Chapter 47 | Leo

Isabella:

I wake up to my cheek squished against an incredibly hard rock and a two flashes of light blinding my eyes.

The rock stirs beneath me as I slowly pry my eyes open, confusion flooding through me as a I try and apprehend where I am and why I can hear three people giggling.

"Oh no, they're waking up," one of the mysterious people whispers before breaking out into another fit of quiet laughter. "And look where Lucas' hand is!"

...Lucas?

LUCAS?

I shoot up from the wall I had been using as a pillow, pushing my hair away from my eyes and swivelling my head around to try and make sense of my location.

Then my brain finally decides to catch up with me.

I'm in my living room, with Mia, Grace and my abuela huddled directly in front of me where I am, or was, lying on the sofa - correction, lying on Lucas; my head pressed against the hard planes of his chest, our legs tangled together, one of his hands behind his head and the other...resting on my ass cheeks.

I promptly slap his chest to wake him up.

"Lucas," I hiss. "Get your hands off me."

He makes some incoherent noise but does as a I say, removing his hand where it had a comfortable grip on my butt.

However instead, he blindly loops that arm around my waist and hauls me back onto his chest.

Abuela takes another picture as I try to wriggle out of his embrace.

"Lucas," I repeat, my voice coming out muffled. "Wake up!"

When he doesn't budge, my hand slides up his grey pyjama shirt and tweaks his nipple. This causes him to finally peek an eye open.

"This is an unusual way to say good morning Belly," he says amusedly in his deep, husky morning voice.

Morning voice. Wow. Butterflies.

"But I won't mind if you let me return the favour."

I slap his chest again, shuffling so I can try to get out of his iron grasp. "Unless you want an audience," I reply, motioning towards Mia, Grace and my grandma standing a few feet away.

His smirk drops abruptly and he freezes

As do I, but not entirely for the same reason. I think I may have done too much shuffling because there is now something undeniably harder than Lucas' abs pressed against the side of my stomach.

I promptly shove Lucas away, hard enough that he lets go of me and shoot back up into sitting position...only to be yanked back down onto him again.

"It's because it's the morning," he whispers in my ear. "And your grandma is standing right there so stay down! Please!"

I'm about to protest in retaliation when Mia clears her throat, snapping both mine and Lucas' attention onto her. Her lips quirk into a sly smile. "As much as I love to see you guys cuddling, Bella you need to get ready asap, we need to head out in 30 minuets."

"Head out?" I repeat, my eyebrows furrowed, my left cheek still mushed against Lucas. "Why?"

"We're going out with Sammy and his friend," Grace chides. "Ring a bell?"

"Oh right," I murmur in response. The blind date, Mia had told me about on Monday where she and Sammy had set me up with one of Sammy's friends.

I groan. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," Mia says firmly, reaching down and grasping me by the arm to haul me up. "You're the one who wanted it in the first place."

That was unfortunately true.

It had been two days after Lucas and I had 'kissed' and Mia had managed to pry every last detail about the make out session out of me.

Her and Grace's excessively excited reactions had sent my apprehensive thoughts out of the roof and my feelings haywire and afterwards when Mia had brought up the topic of Sammy wanting to set me up with one of his friends I had hastily agreed...and I honestly don't know why.

But now I was regretting my rash decision...I had never been on a blind date before.

Sure it wasn't exactly a blind date per se, seeing as how Mia, Sammy, Grace and now apparently Lucas would be there, but that still didn't calm my raging nerves.

I had never met the guy, he didn't come to our school and I had only seen a picture from him that Sammy had shown me at lunch that day. And then there was also the case of what he would think of me which I was trying not to dwell on too much.

What if he didn't like me? What if he thought I was annoying or ugly or-

"Bella?" Mia's voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I briskly push the self doubt into the back of my mind.

"I, er, don't want to meet him any more," I finally reply, fiddling with the end of my t-shirt.

"Why not?" She questions before her eyes begin to dart between Lucas and I. Her face then lights up and she begins to wiggle her eyebrows suggestively. "Is it anything to do with this?"

"No!" I blurt out quickly, my voice coming out in nearly a shout. "Nothing to do with that, I'm just tired," I add much more quietly now.

