18.

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I stared at him blankly. What the hell was Leo doing here? How did he find me? Why was he here?

Get a grip Meg, he told you he wants to talk.

He looked at me with a strange kind of softness in his eyes.

"Why do you have glitter on your face?" He asked.

"Where is it?"

He gestured at my forehead. I tried to wipe my forehead but judging from Leo's expression, I was way off mark.

"Wait..." He said and approached closer.

I felt his towering persence over me. After what happened, I don't think it is right for him to be this close to me. I felt a strange pull towards him, like I couldn't help but touch him. I wonder if he felt it too?

His fingers gently wiped my forehead. After wiping off traces of glitter he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"You know..." His voice was a hoarse whisper.  "I just noticed that you have really nice legs." He said.

The nerve of the guy! I'd have gotten annoyed if I didn't realize that he was right. I was half-dressed in front of him. I was too bored to even be conscious about it so I just took the compliment.

I gave his shoulder a slight shove and made some distance between us. I crossed my arms. Even if he was here - and I was flattered and impressed - I did not want to make it too easy for him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I needed to talk to you." He said.

"About?" I tried to feign ignorance.

He rolled his eyes. I admit, he looked sexy when he rolled his eyes.

"We kissed. Don't you think we need to talk about it?" He said.

His bluntness made me feel awkward. He literally did not understand the meaning of indirect or subtle. And I found his directness incredibly sexy.

"Not that it matters... I heard you and Bianca are giving it another try."

Leo looked away. I couldn't decode if he felt guilt or regret. His dark eyes looked so sad that I wanted to reach out to him. My hand almost reached out to him; I'd have touched him if the sound of someone clearing their throat wouldn't have interrupted me.

"We're back didi." Ritesh said. "Sorry, I hope we didn't disturb you."

My amazing cousins finally arrived. They stood on the porch with loads of shopping bags.

Riya squealed and obviously oogled Leo.

"Who is this hot guy that you have here?" She asked. "Don't tell me that our adorable Meghana didi has a boyfriend?"

My cheeks burned. Did she call Leo hot on his face? My girl has some serious nerve. Maybe, I should learn a thing from her.

Leo chuckled, "This young girl has a good eye Meg." Clearly, he was liking the attention. Ugh, he's so vain.

Ritesh rolled his eyes and said, "Riya, isn't it bad manners to flirt with your sister's boyfriend?"

Riya shrugged, "Bro, I bat for the other team!"

"Wait what?"

"I had no clue about this." Ritesh said.

Leo arrived at my house. My sister came out of the closet. Could this day get any more crazier?

"Come on now, just because she isn't into men doesn't mean she can't apprecieate one." Leo added.

Riya raised her palms to high-five Leo and he gladly obliged.

"I've decided, he is our jiju." Riya whispered to her twin.

"Where the hell were you two?" I asked.

"Groceries. We're cooking today right?" Ritesh's looked at Leo. "Probably you can ask him to join us. We could use some extra help."

I was about to protest but before I could Leo blurted:

"You know what I'd love that."

The twins squealed and went inside the house along with loads of shopping bags. I looked at Leo and he was smiling – he seemed to enjoy this a little too much.

"Come on in." I led him inside the house and shut the door. "I'll get you want some water."

As I turned to leave, I felt his warm grip on my hand. I turned to face him.

He lifted my hand and brushed his lips on the tip of my knuckles.

"Tutto va a pezzi perché mi manchi." He said.

My breath hitched in my throat. God, he sounds so passionate in Italian. For a moment or so, I think I forgot to breathe. But then I composed myself.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged non chalantly, "Figure it out."

I handed him my phone. "Spell it out then because I doubt I'd remember it."

He shook his head but obliged. I heard Riya call out so I went to help her.

I went to help Riya read the recipie while Leo helped Ritesh to sort out the grocery.

When Riya was done reading the recipies, I asked her to search the meaning of the phrase Leo told me.

"It literally translates to everything is falling apart because I miss you."

Ugh, it was so sickeningly sweet that I was willing to hear him out.

Again, due to a fiasco we decided to order food to avoid health hazard. After finishing the food, the twins were cleaning the dishes. I stole a moment with Leo and took him to my room.

"Talk."

He said, "You're funny Meg, people don't talk in bedrooms."

I'd just discovered this flirtatious side of his personality and I hated it because I was weak when he flirted with me.

"How did you even find me?" I asked.

"That's my job to hunt people down. I may have had someone hack your phone and track its movements." He noticed my bewildered expression. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. You refused to talk to me."

"I thought things were very clear." I crossed my arms. "I kissed you and you did not like it... I'm sorry."

"I liked it until you started getting rough. I had a brusied lip, remember?"

Well, that makes sense.

"Not that I mind a girl getting rough..." He muttered unter his breath.

"Coming back to the topic." I rolled my eye. "Answer me honestly, what's the deal with our pretend relationship?"

He answered promptly. "An excuse to spend time with you and get closer to you."

"What about Bianca?" I asked.

"She's a fling. It's just physical, nothing more. It never was anything more between her and me. It's not the same with you."

Okay, that was blunt.

"You know you should be specific." I teased.  "If I didn't know better, I'd think you like me." 

"I... I... I don't... no... not like I dislike... I don't like you." He said blushing a little too much and avoiding my gaze.

"You know, I like you."

Leo took a deep breath.

"I know and I want you to stop liking me. With my kind of job, I cannot afford to have weaknesses and attachments. I'm on a dangerous mission that can put my loved ones at threat. I want you to stay safe. And I may not live at the end of this mission so I came here to tell you how I felt so I can die without regrets."

I did not know how to react to that. How could he say such stuff lightly? But I guess that's a part of what makes him so dangerous. He wasn't dangerous because he used guns, he was dangerous because he was so indifferent and cold.

"But I don't understand."

He smiled painfully at me. It felt as if he were restraining himself from reaching out to me the same way I was.

"You will understand with time."

Those were the last words that he uttered to me before he left.

I prayed to god, for the first time after years, to keep Leo safe. I wasn't happy with what he said but that did not matter. I just want him to be safe and alive.

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