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18

"Hey Aunt Wendy!" I spoke into the phone.

"Oh God, mermaid. You had me worried sick. Why didn't you tell me that you were going out?" She demanded in a firm, yet motherly tone.

"Well, I forgot my phone at home. Sorry."

"Jesus, Arie. I just want to know where you were, nothing more. You had me really scared until Mike told me that you were out with Leo and got wasted. That's a first."

"Yeah. I didn't know certain events would take place, but they did and I got hammered," I lied through my teeth like a professional and I didn't like it one bit.

"So, what did you do?" She asked curiously and giggled like a school girl.

"Quit giggling like that. Nothing happened. I wasn't drunk enough for him to do anything."

"But, did you do anything?"

"Oh God. I didn't do anything. He didn't do anything. We both did nothing. And that's the end of it."

"Okay, okay. Can't blame me for being curious."

"What about you? How was your night?" I asked curiously, anticipating something good.

"Well, it was a wonderful night. We went to a fancy restaurant then to the movies. We actually saw Justice League," she started laughing. "Justice freaking league. He's more of a Marvel fan though, but we still watched it together and he liked it. And before you ask if anything happened, nothing did. It was just a pleasant night."

"Not even a kiss?"

"Not on the lips. He gave me a little peck on my cheeks. It was actually really cute. And I also received a "Good morning sweetheart" text from him today. He's making the butterflies in my belly explode, Arie. It's crazy. I've never felt like this. If he keeps up this chivalry, I might go crazy."

"It sounds lovely. I'm so happy for you," I awed and smiled wide even though I knew she couldn't see me.

The surge of happiness that coursed through my veins made me giddy all over. This woman that I held dear to my heart deserved every happiness that came her way. She even made me forget about what happened last night and all the information I was bombarded with today. I wished I could stay like this with her forever, but I knew I had to get back to reality which was with me sitting in a mafia leader's bed while he was showering and someone out there trying to kill me. I couldn't tell her this. She could never know.

She had always been so proud of me and Ashton ever since we got full rides to Columbia University. I got it for academics and Ashton got it for sports. We were both good and worked hard in our distinctive fields. Aunt Wendy was off the roof when she heard about this. She always made us smile which I love her for. Even though she held us together, she couldn't hold herself. She barely picked up her own broken pieces and put them together with a glue that wasn't strong enough. I knew the death of her beloved mother-like sister was killing her inside, but she never showed her pain, instead she made us laugh till our bellies hurt. Late in the nights, I could hear faint cries escaping her room and it continued for a few months after our parents' death. The loss hit her hard, but she was strong through it all for us and we were extremely lucky to have such a woman as our aunt, best friend, sister, and mother in one.

"Thank you, mermaid," she said, retrieving me from my thoughts. "This means a lot and maybe he might be the one."

"Maybe. Just maybe."

"Yup. You never know. Oh well. I'll let you get back to your man. I have to get to work. Stay safe, mermaid. I love you."

"I love you too, burger factory," I mocked. She chuckled and hung up on me just before I went from being happy to feeling like a pile of shit for lying to her. I'm going to hell.

"Well, I guess we're going there together then," Leo voiced himself whilst coming out of the bathroom as water dripped from his hair onto his beautifully structured torso. A white towel clung onto his nice hips ready to be dropped any moment. Only if it accidentally caught onto something and fell. Oh lord. The view would be rather mesmerizing perhaps. Okay, I need to stop.

"Excuse me?" I finally uttered after shaking my head trying to wither all the stupid, horny thoughts. I never did this so why the fuck was I doing this now?

"You just said that you were going to hell and I said I guess we're going there together." He walked into his walk-in closet that was situated right next to the bathroom.

"I didn't realize I said that out loud."

"Well, now you know," he stuck his head out and smiled, then whipped it back in.

"Okay," I muttered and looked out the huge glass wall. I could see the entire New York City from just sitting here and it was absolutely beautiful which made me realize that I hadn't seen the skyline on a high level and so up close even though I took the subway and came into the city a hundred times before. I was always down there among those who looked like ants from up here.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" He asked, coming out of the closet before I nodded to his question. He looked quite handsome with his hair sleeked back and the gray suit that hugged him properly, showcasing all the tight muscles underneath. "I've seen a lot of beautiful sightings. Would you like to see it all one day?"

"No, thank you," I lied and smiled meekly up at him. "I like the narrow streets in Queens and the diversity. I love that." For some reason I found myself looking right into his blue pools that were so enchanting and beautiful. Clearing my throat, I shook away the trance and spoke up once again. "Anywho, you're a fast dresser. Quite impressive."

"Yeah. I don't take time in changing my appearance, but there's one thing that I do take my sweet time with," he smirked at me.

"And what would that be?" I asked curiously, leaning forward into my lap with a smirk of my own.

"In bed," he blurted out. "I take my time in bed with women as I take off their clothes and then..."

"Woah. I don't want to know. So, just stop right there." The smirk that decorated my face a few seconds ago, literally just fell off the face of the earth in disgust.

He laughed at me. "Well, you're the one who wanted to know." God. I decided to ignore him and started to get up to use the bathroom when a wave of excruciating pain appeared in my left foot which made me wince in distress. Leo ran towards me and held my arms. "What's wrong?" He knitted his brows together.

"My foot," I whispered and mentally cussed the pain that I had been completely oblivious to until now. "That stupid vase."

"I told you that you'd hurt yourself, but you don't want to listen. Just wait here." He skipped to the bathroom and came back with a tube. "This will heal you in a couple hours."

"Okay," I managed to say through the pain.

"Yeah. It can be quite handy at times."

He took my foot in his hand and placed it on his thigh slowly. Pushing out some of the white gel from the tube, he applied it to the swollen area carefully. He touched me like a fragile doll that would break any moment. His fingers so gentle and warm as he tried so hard not to hurt me which actually made me smile.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked with his eyes fixed on my foot.

"How do you know? You didn't even look up."

"I didn't have to. My senses are quite sharp," he laughed to himself which intrigued me. Maybe he could tell if I wanted to slap him or kiss him a second or two before I actually did. I made a note to myself about never doing either of those things. I'd probably just embarrass myself.

"Impressive again," I commented.

"I keep impressing you without even trying. What happens when I try?" He pretended to ponder with a finger on his chin constantly tapping.

"Nothing will happen. I can promise to you that," I said matter of factly.

"That's what you say now. I may change your mind. I can be very persuasive when I want to be."

"And I can be very stubborn when I want to be," I countered back with a sly smirk forming on my face.

"Perfect," he said while picking up my foot from his thigh and gently placing it on the bed. "Let the games begin then."

"What games?" I narrowed my eyes at the mischievous man.

"If I persuade you to ever do anything then that would be a point for me and if you are stubborn enough to not do it, then a point for you. Deal?" He put his hand forth for me to shake and lock the deal.

"Deal," I smiled as I shook his hand.

"This is going to be fun."

"It sure is."

"Be ready to be persuaded every time because I don't lose. I never have and I never will."

"Try your best, Mr. Pepperoni. Now it'd be a shame if you got your first loss because of a girl," I batted my lashes and mocked him.

"Watch out now, love. That winning attitude might bite you in the ass when you give in every damn time."

"I could say the same for you."

"Fair enough," he began walking towards the door before he stopped in his tracks and turned around. "I thought about this thing last night. I almost forgot about it. I have a proposal for you."

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