TWENTY FOUR

ESTELLA

My chest tightened as the press of people gathered around us, kissing and hugging, congratulating and squealing.

I needed air.

Breaking from the group, I slipped through the crush, heading for my room.

Why had I said yes?

Graham deserved better. I’d slept with my step-brother the night before, yet had accepted his proposal.

What a fucking bitch.

I’d convinced myself that Graham had driven me into Leo’s arms with the lack of passion, but no justification excused what I’d done.

Turning Graham down publicly would have humiliated him, but in good conscience I couldn’t marry him. Could I ?

Could I sweep my illicit affair with Leo behind me and go back to my life?

Fighting my inner turmoil, to smile sweetly and accept peoples hugs, had me wanting the scrape my skin from my flesh.

I made it to the bottom of the staircase as cheers rose from behind me. My vision blurred with each step, stumbling as I hit the landing.

‘Estella,’ Leo pleaded, his fingers gasping mine and pulling me to a halt. ‘Stop.’

Rounding on him, the tears fell, my emotions bubbling over.

‘It’s your fault. I was happy before I came home. I should never have stepped foot back in this fucking house.’

Leo pushed against me, pinning me to the wall with his hips, searching my face. ‘You don’t mean that.’

‘I do. I mean every word. You are trying to ruin my life.’

The need to lash out hit me, and seeing the pain in Leo’s face only made my tears fall faster.

The sound of the New Year countdown rang up from below.

Ten.

Leo slipped his hand over my tear stained jaw, tipping my face to his.

Nine.

My lips parted at the sweet touch, so much softer than I’d been prepared for .

Eight.

‘Be with me,’ Leo whispered, his thumb grazing the spot beside my ear.

Seven.

‘I can’t. Not here.’

Six.

‘I love you, Estella.’ He licked his lips, and my resolve wavered.

Five.

‘You obsess over me, you don’t know how to love me.’

Four.

His breath warmed my lips as he pinned me tight to the wall, his other hand slamming against the panelling.

Three.

‘Tell me you don’t love me, Estella.’

Two.

I couldn’t.

One.

Leo grasped my chin and kissed me as the year ticked from one to another, his tongue sliding against mine with the tart taste of red wine. Heat filled me as I gave myself to him, pouring every aching moment into his mouth. The salt of my tears tainted the kiss with sadness.

‘Start the year as you mean to go on,’ Leo whispered as the kiss broke.

‘I can’t. Leo. I’m going home in the morning.’ The crushed expression on his face broke my heart. ‘I cannot live here confined to these four walls. A relationship wouldn’t survive it. I will always be there for you. As a sister. But I can’t be more. It would hurt us both.’

In a fit of anger, Leo smashed his knuckles into the wall beside me, the wood splintering with the force of it.

A sob tore from me as his eyes filled with glimmering wet.

‘He’ll never make you happy,’ he snarled, before turning and leaving me, storming up the stairs.

Relief should have swamped me, but the sickness in my stomach felt a lot more like heartbreak.

Although being with Leo was wrong, it had always been him.

It always would be.

If only he could step outside the caged world he’d built.