Pick up your phone.

Pick up your phone.

Pick up your phone!

The phone rang and went straight to voicemail again. Fuck. I chucked my phone on the floor of my passenger seat. The second the light turned green I floored the car and sped to Leo’s.

What the hell happened that he got fired and sent me that voicemail? Fuck! Why the hell didn't I check up on him? Fuck, Mallory!

I got to Leo’s house, pulling into the driveway and rushing to the back door. The sliding door was open wide with only the screen separating me from getting into Leo’s house. His house was dark and cloudy, and the stench of strong weed hit my lungs hard the second I stepped in. Leo’s cracked phone was on the counter next to two empty bottles of vodka, an empty case of beer and a half-empty bag of weed. The weed was not the only scent in the air, but it also smelled like burnt paper. I looked inside the kitchen sink and saw a pile of money that was burnt to a crisp.

“Leo?” I called out to him, but he didn't answer. I knew he was home, since his car was out front.

Before I could enter the hall, I heard the sharp sound of a bottle hitting the ground, but not shattering.

I turned the corner to see Leo standing against the wall in the hallway with his leg up behind it. There was an empty bottle of Jack Daniels by his feet and a blunt between his lips. His wet hair was down and to the side, and he no longer had a beard. It was shaved completely off with a nasty cut on his neck. He was shirtless and wearing a pair of black jeans he didn’t bother to button up. His body still held a few wet droplets on his chest and arms.

“Leo?” he didn’t look at me. He stood in the hall, looking at the picture of his mother and the flower shop. The picture frames were broken and glass shards littered the floor. After a few seconds, he turned and smiled at me.

“Finally picked up your phone, Kitten?”

“You’re drunk and you’re high,” I crossed my arms and headed right in front of him leaning on the wall.

“Yeah. And?” his voice was raspier and rougher than usual.

He took a deep hit of his blunt and coughed an O-shaped ring of smoke toward me. His eyes were red and his face paler than usual. And without a beard, you could see his square jaw and his cheeks skin in a little. He looked like the thin version of Superman whose Kryptonite was booze and drugs. He took another hit and blew it out of his mouth and sharply back through his nose.

“You know what I miss about smoking. The smoke. I used to do some really killer tricks —”

I pulled the blunt out of his mouth and went in the bathroom to toss it in the toilet. But he didn’t fight me or even follow me. He just laughed.

“That cost me ‘bout a hundred dollars. But that’s okay, I’ll just roll up another one. You want one?” Leo slurred his words as he tried to pick himself off the wall but he was so drunk he almost fell over until he caught himself.

“Fuck. I’m drunk,” he laughed and turned around to me.

“What the hell are you doing?” I pouted angrily.

“I tripped,” he hummed.

“You didn’t trip, you fell. Hard.” I exhaled deeply.

“Yeah. And?” he repeated like it was no big deal, but it was.

He tried to take a step in my direction, but he stumbled. I grabbed him as much as I could and plopped him back on the wall. His arms were dead until he realized who I was and wrapped his arms around me. It was like his whole body was on a delay. A few drops of water from his hair fell on my face and I could smell shampoo he used and the blood from his neck.

“At least it wasn't whiskey and coke. That shit always got me horny,” he whispered in my ear and nibbled it while also thrusting into me. I hated how much he turned me on at that second. I hated it because I knew it wasn’t him. This wasn’t Leo I knew, but it was him. The part of him that he was afraid to talk about because he thought I would run away.

I sighed again and hugged him tightly before I pushed myself away from him and shook my head. He looked at me with his dark circle eyes full of sadness and regret.

“What do you want from me, Mallory?”

“I want the truth. I want to know you! Even this you! I want you to open up to me and tell me about your past and your mom and Kathy. About everything.”

“No, you don’t,” he chuckled and looked to my side at the picture of his mom.

“Yes, I do, Leo. And I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me what the hell happened. I need answers. I deserve answers!”

“You want me to tell you that I chose my father over my mother because he had money. You want me to tell you that I didn’t even give my mom a penny when she needed it! That she died because of that fucking reason. Because of me!” Leo took a step toward me and dropped his hands between my head as he clawed at the wall.

“Yes,” my voice was as tiny.

A tear slowly dropped down his cheek as he dropped his forehead and nose into mine. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, another stream rolling down his cheek. Leo’s breath was heavy and deep as he pushed his forehead against mine. His cold wet hair touching my bare skin brought chills down my body.

“You’re going to leave. I know it. And you shouldn't have come. You should’ve just forgotten about me. I would have been better for the both of us,” Leo cupped my cheeks and kissed my forehead. He took a deep painful sigh and dropped his forehead onto mine again.

“I love you, Mallory Scarner.”

My heart stopped in this very moment and Leo’s held his breath. He felt it for a few seconds until he was able to breathe again.

“I love you so fucking much it hurts when you're not around. I’m addicted to you and I need you. You’re the one who makes me high. You’re the one who makes me see that maybe I’m not so broken and hopeless after all. You're my sunshine to my Dandelion. My pink sunshine. My Kitten.” Leo’s voice was almost silent.

He opened his eyes and kissed me all over my face except my lips. He brushed his thumb over my piercing, closed his eyes again and fell back on the wall knocking the air out of his lungs. He was on the verge of completely passing out.

“Leo!”

I used all the strength I could and walked him to his bedroom. I struggled with him but he tried to help me whenever he was ready to take a step. I managed to get him on the bed, where he spread his arms and fell back. I grabbed his legs and twisted them on the bed. I propped him on his side just in case he was going to throw up, and adjusted him once more to grab his free pillow.

“Stay,” Leo grabbed the bottom of my baggy sweater while I placed a pillow against his back. I stood up on the edge of the bed, Leo still death gripping my sweater begging me not to leave but I wasn’t going to leave. Not this time.

“Don't ever do this again.” I licked my thumb, wiping the dried blood off his neck and moving his wet hair out of his face.

He nodded.

“You promise?”

He opened up his eyes just barely for me to take a peek and said, “I promise never again.” Leo closed his eyes, gripping my sweater tighter. “Just stay with me,” he mumbled.

I got into the bed, Leo still not releasing my sweater as I cuddled into him. He wrapped me in his tight embrace and buried his face into my chest.

“I’ll tell you everything … don’t go,” he mumbled softly going into a deep sleep.

I stroked his bare back and kissed the top of his head. “I’m not going anywhere. I love you, Leonardo Kelly.”