"Well too late, Sammy's friend is already keen on meeting you."

"Lucas do you want to come?" Grace adds, peeking her head over Mia.

I butt in before Lucas gets to answer. "No! Why are you inviting him!"

"Because Aidan has a shift so I don't wanna be fifth wheeling all throughout this date!"

Lucas looks up at me with narrowed eyes. "Because you don't want me to come I'm coming."

I press my lips into a thin line. "Fine," I grumble, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Why are you acting like you don't enjoy my company when we spent the entire evening together painting each other's nails, doing face masks and watching Netflix and then falling asleep cuddling." He raises a challenge brow, placing emphasis on the 'cuddling'.

I blink slowly.

"Lucas cried after we finished watching Crash landing on you yesterday!"

My sudden and frankly outburst causes both my grandmother and Grace to snort in amusement.

I unfortunately do not get the same reaction from Lucas.

"Hey it would mean I was heartless if I didn't cry! Seri and Captain Ri are soulmates! SOULMATES!" He practically screams in defence. "And you can't talk, you cried so much I had snot all over my t-shirt!"

I flame in humiliation as I recall crying into Lucas' chest after we had finished the show and the humiliation doesn't just stop there.

"Also Isabella and I have matching fingernails!" He adds, grabbing my hand and lifting it up to show our onlookers our matching fingernails. "See!"

I yank my hand away, where all the fingernails were painted yellow, minus the thumbs which were black with yellow smiley faces, very badly drawn on them. Lucas had the same but in inverted colours.

"Okay enough!" Grace interrupts just as I open my mouth to retaliate. "Isabella you go upstairs to your room and get ready! You too Lucas! We have 20 mins to get ready and leave!"

***

20 minuets later, after the frankly shambolic morning, we all clamber into Mia's car. Grace calls shot gun so I'm stuck with Lucas and his long, muscular body squashing me in the back seat.

"I like your outfit," he comments amusedly, raking his eyes up and down my body. The subtle gesture sending a shiver down my spine which I quickly shrug away. "I like how it matches your nails."

I was wearing a long sleeved yellow top and blue jeans paired with vans and a black puffer jacket which I'll admit made me look a little like a roadman.

"No it doesn't," I reply curtly.

"Yes it does," he argues back. "The yellow top and black jacket."

"Ok."

The rest of the ride to Aidan's burger joint where we had agreed on meeting is silent...well silent on mine and Lucas' part.

Mia and Grace chatter away and the hum of the radio fills the occasional silence but Lucas and I refuse to utter another word to each other for the rest of the drive.

Aidan's sister Aniya is on waitressing duty when we arrive and her mouth curves into a huge smile once she spots our group strolling into the resturant.

"Hey!" She greets, dropping the cloth she was wiping the counter down with and coming over to welcome us. She gives us girls a quick hug and waves her fingers at Lucas. "Aidan said you guys were popping by today!"

At the mention of her boyfriend, Grace perks up. "Where is he?"

"In the kitchen," Aniya responds, looping her arm with Grace's and signalling with her other hand for the rest of us to follow her as she weaves through the fairly packed restaurant. "He's going to go on a break soon so you'll see him then."

Taking us to a booth, she tells us she'll be back with our menus in a second.

"Sammy and Leo will be here soon," Mia announces, glancing down at her phone as we take our seats. Mia slides in next to me and Grace and Lucas sit opposite.

And sure enough the boys do.

"Isabella, this is Leo, Leo this is Isabella," Sammy introduces, once he and Mia had finished exchanging saliva for a couple of minuets, leaving the four of us standing and sitting awkwardly as we waited for them to finish. His breath is laboured as he points his finger back and forth between Leo and I.

"Hi," the said Leo greets with a cheeky smile, sliding beside me in the booth where Mia had stood up to make room.

With fluffy brown hair and sparkling brown eyes, he is cute, like really cute. He sticks his hand out for me to handshake, his cheeks immediately reddening as he realises how dorky the gesture is.

"Hi, I'm Isabella." I shake his hand before he can retract it, finding the gesture kind of adorable. Others however do not find the action as endearing as I - I hear Lucas snicker but the moment my head snaps up and I shoot him a glare, he masks his laughter with a cough.

