meeting, that is so sweet," April said as she shot a look in Leo's direction. She did it quickly enough that he hardly had any time to notice.

"Yeah, and since then, we've been renewing our vows here, every year. This year will be our 40th wedding anniversary," the man added.

"Congratulations," Leo and April replied in unison.

"So, how about you two? You're such a gorgeous, young and healthy couple…will there be wedding bells in the near future?"

So much for being healthy, April thought to herself as she tried to answer the man's question.

"Oh no, we're not…um, I just broke up with my boyfriend too, actually."

"My apologies, we just thought you were…"

"No, we uh…we're just here for vacation, and it's April's first time in Paris, so I'm showing her around. Just like you did with the missus," Leo interrupted, placing his arm around April's shoulder, who allowed it reluctantly.

"Well if I didn't know any better, that's a love story waiting to happen."

After their short rendezvous at the park and being mistaken for a couple, Leo and April finally went back to the hotel to get some rest. Leo took a quick shower and headed straight to his bedroom, where he knocked out instantly. On the other hand, April lounged around the living room and watched a movie, while waiting for sleep to finally come to her.

She looked out the tall glass windows covering the entire living room walls as the lights danced around the Eiffel Tower. It was so beautiful, so bright, almost like staring at a picture from a book. It was only her first night in Paris, and already, she had fallen in love. The culture, the food, the places…all these things enraptured her with their beauty. She was having such a good time, living life the way it should be, all thanks to Leo.

The end credits started rolling on the TV screen before April finally realized that the movie was done playing. She had no idea what even happened, which proved just how much she was not paying attention to it. All she could remember was that it was about a woman trying to find out what happened to her son, and how, when the police found and returned the boy to her, she knew in her gut that it wasn't him.

Mom. Brenna. Grandma.

All of a sudden, she thought about her own family, and how they were probably feeling the same way Angelina Jolie's character felt in the movie. She left their house without a single word, just a single letter telling them not to find her, and a part of her feels that she'd betrayed them. They must be going ballistic right now, with every bad situation playing out in their minds over and over again, while she was here, having the time of her life. No, I'm doing this for myself. I won't feel guilty about this…I won't.

She walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of cold water to take upstairs. As she looked at the time on the microwave, the neon lights indicated that it was now 15 minutes before 1, completely unaware that an hour had passed since the movie finished. She knew that she and Leo have a big day tomorrow, exploring Paris and whatnot, and for someone in her condition, she needed all the sleep she could get.

She turned off all the lights downstairs as she made her way up the second floor of the suite, taking small and quiet steps so as not to wake her acquaintance. Then, as she reached the final step, she looked to her right where Leo's room was located, straight across from hers. He must've just forgotten, or maybe he was too tired to care, but he left the door of his bedroom wide open. April turned right as her feet slid on the wooden floor towards Leo's room.

She stood there outside his room for a good few minutes, watching him as his mind and body drifted to sleep. Just a few weeks ago, he meant nothing to her; he was just another story she wanted to write about, until Lawrence said he was off-limits. Now, she knew why. And, if it weren't for her friend Gerald at the Farmer's Market, she never would've known about the cancer support group, and had the chance to get to know Leo better. Yes, Leo was terminal, but she was amazed at how much life there was in him. One look at him and no one would think that he was sick, and yet, he battles through the reality of having cancer every single day, which was mind blowing to her. He was so strong, so bold, so truthful, so honest, so…free. In her eyes, he had never been so beautiful.

With her free hand, she grabbed on to the doorknob to shut Leo's door. Slowly, she pulled it towards her, as quietly as she could, but even with all her might it managed to creak.

"April, is that you?" Leo asked groggily in the dark abyss.

Damn it.

"Oh, hey. I was just on my way to my room, but I wanted to close your bedroom door so you won't be disturbed…" she said in her lowest voice possible.

Leo turned his head towards the nightstand and looked at the clock. His eyes squinted to compensate for the brightness radiating off the neon numbers.

