Leo
After taking some time to try to resurrect Elena's dish, I realize this dinner is not salvageable.
"Elena, I hate to break it to you, but we're going to need to order takeout. This dish is ruined."
She looks at me with a knowing smile before pulling some menus out of a drawer that is overfilled with every kind of takeout menu on the planet.
"Told ya I order out a lot.
"And you meant it!"
"Let me just call it in. They know me by name."
As she makes the call, I use the moment to relax and stretch out on the couch. It's been a long day, but besides all the drama, a good day because I got to spend it with her. She's everything and more, and if I thought I was starting to fall deep before, I am really riding it now. Not only is this woman passionate and funny and charismatic, but she's fucking amazing in bed. She gives me a run for my money.
"Okay, it's on its way. You're probably famished," she says as she looks me up and down, eyeing all my muscles. Yes, I need to be fed.
"So, since we have a minute before the food arrives, this gives us a chance to chat."
"Sure, yeah so… "
"Why didn't you and Barry get along?" She cuts me off. It's like this is a question she's been dying to know.
"Well, it ‘sits kind of a long story, but it started when we were in college. Barry was really good friends with this girl named Ava and he really liked her, but I didn't know that. Ava had a huge crush on me, and so I dated her for a while. She pushed things way too hard too fast; she was discussing marriage and kids and stuff within the first two months. I had to break up with her. It was just too much. But when I did, she took it really hard. Ava started drinking and partying all the time, and she ended up taking drugs because she was so upset about our breakup. She OD'd, Elena, and died. It was the most horrible thing. Not only did Barry blame me entirely for this, but I blamed myself. I took it hard for a really long time. I know now that she was just a very troubled girl with a lot of problems and there was nothing I could do to fix her, but it's been awhile and I finally feel like maybe it wasn't my fault, and I’ve gotten past it.
"Wow, Leo. I can't believe Barry never even mentioned that. After all that time of being married, he never went into this major event that happened. I knew he hated you, but I never knew why. It's so sad."
"I know, trust me, I know. I never thought I'd lose my brother like that. But it started a war between us. He just couldn't forgive me."
"He never got over it, Leo. I knew he couldn’t stand you, but he never hinted that there was a problem like this, I guess that shows you the depth of our marriage. It's really becoming clear to me now." We sit in silence for a few moments just soaking in what I’ve told her.
Just then, in the strangest timing ever, there's a knock at the door, and I go to answer it thinking it's the food. Guess who's staring me right in the face, almost like he's been listening in on our conversation?
"Barry! Hi, man. Come on in." He doesn't look pleased to see me.
"Leo, what are you doing here? Elena, what is he doing here?"
"Oh hi, Barry. I wasn't expecting you."
"Obviously," he says with a snarl. He pushes a wedding album towards Elena. "I just came to give you this. I didn't realize you were shacking up with my brother."
"Fuck, Barry, come on. Don't ever talk to her like that!"
"I guess you're here to steal another one of my girlfriends, huh?"
"You know that wasn't my fault. I was just telling Elena about Ava. Fine timing you have."
"Look, Elena, you little slut, I never imagined you'd stoop this low just to hurt me," Barry growls, and I see red: I’m so enraged. No one will ever talk to her like that on my watch. Without hesitation, as if on instinct, I punch him in the face. My hand throbs and I shake out the pain. Barry wastes no momentum from the punch and tackles me into a lamp. We grapple each other to the floor, each of us trying to get the upper hand. Finally I get a hold on him and throw him out of her house. He's bleeding in the yard, hurling insults at both of us. I tell him to leave her alone forever or he'll meet the force of my wrath before slamming the door on him.
"Elena, my God! Are you hurt?"
"No, no. I'm fine . . . Just a little shaken up. Are you okay though? Leo, you're bleeding."
"I'm fine,” I say, wiping the blood from my head. “It’s nothing I can't handle or haven't seen before in my line of duty. Tell me, has he ever talked to you like that before, when you were married?"
"No. Never. He was always very conservative, sure, and said some not so friendly-to-women things, but he was never abusive like that, Leo. I wonder what's got into him?"
"That's good, because if I find out he treated you like that it will be my mission to destroy him. I'd kill him, Elena, if I knew he abused you.”
Tears well up in her eyes. This poor girl's been through enough. Life is just coming at her from all different sides. I scoop her up in my arms and try to soothe her, and I wipe away the sad tears that are falling down her face.