Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
“I’m meeting Jourdanne for ice cream later.”
Leandro gave a slow nod. “My mother is coming to dinner tomorrow night. My dad too.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.” Leandro tucked his phone back into his pocket and came and sat at my side once more. He leaned over and put his elbows on his knees, then rubbed his face with a grunt.
“I’m sure things will be fine.” I put my hand on his back and tried to console him. I knew how overwhelming his mother could be at times. Well, all the time really. She was a constant pressure in his life, always pushing him to do more. I guess she was partly the reason he did so well early on in life, but that didn’t mean he appreciated her assertiveness.
“Things will be…” Leandro mumbled through his hands. “I don’t know.” He rubbed his face once more, then sat up and shook his head. “Things will be fine.”
“Of course.” I moved my hand from his back down his arm, then I held his hand. “We’ve been together for almost three years now. I’ve always tried to support you, even when you don’t let me.” I nudged him with my shoulder and we both laughed. “Let me support you now. Jourdanne has shown me how important it is to feel seen and heard. You need that with your mom. She needs to know who you truly are, and she can tomorrow night.”
I was hoping Leandro would finally take the opportunity to officially introduce me to his parents. I had spent too many nights in the pool house out back to know how intimidated Leandro was by his mother. His father was a pretty nice guy, though. He was a bit quiet, but he didn’t seem like he’d object to his son being bisexual. Leandro’s mother, however, was traditional. She expected a large wedding and lots of grandkids. And a doting wife for her son.
“Yes,” Leandro said quietly. “You’re right.” He faced me as a smile came over his mouth. “It’s the perfect opportunity for Jourdanne to practice being my girlfriend.”
“Your what?”
“For the Geneva trip. She has to be ready to handle all those philanthropists, not to mention a bit of media. My mother will be perfect practice.”
Leandro got up from the sofa and pulled out his phone. He was texting Jourdanne, no doubt.
“Leandro, didn’t you hear me at all?”
“Of course.” His eyes didn’t leave the phone.
I got up from the sofa. “No. Once again, you heard nothing that I said. Only what you wanted.”
Leandro tucked his phone into his pocket as his brow arched. “What did I miss?”
“Everything!” I shook my head in disbelief. “I don’t want Jourdanne to come and practice being your girlfriend. That was nothing at all what I was saying.”
“Oh,” he laughed. “You want me to tell my parents about us.”
“There it is!”
“Matt, you know I can’t do that.”
“So, am I always supposed to hide in the closet? Leandro, I came out the month after we met. I knew who I was. I told my family, and they embraced me for it. It’s your turn.”
Leandro shook his head as he put his hands on his hips. “You’re just mad at me for the other night.”
“What?”
“You want her. You wanted to fuck her!”
I shrugged at his words. I couldn’t believe this was where the conversation had gone.
“Admit it!”
“Yeah, okay. I did. I wanted to fuck her. I wanted to come inside of her because I knew it meant something to her.”
Leandro rubbed his face again. He was laughing at my words, mocking my emotions. “I can’t believe this.”
“Why not? Do you really think that after all this time hiding and sneaking around behind your mother’s back—not to mention the public eye because heaven forbid your mom ever saw an article about us—that I wouldn’t want to feel something genuine?”
Leandro bit the inside of his cheek. He was blushing, and he started to pace again.
“I want something real, Leandro. I want to feel like I’m loved.”
Damn my emotions. I stood there on the cusp of tears as he stared back at me with that frustrated expression I had grown to despise.
“You think she loves you?”
“I’m done,” I said, then walked right past him toward the door.
“She doesn’t love you. She loves the money. Nothing more!”
I stopped in the doorway and turned around. “You mean she loves your money. Is this why you pushed me to get a sugar baby? Just so you can use her too?” I shook my head at him. “What’s happened to you? The man I met never cared about the opinions of others.”
“The man you met changed. My company took off and now I have more things to worry about than just—”
“Just what? Me?” A tear fell from my eye, and I felt pathetic.
“Matt,” he said softly. He took a step toward me, but I put my hand out and waved him off. I drew in a sharp breath of air, then I let it out as another tear fell. I left the room without another word, and I sent Jourdanne a text that I couldn’t make it after all. I didn’t tell her why or what had happened. I needed some time alone to think about everything that was going on, and whether or not it was all worth it.