Leo seems unfazed by this however, his smile only widening as he takes in Grace and Lucas sitting opposite.

"Hello, I'm Grace and this is Lucas," Grace smiles warmly, shoving Lucas slightly so he stops coughing.

"Leo," Leo nods. "Are you two dating?"

Lucas' fake fit of coughs morphs into a real fit of coughs just as Grace's smile curves into a grimace as a look of repulsion settle across her features.

"Nope she's all mine."

We look up to see Aidan standing over our booth, taking off his apron as he swoops down to press a swift kiss on Grace's cheek. Grace sights contentedly just as Aidan stands up straight. "Hi I'm Aidan," he quickly introduces himself before turning to Lucas and sending him a weird look.

"Do I need to get you water or something," He asks, quirking an eyebrow as Lucas tries to get his coughing under wraps.

Lucas nods, his face turning extremely red, causing me to snort this time in return. He shoots me a glare from across the table, still coughing and I narrow my eyes back at him in retaliation.

"So," Leo clears his throat, directing my attention back to him. "You excited for Christmas break?" He asks him just as Aniya approaches us with the menus.

"Yep," I nod my head, "I can't wait for the holidays to start I am so exhausted by school. How about you?"

"Yeah same," he agrees. "I actually started break last week that's why I'm in town, my grandmother lives here so we came round for Christmas."

My eyebrow shoots up in surprise. "Oh you're not from down here?"

He shakes his head. "No, I'm from Michigan, but my family and I pretty much come Ohio every break so I might as well live here." He pauses to smile. "My grandmother is actually neighbours with Sammy so that's how we know each other."

"Oh," I nod my head in understanding, before my eyebrows furrow in slight confusion. "If you don't mind me asking...why did you ask Sammy to set you up with someone if you're not from here, I'm assuming you don't wanna do serious then."

"Nope," he drums his finger along the edge of the table. "I'm not looking for anything serious, just something causal, er if you know what I mean."

I quickly understand what he's insinuating and both my eyebrows raise. Oh, he is just looking for someone to have a fling with.

Lucas' coughing suddenly increases and Leo's dazzling smile falters a little. I can tell he's getting a little annoyed at Lucas' coughing fit, as am I, but lucky for us Aidan comes back with Lucas' water.

"So what are you going to get?" I ask Leo, grabbing a menu for the two of us to look at once there is finally peace and quiet coming from across the table.

"I'm feeling like the spicy burger tower and sweet potato fries, how about you?"

"Erm maybe mash potato and peri peri wings."

Aniya returns shortly after to take our orders and as we're eating for our food I turn back to Leo.

"Er so I just want to tell you that I'm not looking for a...fling, I, uh, just wanted to get that out there."

An eyebrow quirks up in surprise. "Oh...Sammy said you were looking for something casual."

I press my lips together. "Yeah, but not that type of casual."

"Oh," he looks a little bummed out. "Dang it, you were pretty."

I giggle and flush slightly at his compliemt. "Thank you, so are you."

His grin comes back in full force. "Don't worry about it love, I guess I'll just spend my break with Granny listening to her natter about her bowel problems."

I laugh. "Fun."

+

Lucas:

I don't like Leo.

He gives me bad vibes especially since he literally propositioned Isabella into having a fling with him within the first five minuets of meeting her. Jeez, does he not even have the slightest bit of courtesy to wait until after the 'date' to ask?

What is bothering me is that I didn't even get to hear Isabella's response because she changed the subject and then Aidan and Grace started talking to me so I never got the chance to continue to earsdrop in their conversation as we ate.

But from the looks of it Isabella seemed to be...interested in him. Especially since she had been blushing and giggling all throught and was practically sitting on his lap as she cozied up to his side. For godsake, how she had been cosied up with me yesterday night.

Jesus, is that jealousy I'm feeling?

I glance at them one more time as I finish the rest of my fries, stuffling the potato goodness into my face with more force than necessary.

I hope for her sake she said no. He looks like the type to only care about himself during sex. Probably wouldn't even be able to get her to orgasm.

Dammit, now I'm thinking about them having sex? Jeez, why do you care so much who she's choosing to have sex with?

