Chapter 12

"YOU'RE LEAVING?"

She didn't want to. Not yet; not after the revelation he'd shared with her only a little while earlier. But having spent the night last night, she knew she needed to be home with her parents and daughter. With the people who loved her, with the people to whom she belonged. Even when the thought of walking away from Leandro like this was almost impossible.

But it was one of the few times she'd gotten off work in time to make it home for dinner; she couldn't miss the chance to see Harper. Time was so fleeting, after all.

"I have to," she apologized. And then, almost shyly, "But you could come with me?"

He arched a brow.

"Come have dinner with us."

"Like this?"

She half-smiled. "You look devilishly handsome."

She didn't know if he was going to agree to come or not; she never found out. Just a moment later, the elevator doors swished open and a man and a woman walked in, the man so like Leandro—tall, dark with jet black eyes. Leandro stood, his frame instantly taut. Skye looked from one to the other, then to the woman.

"How did you?—,"

"Alec let us in," the woman, with an American accent, spoke softly.

Leandro swore, and Skye moved closer to his side, wanting to protect him, even when she was pretty sure he could protect himself.

"You two need to talk."

She felt Leandro stiffen.

"This is—my brother," Leandro addressed Skye. "And my sister in law, Andie."

"Hi," Andie waved in Skye's direction. Skye caught the flicker of a frown on Leandro's face.

"This is a friend of mine, Skye."

Skye jerked her gaze to his. A friend? Then again, how else was he supposed to introduce her? My convenient, part-time, temporary girlfriend? She looked away.

"And I was just leaving," she said, offering a polite smile to each of them. Leandro walked her to the elevator. Skye pressed the button, finding it almost impossible not to look at him, but also fighting that.

"Skye—," he spoke softly, for her ears only, but she shook her head. Oh, heck. Tears stung the backs of her eyes. She reached down and brushed his hand lightly but didn't offer anything more. She couldn't. She was confused. He obviously didn't want his family knowing who she was to him—but then again, she didn't even know who she was to him. An escape route. A distraction. Just like he'd said, again and again.

And now she knew the truth? She could no longer offer him escape—their worlds had collided, just as she'd always said he didn't want them to.

"I have to go," she reminded him. "I'll see you soon." She had no idea, as she stepped into the lift, if that was true or not.

"Okay, that's it,"Andie said, bracing her palms on the counter. "I've had enough of this. It's gone too far. Emme agrees with us too, Leo. This is an intervention."

He cradled his scotch, staring at it belligerently, his gut tightening.

"Or are you just going to keep fighting with your family, huh?" she demanded. Andie was relatively new to his life, but he'd liked her instantly for how happy she'd made Max, and it didn't occur to Leandro to find anything about her ultimatum strange. But he was angry. Angry, tired of running and hiding from the truth, tired of being blamed for his perfectly natural response of seeking space. And so he stood up and he opened up, all at once.

"But you're not my family. Not really."

And for the second time that night, he explained it all right from the beginning.

Afterwards, Max and Andie were silent for a long time. It was Max who spoke first. "Listen, bro. I get it. I'd be mad too. They should have told you, you're right. But when you get over that, when you stop being mad, you're going to see that it doesn't change a damned thing. Who gives a shit who your birth parents were? You came to live with us when you were four weeks old, and I was two. Every memory I have has you in it. Remember your first day of school?"

Even then, a small smile tilted Leo's lips. "Yeah."

"What happened?" Andie looked from one brother to the other.

"Max spent the whole day walking me around, introducing me. This is my brother, he told everyone who'd listen."

"I was so proud to have you there."

Leandro's eyes swept shut. "But it was all a lie."

"Not that. Not the pride, not the love, man. That's all real. As real as it gets."

Leandro's jaw tightened. He wanted to believe it was that simple. He wanted to believe that this wouldn't change things. But how was that possible?

"Guys, I'm starving," Andie said after a long beat of silence. "Can we order something in?"

"There's food in the fridge," Leandro surprised them both by saying.

Andie and Max looked at one another. "There is?"

"Yeah."

Andie's smile was mischievous. "Because you were expecting company?"

Heat flushed his face. His shrug was non-comital.

"That drop dead gorgeous blonde you were pretending to be friends with?" Andie prompted.

"Don't push," Max said, but with such easy affection, as he looped a hand around Andie's waist and pulled her close.

"Says you," Andie rolled her eyes. "You literally pushed your brother so hard today you guys ended up in a fist fight." She pulled away from Max to move to the fridge and begin a search for dinner. It was well stocked with options, though Leandro had narrowed Skye's favourites down now, so tended to choose elaborate menus from a Michelin-starred Chinese place and the latest hit Italian restaurant.

Andie began removing dishes.

"Is this why you've been showing such an interest in Acto?" Max asked thoughtfully.

"I thought you could do with my help," Leandro replied tersely.

"Oh, we can. Your knowledge of hotels is like none other." She threw an apologetic glance at Max. "Sorry."

"It's true," Max agreed. "I want your help, but I was surprised when you volunteered to come over every fortnight. You could work remotely, you know."

