“It’s good,” Brandon replies smilingly. “Really good. Better now that you’re here. Honestly, I didn’t ever think that I would see you in this place again. I thought you were gone for good, off to be some doctor.”
“Doctor?” Leah pipes up inquisitively. “Really? You trained to be a doctor?”
I can’t believe that we’ve been sitting in the same room for ages and that hasn’t come up yet. I’m surprised that she didn’t already know. Maybe she really didn’t ask me after I left. That hurts me a little, but I suppose I have to think that perhaps I left her in such a cruel way she had to protect herself from her feelings.
“Erm, I did a lot of medical qualifications yes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”
“You’re going to be a doctor, I’m going to be a lawyer, we really have it made.”
I smile thinly, unable to burst Brandon’s bubble. I’ll tell him later on the news that I’m going to disappoint him and my father by opening a custom bike shop. That’s my dream, I won’t let anyone take it from me.
“Oh.” He pats my shoulders hard. “And Jenny will be here soon. Jenny is…”
“Your girlfriend, yeah I know that.” I nod and smirk. “Leah’s been filling me in.”
Brandon flicks his eyes between us for a couple of seconds, but he doesn’t seem to pick up on anything. Either he doesn’t want to see the sizzling chemistry between us, or he doesn’t think that I’m competition to this boring sounding Patrick. Urgh, Patrick. I haven’t ever met the guy and already hate his guts. I want to wring my arms around his neck and warn him away from the woman that I want. In a way, she’s mine.
“Oh great, so you’ll be able to meet her soon. I think that you’ll really love Jenny. And we should go out tonight, just the three of us. Unless you want to come, Leah?”
We both look her way, but I’m pretty sure I’m the only one with a desperate hope in my eyes. If Leah comes, the night will be worth it. And if she brings her boyfriend, even better, I can scare him off,
“Oh, no, I have plans with Mandi actually. I can’t.” She gives us both a bland look, disguising all of her feelings. “Maybe next time though, it sounds like a lot of fun.”
“So, it’ll be just us three, but that’s alright, isn’t it?” Brandon doesn’t care about the rejection, but why would he? He has his girl, he doesn’t need his sister trailing along after him. Even if they’re adults now, I’m sure that he still view her as an inconvenience.
“Sure, I love being the gooseberry.” But I give Brandon a smile so he knows that I’m joking. Of course, I would prefer it to just be the two of us, but what can I do? “Nah, that sounds fun. Where shall we go?”
“All the people that have stuck around in town always hang out at Kings. We should go there.”
Okay, so it’ll be like a high school reunion, I suppose that could be fun. It’ll introduce me back into this life much easier, which is just what I need now. I’ve gone from being right in the center of things to the outskirts, looking in. I don’t like that place, I want to be back where I belong.
“Sounds awesome. I would like to see everyone again.”
Just as a pretty brunette walks in and throws her arms around Brandon’s neck, Jenny, I presume, Leah walks out. She barely looks at anyone as she goes, but she does take one spilt second to dart a glance at me. That makes my heart skip in my chest and I can’t drag the smile off my face. She wants me. She still wants me after all this time and I definitely want her too. I can’t resist her, I can already feel that cheeky sensation building in my chest. Leah is mine, I’m pretty sure that she’s always been mine, and now I just need to remind her of that. I need to stake my claim in her and take her for my own.
This time, I won’t let anything or anyone stand in my way.
Chapter Fifteen – Leah
Oh my God. My heart pounds as I race from the house and into the car. I need to get away, this is too much.
It’s almost like a dream, or a nightmare I can’t quite tell. Zane is back and within about thirty seconds he’s turned my world upside down. Everything that’s been steady and just fine for far too long feels all weird.
I don’t know where I am as I bring the car to life and I drive down the road. I’m definitely going on autopilot while I move. My brain isn’t on the driving but it’s on him. On the man I thought I’d left behind five years ago.
It isn’t until I get to Mandi’s house that I even move again. I dive out the car and head to the front door, secretly praying that it’s just her inside. Much as I like Jon and I know that he’s good for her, this is one of those times that I really just need to speak to her alone. I need her wise advice. She knows the history that I share with Zane, all of it, and she’s the only one who really knows the ins and outs of me and Patrick. She understands.
I hammer on the door much too frantically, my anxiety bursting through with each and every pound.
“Hold on,” I hear her call impatiently. “I’ll be there in a moment. Oh…” As she spots it’s me her face lights up. “I thought it was a cold caller the way you banged. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
I shake my head, feeling myself go pale as I do. “No,” I whisper. “I’m not, I need your help.”
She invites me inside, not needing any more information than that. I’m so glad that she’s still here. There was a short period when we finished high school when I thought that she was going to move away and leave me forever. I was outwardly happy for her, but inside I was gutted. In the end, she landed a job that kept her here, thank goodness. At times like this, I don’t know what I would do without her.
“Right, I’m going to get us some drinks and chocolate. You start telling me what’s happened.”
Since there aren’t any obvious signs that Jon is here, I feel comfortable to start. “You will never guess who’s turned up at the door today. Never in a million years. I can hardly believe it myself…”