"It's one in the morning."

"I know, and I am so sorry for waking you, I'll let you get back to—"

"No hey, come here. What's wrong?" he said as he got up and sat on the bed, scratching his eyes open.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm fine, and everything's good, really. Go back to sleep, please."

"April."

"Hm?"

"You're doing it again. Come, sit next to me."

He shuffled around the bed to make space for April to sit. He then patted on the open spot next to him, inviting her in. A little hesitant, she agreed to come in and set the glass of water on the nightstand, sitting next to Leo but left some room between them.

"Something's bothering you. What is it?"

"How in the world could you have possibly known that?"

"Trust me, I've had my fair share of nights when I first found out about Leo Jr."

Sometimes, it scared April to know how well Leo could read her like a book. It's not as though she meant for him to know, but even when she tries to put it in the back burner and deal with them later by herself, he forces her to deal with them head on.

"Okay well…it's uh, it's my family. I just feel like I betrayed them after pulling a stunt like this."

"Something like what? You finally doing something that makes you genuinely happy?"

"I mean, when you say it like that, it doesn't sound so bad, but they don't know where I am, and I'm sure that they're worried sick about me. I feel horrible."

"Would you stop thinking about what others want, just for once? Why do you work so hard making everyone else happy?"

"I do not—"

"Yes you do, April. Have you seen yourself lately? You try to carry everyone else's problems on your back, yet you don't let anyone help you."

She paused for a few minutes before coming up with a rebuttal. Then, almost immediately, the words just started pouring out of her.

"When my father died, it broke my family to pieces. My mother was distraught; Brenna was a mess. I had to be strong for them. My dad's absence ultimately forced me to become the new man of the house, and to look out for everyone else. Everyone looked to me for answers, and there was no time for me to dwell on my own problems."

April was on the verge of tears at this point. In the darkness, Leo didn't say a word and instead let April bring her repressed feelings to the surface. It was about time she finally let out those emotions she'd been harboring inside.

"How do you feel?" Leo asked after a few minutes of pure silence.

"I feel…good. I feel liberated," she answered as she took a sip from her glass of water. "Thanks, Leo."

"Hey now," he said as he clapped his hand over her shoulder. "They're gonna be just fine, April."

She nodded her head to this and slowly got up from the bed. As she looked at the clock, the neon lights lit up the numbers one, three, and two, in that order, letting her now that it was half past one. She'd been bothering Leo long enough and figured that she too needed to get some rest.

"Well I should probably get going; I woke you and kept you up too long. I'm really, really sorry about this again."

"Wh-why don't you sleep here tonight?" he asked, sounding a little unsure.

"What?" The thought of sleeping with another man in the same bed freaked her out a little.

"Well…if you still have a hard time falling asleep, then you can talk to me until you do."

"I don't know…something about this just doesn't seem right."

"Look, you can stay on top of the covers if you want to. Or, I could sleep on that couch down there," he said as he pointed to the backless sofa resting at the foot of the bed.

"Are you sure this isn't just a crazy ploy to get me on your bed?"

"I can assure you that it's not. Unless you want to, then we could totally do that."

She thought about this for a second. Since Dominic, April has never spent a night in another man's house, let alone in their own bed. She already broke the first one with Leo, with her agreeing to come with him to Paris and sharing this luxurious suite. At the same time, she genuinely felt that she could trust him; that he really was a gentleman like he said he was, and that he would never try anything with her, unless she gives him her consent. She ponders on this idea more before finally giving him an answer.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

April climbed on top of the sheets as she joined Leo in bed, taking him up on his offer. At first, it felt a little weird, lying just a few inches away from him, but at the same time, there was something so innocent about it that she just couldn't explain. Maybe it was because they were just two people going through the same thing together. Maybe it was because they were just two people who were looking out for one another. Maybe—and this was the most important—maybe, it was because they were just two people who finally realized that, through it all, they only needed each other.