"But he can't see Skye remotely," Andie said with saccharine sweetness.

Leandro felt something inside of himself clamming up even when there was an opposing desire to tell them everything.

"It's not like that," he assured them.

Andie though clicked her fingers. "Is she the person you were trying to find a nanny for?"

Leandro's lips formed a tight line in his face. "She has a kid."

"And kids tend to get in the way of romance," Andie wiggled her brows. "So?"

"So what?"

"Tell us about her."

"There's nothing to tell. It's not serious."

"She seems nice," Max said. "And Andie's right. She's very pretty."

Andie laughed. "She's the most beautiful person I've seen in the real world. It's like she's got a filter as part of her exterior. But thank you, darling, for saying she's just ‘pretty'."

"It's subjective," Max drawled.

"Not really." But Andie didn't seem remotely insecure. Why should she be? Max worshipped the ground she walked on and undoubtedly always would.

"Neither of us wants more than this. We see each other when we can. We both know the relationship has an end-date."

"How romantic," Andie said with thick sarcasm.

"Neither of us is interested in romance either." Except hadn't that been a part of what he wanted to give her? Romance? Seduction? Everything she deserved, even if just for a while. The conversation was uncomfortable for Leandro, because no matter what he said, it felt wrong. He couldn't easily characterize their relationship. He didn't want to even try. "Look, I like her," he said carefully. "She's great. But she's been through a hell of a time and is focused on raising her kid. And I'm not exactly in the headspace to make sound life decisions right now. So it's not serious, and it's not going anywhere. Don't tell mum and dad."

Andie and Max looked at each other with that strangely telepathic way married couple had sometimes and then Andie smiled at Leandro. "We won't say a word. It's your news to share, when you're ready."

He didn't bother to reiterate that there was no news and wouldn't be any news. Andie seemed to have taken an idea into her head and he knew how stubborn she could be.

"See?" Max said, reaching his beer over and clinking it against Leandro's almost-empty scotch glass. "Nothing's changed, bro. Never will, I promise."

When dawn brokethe next day, Leandro noticed the difference. He noticed a change inside the core of his being. A feeling that he was more like himself than he'd been since discovering the truth. Telling Max and Andie had unlocked a part of him, or maybe it was their reassurance that had done that. Or perhaps it was Skye's reassurance? If he hadn't spoken to Skye first, would he have told Max the truth? Or would he have still been too wounded to open up to anyone?

Had Skye been the key to this change?

Was it possible that in telling her, he'd begun to push the weight off his shoulders and feel more and more like himself?

Suddenly, he wanted to see her. He wanted to see her so much it hurt.

He reached for his phone and dialed her number, stalking his room impatiently while he waited for it to connect.

"Hey," he said, as soon as she answered.

"Leandro." Her voice was soft. "How are you?"

He hesitated. How could he even answer that? He couldn't. Not over the phone. "Are you free?"

"I'm spending the day with Harper."

"Can I come over?"

Silence.

He held his breath.

He waited.

Something strange edged through him. Feelings he didn't recognize. Darkness and light, a sense of contrast, a feeling of floating and sinking. He gripped the phone more tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"Si, cara. That's what I want to talk to you about."

He could practically hear her thinking. "I'm taking her to the playground after breakfast. Do you want to meet us there?"

It was a compromise.

She was reserved.

The night before, she'd invited him for dinner, and now she was putting some space between them. He didn't think about why. It didn't matter. He was starting to feel more like himself, and the Leandro of old focused on how to get what he wanted.

"Text me the address. I'll bring coffee."

When Leandro arriveda little while later, he had two coffees, a juice box and a paper bag stamped with the logo of a famous Manhattan bakery.

Skye's whole body reacted to the sight of him. Her stomach fluttered and her blood rushed, her eyes stared, her lips parted, her fingers clamped together, her knees wobbled, even her toes seemed to tingle. But she stood where she was, pushing Harper on the baby swing, one Bluetooth earphone in as she listened to a podcast.

He strode with purpose towards her, but when Harper saw him, she clapped her little hands together with obvious delight. "Leo! Leo!" Then turning to look at Skye, "Down! Down, mama!"

Skye's heart exploded with love. "Okay, baby. One second." She tussled Harper's hair then lifted her from the seat, placing her on the ground. She ran quickly across the grass, almost tripping over a sausage dog that had ambled into her path. She threw her arms around Leandro's legs and beamed up at him, so Leandro returned her smile in a way that made Skye's heart thump.

For a moment, she imagined what it would have been like for this to be real.

For her to have been part of a family. A loving dad, a husband—a true partner. Not someone who wanted to control her, as Jay had, but a partner who really wanted what was best for her. Who adored her, and adored Harper. She imagined having someone to share her worries with, to talk to about anything and everything, to help with Harper when she was tired—someone other than her parents, whom she felt guilty for imposing upon. Not that they ever complained, but that didn't stop Skye from feeling bad.

Leandro looked over at her and when he smiled now, Skye's whole body turned to mush. She almost melted into the grass.

Get a grip.

