“Tippy, I didn’t say that to make you feel bad or anything. I just needed to tell you how much you meant to me back then.”
A soft, sleepy smile creeps across her face. It feels like I’ve made a small chink in the defensive wall around her heart. Then she tucks her lower lip between her teeth, and her face fills with uncertainty. I hate seeing that.
“I know that what I did, breaking us up, might make this hard for you to believe, but I felt the same way about you. When I was with you, I was safe, I was loved, I was home. Walking away from that was the hardest thing I ever did, Leo. But at the time,” She takes a pause and lets her breath out on a long exhale, laden with emotion. “At the time, I thought it was for the best.”
“And what about now,” I whisper, my eyes locked on hers through the screen.
“Now I’m not so sure.”
Chapter seven
Serena
Shockingly enough, I fell asleep soon after hanging up with Leo. The comfort I always felt around him when we were younger hasn’t changed, and just seeing his face, hearing his voice, was enough to relax my thoughts so I could fall into a deep sleep. Despite the fact that my heart remained tied up in knots.
I want so badly to open up to Leo, to let myself fall and know he’ll catch me like he always did. But trusting someone in that way again is terrifying. Especially someone whose heart is already taken by his adorable little girl.
But that’s a worry for another time. Today is tiny tot class day, and I keep checking the door to see when Violet comes in. Last class, she shocked me and Claire by running over and giving my legs an adorable hug.
It’s almost time for class to begin, and there’s no sign of Violet. A part of me is worried she’s sick or something’s happened, but I don’t have time to text Leo to ask. I reluctantly make my way to the front of the studio to get started when the door opens, and Leo himself comes rushing in, Violet in his arms and a harried expression on his face. His eyes fly around the studio full of young mothers and their kids until they land on me.
“Sorry. Aunt Claire isn’t feeling well, and none of my cousins are free. I had to duck out of work early and run home to get her.”
I make my way to the back of the room where Violet is squirming to be let down and Leo is looking completely lost.
“It’s fine,” I say. Looking at Violet, I give her a warm smile and she gives a toothy grin right back. “Alright Miss Vi, why don’t you go and find a spot in the circle for you and Daddy.” As soon as she’s out of his arms, I turn my attention to Leo. At least he didn’t show up in uniform, although the tight-fitting T-shirt and loose basketball shorts are showing off his athletic body in a different, yet just as sexy, way. I lick my lips and his eyes zero in on the motion. His lips quirk at the corner and I know he can sense my reaction.
Nope. Shut that down. Not while there’s a studio full of moms and kids waiting for me.
“You can put your shoes in a cubby and join us when you’re ready.” I give him a reassuring smile, and he takes a deep breath in and out.
“Thanks. Sorry again that we’re late. It’s totally my fault.”
“Don’t worry. Just breathe, and try to have fun.”
His lips quirk up slightly. “I don’t know if that’ll happen. Remember the last time you tried to teach me to dance?”
I bite back my laugh. “This will be different, I promise.”
The next forty-five minutes is torture for so many reasons. Leo is adorably awkward but completely focused on Violet, so he doesn’t see all the other moms and caregivers eyeing him, but I do. I can’t exactly blame them; who wouldn’t be attracted to a hunky dad doting on his adorable girl? And when he puts his hands up and goes on his toes to spin in a circle, I swear I hear one of the women swoon. It’s a battle to hide my own reactions, especially whenever I get too close to the two of them. It’s even more of a battle not to shoot daggers at the ladies going gaga over him.
When the class eventually ends, Leo is swarmed by everyone, all of them gushing over him and how sweet it was for him to bring his daughter. Like it’s that big of a deal for a father to do something like this. Sure, it might be more typical for the mom or the nanny to be the one to bring a kid, but he’s not the first father to show up to a dance class.
He’s just the hottest.
Jealousy burns inside of me at the attention he’s getting and giving to them all until a small hand tugs at my skirt.
“Dance wif me?”
I look down to Violet’s hopeful face. “Of course, sweet girl. Come with me.”
We go over to an open space, and I take her hands as we start to twirl and sway to our own beat. Pretty soon, she’s giggling and I’m smiling, and I completely lose track of Leo and the other parents. Until Vi breaks away from me and runs up to him, and he swoops her up into his arms.
“That was beautiful, baby girl.”
I realize the studio has emptied, and it’s just the three of us.
“Do you want to ask Miss Serena if she’ll do a special dance for us?” he asks Violet, his eyes burning into me the entire time.