Ellie 

We were on a Gondola traveling along a beautiful stretch of Venice. The sights I had seen that day were just amazing. It was quiet and I only heard the water flowing beneath us and the sound of an acordian and other verious intruments playing in the distance. It was night time and the full moon burned overhead, the stars adorning the beautiful picture with their twinkling beauty. The torches on the sides of the Gondola burned bright and I sat there just taking it all in. Weird enough, Leo was quiet most of the day. And when I asked him what was the matter, all he said was that he was "deep in thought." 

Whatever that meant. So I left him to his own devices and just kept to myself. I was doing some of my own thinking as well... like, that night four days ago, the spark was so there, so why didn't he go there with me? It's like the minute I brought it up, he got afraid and rolled off of me, going to sleep. I knew he really wasn't because he was fake snoring. And I had heard him sleep enough to know that he was faking. Why was he acting so weird? I looked over at him and saw that he was still dazed... he didn't even look at me. Our Gondola slowly came to a stop and the person rowing it tethered it to the side of a concrete pier. The man helped me out and I thanked him. 

"Grazie." 

He smiled. 

"Of course Signora, my pleasure. You two have a good-a night." 

I smiled at him.  

"You as well Signore." 

Once we were far enough away and close to the Audi, Leo finally spoke. 

"You're doing good on your Italian." He murmured 

"Oh, so you're talking to me now?" I asked as we reached the Audi 

He unlocked it and I climbed in. 

"Okay, I know I haven't been in the best mood lately." 

"Try all day. Try for the last four days. You've been acting weird, what is going on?" 

He started up the car and started to drive. 

"Nothing Ellie." 

"You're usually talking and picking with me... now it's like you lost your best friend or something. What is it?" 

"Ellie look, I can't go there with you right now." 

"Okay, first it was because I wouldn't say I love you, now that I've said it, it's like everything has changed. Why?" 

I saw him grip the wheel tightly until his knuckles turned white. 

"Why can't you let this go Ellie? I said I'm not ready and that's that." 

"Oh, but any other time you can strip me naked and have your way with me like I'm some cheap toy. But I'm not good enough for love making? Fine." I said hurt 

"Why do you always assume things?" He asked me 

"Because actions speak way louder than words!"  

My heart thundered in my chest and my eyes threatened to spill tears. I bit my bottom lip to deter the tears until I safely got back to the villa. He was quiet and so was I.

I realized now that it should've just stayed that way. Maybe Leo and I just weren't made for each other. It hurt to think about, but I could see now that we just weren't on the same page.

When he pulled up in front of the house, I got out of the car and used my key. As soon as I went in, I moved to the other side of the hallway. Once we got back to America, I had some thinking to do. 

Leo 

I never thought it would go like this. All trip long all we have done is argue, but then made up. I heard her moving her stuff, looks like she was going back across the hall. I sighed and went into the kitchen to pour me a drink, looks like I'd be needing it tonight.

With a glass of bourbon in hand, I trekked up the stairs and then went into my own room, shutting the door and plopping down on the bed. Maybe I should just give us a few days without being in the same bed. It would do us both some good... mainly me.

I was so angry with myself, why was I still being scared and tentative? It had been almost two years since Donna and I ended, and honestly I was doing just fine before I met Ellie. But then again, maybe I really wasn't.

I had more than one sub, and before Donna, with me, that was unheard of. I was a one woman kind of guy, but I guess the heart break just made me uncaring. But then I met Ellie. It was frustrating yet facinating how quickly she got underneath my defenses, broke down my wall, and injected her self in every thought and dream that I had since meeting in the club that night. I wanted nothing but her and I thought of nothing but her as well. I knew following her to her car was on nothing but a whim, one I'm glad I listened to.

Even past her mundane and boring exterior, I sensed a wild beauty just waiting to be unleased. and even now I still had yet to see how wild she could really get, and I wanted nothing more than to experience that. But the coward in me couldn't even go to the next step with her, knowing that she seriously wanted to. She had every right to be upset with me. I just wished she didn't think so less of herslef to believe that she was nothing but a toy to me, she meant much more to me than that. It was funny: I could tell this woman that I loved her, yet couldn't have sex with her. I could be a weird kind of guy sometimes that's for sure.

I had a very restless sleep that night and couldn't stay asleep for more than an hour or two. Hot, and fed up, I got out of bed and went down stairs for a glass of water to maybe calm my nerves. When I reached the bottom I saw a soft light on the television. I knew that meant Ellie couldn't sleep too. I went into the kitchen getting a bottle of water and then shut the fridge. Even if she wasn't talking to me I still went to go check on her. When I did I saw that she was curled up in the couch in a ball fast asleep, I set my bottle down on the nearby coffee table and softly scooped her up in my arms. I heard her groan and she settled closely to me, lying her head on my shoulder. I smiled and kissed her head before walking to the stairs and softly depositing her into the bed. She rolled over onto the pillow as I placed the blankets over her. After that, I left and went back down stairs taking her place on the couch.  

A/N: Kinda boring I know, but I'm gonna put the next part up soon.