He wasn't her boyfriend, he wasn't Harper's dad, this wasn't real. Or at least, it wasn't real in the sense of forever and ever. Even if she wanted that—which she didn't—Leandro wasn't offering it. And she was glad. It was just her and Harper against the world, when it came down to it. That was safe. That was real.

"Hey," he scooped down and lifted Harper up, somehow juggling the tray of coffees, paper bag, all the while plopping Harper on his hip as though he had all the experience in the world with young children. He was a natural at everything he did. "This one's for you." He held out the coffee tray towards her, indicating which she should take.

She smiled at him self-consciously as she removed the drink. But why? What was it about him today that was making her feel so awkward?

"I was worried about you last night," she said honestly, taking a quick sip.

"I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." The words snagged in her throat a little. "What happened with Max and Andie?"

"I spoke to them," he said, putting Harper down at their feet then reaching into the bag and removing a small cupcake. "Okay?" He checked with Skye, who nodded, watching as Leandro handed it to Harper. She squealed again, with even more delight, and wandered a little way off, to sit down on a thick patch of green grass, fascinated by the delightful decorations on the baked good.

Skye kept her eyes on the toddler as Leandro spoke. "Actually, better than okay. Talking to you somehow gave me a new perspective on it. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have spoken to them. So, what I really wanted to say is: thank you. I thought you were my escape from all this, but in the end, you were my salvation. You made me stop running, just by being here for me, and I will always appreciate that."

She shook her head, not expecting those words. Thickness grew in her throat. "I'm glad you were honest with me, and them." She sipped her coffee. Heaviness shifted through her. She glanced at him quickly then looked away again. "So, what happens now?"

It was such a layered question.

He looked totally relaxed though. "With my family?"

That wasn't what she'd meant. She'd blurted out the question because she'd wondered if this changed anything with them. Would he stop coming to New York now that he felt free to stop running?

"With everything." She took another sip of coffee. "What does your future hold?"

He couldn't fail to see her meaning. He glanced at her slower, held her gaze longer. "I don't know. But I do know I want you to be a part of it."

Everything slowed down. The world stopped moving. His parting remarks last night were inside of her though, and she couldn't help asking, "As a friend?"

His expression gave little away. "That bothered you?"

She kept her gaze trained on Harper, who was slowly wiping a finger around the frosting and lifting it to her lips. She was methodical and deliberate. Far from just stuffing the cupcake in her mouth and asking for another, she was making each precious moment count. She didn't get a lot of treats, so she was clearly determined to enjoy it.

Skye felt as though she was on a precipice. What she knew to be good for her and what she felt she wanted were two different things. But having been hurt so badly in the past, she clung to the knowledge of her mind, ignoring any other whispered murmurings.

"Not at all. I didn't expect to meet your family, nor for you to introduce me to them. It wouldn't be appropriate."

"Out of interest, why do you say that?"

He didn't disagree with her, she noticed.

"Because that's not what we are." How many times had they said that? It was their mantra, their safety stone.

Silence sat between them. Skye sipped her coffee, doing her best to seem nonchalant, but she was glad when a dog bounded towards Harper and she had an excuse to walk away from Leandro, going to supervise the interactions. A short chat with the dog's owners ensued and it was several minutes before she returned to Leandro. She'd needed the time to get her feelings under control. They were rioting without her permission, making her head and heart spin and tug and roll with turmoil.

She loved spending time with Leandro, but that wasn't a good thing. She'd only known him a matter of weeks and he was already like the air that she breathed, somehow essential to her survival and happiness. She looked at him and saw the embodiment of everything she wanted in life, and knew that deep in her heart of hearts, she would do anything he asked of her. She groaned softly, drawing Harper's curious little gaze. Maybe if this was a whole other world and she weren't a mom, completely responsible for a little person's life and growth, she might have been prepared to roll the dice on this and see where it went. But she'd ‘been there, done that'. She'd given everything to Jay and he'd taken it, and then more, and more and more until she didn't recognize herself. She didn't think Leandro would ever do the same thing—not intentionally. But Skye would. She would give Leandro everything she had, and if anything went wrong, she'd be destroyed. A risk she would take if she were alone in this world.

Harper picked up a little stone and angled it towards the sun. The stone had tiny little flecks that sparkled. "Pretty," she smiled, blinked across at Skye for agreement. Skye nodded quickly, glad to have an excuse to stay crouched down with Harper a moment longer.

"Yes, darling, very pretty."

Harper was her reason for being, not Leandro. Those two things couldn't be true at once. She'd learned that in a very hard way—she was still paying the price for how much she'd trusted Jay. She couldn't ever make that mistake again.

She stood slowly, turning back towards Leandro. She saw no traces of emotion in his face. It was as if her final statement had done nothing to him, whereas inside, she'd been angsting over whether or not they could ever be more than ‘friends' or the ‘casual fun' he'd suggested.

They couldn't.

She knew that.

No matter what happened, she had to end this, once and for all. For her sake, for Harper's, no matter what Leandro said, no matter what he promised. She wouldn't let herself believe in happily ever afters. Not again.