“What do you mean by that?” She asked him, and he only stared at her blankly.
“What you said. About the woman I used to love, and having her back. It doesn’t work that way.” He replied, facing her now with saddened eyes.
“Leon.” Ivy whispered, her heart beating rapidly against her chest in the silence of the mansion. “Will you please tell me what happened? I’m leaving tomorrow, we’ll never see each other once I leave town. Just tell me what happened and get it off your chest.” She implored him, and he could see it in her eyes.
She watched as he licked his lips, took in a deep breath and then sat back down at the table again.
Ivy joined him at the table, sitting across from him, but said nothing more to urge him on. It was evident to her that he was the kind of man who spoke very little about his feelings. He disclosed nothing to anybody, so he needed to take his time.
They sat silently for some time, while Leon seemed to be arranging his thoughts.
“Her name is Vivian.” He began, and Ivy clenched her jaws. She didn’t realize how jealous it would make her feel, just to hear the name of the “other woman.”
“She was my daddy’s secretary’s daughter, so she grew up at our ranch. We used to play together as kids. She was a little older than me, by a few years, but we got along well.” He continued.
Leon wasn’t looking at her as he spoke, but Ivy kept her eyes trained on him. She wanted to see his every muscle move, she wanted to drink in the handsomeness as much as she could now. She wanted to burn his image in her brain so that she could remember it clearly later.
“As we grew up, grew into teenagers, I couldn’t help but fall madly in love with her. Vivian with her wild red hair, her green cat eyes…she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. She was also one of the only girls I was friends with. That could have been the problem.” He said.
Ivy could feel the jealousy coursing through her veins now. She hadn’t expected him to describe the other woman in such great detail. She didn’t want to picture this beautiful Vivian, Leon as a teenager, chasing after her. She had to clench her fists on her lap to stop herself from saying something. She wanted to be a good listener to him.
“Anyway, she led me on.” He said, and quickly exchanged a look with her.
“How did she lead you on?” Ivy asked, finally breaking her silence.
“She knew I loved her. And she wanted my money, my daddy’s money. Even as a young sixteen year old, she knew that if she married me she would be able to make use of my inheritance.” He said, running his fingers through his hair again, out of nervousness.
“And how did she lead you on?” Ivy asked again, knowing fully well that her cheeks were burning up from jealousy now. But Leon didn’t seem to have noticed it.
“She used her body, how else?” He said, looking at her again. Ivy saw the rage in his eyes. He looked away, trying to control it.
“She knew I was young, foolish, a stupid fourteen year old. She gave her body to me and I made her a promise that I would marry her the day I turned twenty-one.” He continued.
“And did you?” Ivy asked, now her jealousy was bubbling up to her throat. She was afraid she was going to scream. So, this was why, Leon had reacted so terribly to her seduction! He thought she was using him too. That she was after his money.
“No, she married my cousin instead.” He said flatly.
Ivy’s mouth fell open.
“She married your cousin?” She asked, her hands flying to her mouth.
“It was a family business. My daddy’s brother owned it jointly, and he had an only son. My cousin, Michael. Michael was older than me, older than Vivian and she seduced him too. They were married on my twenty-first birthday. She did it to spite me.” His voice was shaking now as he spoke. Ivy gulped, her brows were crossed. She could see the pain and rage in his eyes. He was forcing himself to talk about it.
“So, what did you do?” She asked softly.
“I tried to forget her. What else could I do? She lived with Michael, in our joint house, while I worked on the ranch every day. Trying to forget my feelings for her. How she had betrayed me.” He said, and banged his fists on the table.
Ivy didn’t know what to say any more. She didn’t know what to ask him. What could she possibly ask him now? She could see how he was feeling.
“I did ask her, why she couldn’t wait a day and marry me instead.” He said, in a much softer voice. He was still struggling with his emotions. Ivy held her breath for the answer. A part of her didn’t want to know any more. She didn’t want to know how much he was hurting. How she had mis-judged him.
“She said that Michael made her feel good. He was a man, while I was just a boy. She had a smile on her face when she said that.” Leon said. Just as Ivy gasped, he picked a plate up from the table and flung it to the floor. It crashed and broke into a million pieces and Ivy jumped off the chair.
“She’s a bitch, Leon. She lied. She never loved you.” Ivy was saying, the words were tumbling out of her. But Leon had lost control of his senses now.
He too jumped off his chair and was rushing towards the kitchen door.
“Leon! She was a liar!” Ivy screamed after him, but he was gone.