"Gosh Lucas you're going to burn all of his goreous hair off with that glare," Grace nudges my leg, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Gracie is right," Aidan agrees with a knowing smirk. "Jealousy is not a good look on you my brother." Before I can even open my mouth to respond, he gets up from his seat. "Right I've got to get back to work, I'll see you guys later."

"Jealous? Who's jealous," I mumble once he leaves. "I'm not jealous."

Grace shrugs. "Whatever you say."

The rest of lunch goes my agonizingly slow. I finish my food too early so I spend the rest of the time half heartedly listening to Mia speaking and watching the two love birds from my peripheral vision.

All I can hear is Isabella giggling and watch as Leo inches closer and closer to her as the minuets go by.

Finally, after like 300 hours, everyone finishes eating and we play our individual bills.

Of course Leo tries to pay for Isabella's meal. Don't fall for it hon, he is just tryna get into your pants.

She of course doesnt allow him to pay. That's what she typically does that with me.

They hug goodbye and stay clinging onto each other longer than what is deemed friendly and once we separate from him and Sammy, I speed up my pace a little so I'm walking alongside Bella.

"So when's your first date with Mr smiley?" I ask casually, stuffing my hands into the pocket of my jeans.

She turns to look at me, the gesture a little funny because of the thick neck of her puffer jacket. "Mr smiley?" She quirks an eyebrow.

"He smiles too much, no way is that normal," I explain with a shake of my head, slowing down my steps so we're walking in sync. God damn she's a slow walker. I'm practically tiptoeing whilst she takes long strides - the problem with having long ass legs.

"There isn't going to be a date," she continues causing my eyebrows to raise in surprise.

"Why not?"

"He wanted someone to have a fling with, I didn't want that.

"Oh..." I fall silent for a second. Well I wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah," she sighs, disappointedly. "He was cute?" Ew no he's not.

Shrugging away the annoyed feeling bubbling at the pit of my stomach I decide to prod on her little revelation. "So what do you, er, want?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Not something as casual as a fling but...I'm not really sure if I want anything serious either...I mean I'm only sixteen." She shakes her head, thankfully quickening her pace as we head reach Mia's car.

I pull open the car door open for her and she thanks me before slipping in the back seat. I follow her suit.

"I haven't really given boyfriends or dating any heavy thought," she admits as Mia starts the engine and the car begins to peel out of Aidan's families burger joint. "I've had other issues preoccupying my mind."

Before I can press on what she means, she interrupts. "What about you?"

I shrug my shoulders, shifting in my seat to get comfortable. "I'm not sure, I mean I just got out of a year long relationship, I don't think I'm that keen on getting back into the dating pool that quickly but at the same time I don't know how I feel about flings."

I turn to look at her. "I lost my virginity to Ivy so I never had any causal sex before her and after we broke up there was only Lily who I had sex with...which you er know about-"

"Yeah, yeah, because I walked in, don't remind me," she interrupts, mumbling under her breath.

"Yeah well, I don't think that necessarily counts because none of us even got to finish." I stop and send her an accusing glare and she raises her palms up in surrender.

"Sorry," she mutters, rolling her eyes. "I think I did Lily a favour anyways, she didn't look like she was enjoying it very much when I walked in."

I narrow my eyes at her before shoving her side with my elbow. "I'll have you know she was very much enjoying having sex with me."

"Sure," she taunts, about to elbow me back. I grasp her arm before she can however, leaning closer to her so what I say next isn't audible to Grace and Mia who are currently screaming along to the lyrics of the Giveon song blaring out of the speakers.

"If you don't believe me, I can prove it to you," I say, my mouth brushing her ear. I feel her shiver and her reaction brings a smile to my mouth.

She shoves me away gently. "If I didn't want a sex with Leo, why would I want to do it with you?"

"Because I'm hotter, most definitely better in bed and just genuinely greater than him in all ways."

"Ah, that humbleness of yours is a quality I really admire Luke."

"You didn't disagree," I tease, my smirk widening. "And it's called confidence sweetheart."

"It's narcissism and you being conceited but okay."

And she still didn't deny it.

Haha fuck you Leo.

━

AUTHORS NOTE:

I'll be back to edit this later teehee
Also I'm imagining Leo as Louis Partridge :p