CHAPTER 11 : FORCED DATE

Nat's POV

"We're here," Leo announces when we reach to some fancy restaurant I'd never been to.

Fancy places aren't my type.

It's like you're forced to be this really rich and sophisticated person that you're not.

We have enough people being the brand ambassadors of fake-ness without adding more to the list.

I huff and Leo eye rolls me.

Leo gets out of the car and beckons me to come out.

I shake my head and cross my arms.

He should know that if he forces me like this, im not going anywhere with him.

He opens the car door and leans down and says, "Do you want me to carry you?"

"I said I don't want to come!" I say and slam the car door.

So much for calling him sweet.

"Nat!" he whines and I take some pity on him even though I shouldn't. He practically shoved me inside his car and got me here.

I get out of the car and he smiles.

"I did this cause I pity you," I say and step inside the restaurant which causes him to frown but he follows me inside.

I sit on a table and Leo sits in front of me.

"What do you want to have?" he asks me.

I scan the menu and settle on steak.

'I'll have steak," I say when the waiter approaches us.

"I'll have the same," Leo says and the waiter nods.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Please get us white wine," he says and the waiter leaves us.

"White wine? I'm not of age to drink!" I exclaim.

"Chill, they don't care about your age here," he calmly says.

"But I've never drunk wine or any hard drink for that matter. I might get drunk,"

"Doesn't matter"

"Leo, if you had to take me somewhere, you could've taken me to a less fancy place," I whine.

"You don't like fancy places?"

"Hate them"

"Let's go somewhere else then," he says and stands up.

"No, it's fine. You just can't suddenly leave," I say and pull him down to his seat.

"I can," he says and stands up again.

"Sit down!" I glare at him and he sits down.

"You looked pissed so I wanted to take you somewhere your mind would be off whatever's been bothering you," he says with a sigh.

My heart melts at words.

No one's ever cared.

But he does.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry," I say and he remains silent.

He then leans in and says, "I'd never force you, Nat."

Wow.

He's from heaven.

I remain silent and after a few minutes, the waiter comes with our wine and food.

"The steak's delicious," I say to kill the uncomfortable silence between us and he nods in agreement.

A thought suddenly crosses my mind and I decide to ask him-

"Leo, can I ask you something?" I say and he nods.

"When those guys cornered me, they said something about me being the same Nat, if I was the same Nat, would still treat me the same?"

He leans in and replies, "I'd never do anything to you, Nat. Even if you were her."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Wouldn't you kill me?"

"Why would I? People like you are supposed to live, not survive. If you think I haven't noticed it then you're wrong. I don't what you've been through, but it serious if it all makes you sad. Would you give me a chance to make you happy?"

I remain silent in shock.

How--?

"I can't," I say and get up.

"Can't what?"

"Be in a relationship with you or anyone. I just can't," I say.

"Why?"

"Relationships fuck up everything, everything's already been fucked up and let this be like this only, please"

"You're wrong," he simply states.

"I'm wrong? How?" I ask him with a snort.

"Relationships only fuck up everything if you let them"

"You aren't selling me on this, Leo"

"I'm not, I'm just stating basic facts," he tells me and I sit down.

"The only relationship I was in was so--"

"That was the only relationship of yours. Don't act like you've been in hundreds of them," he says and crosses his arms.

"Well--" I start but he looks me at me with such an expression that tells me that the battle's already lost.

"Let's just eat," I say and start eating my steak but he's just looking at me.

"Eat," I tell him and push his plate towards him.

"I don't have an appetite anymore," he says and gets up.

"Where are you going?" I ask him.

"Home," he says and picks his car keys.

"Excuse me?" I ask him and stand up too.

"You said you don't wanna date, this was a date. So I'm going home now," he says and shrugs.

"Shut up and eat. We'll talk later," I tell him.

"Okay," he says and sits down and starts eating.

Good.

I'm finished with my food fifteen minutes later. I look at his plate and see that he's done too. The glasses filled with white wine remain untouched.

"Let's go," I tell him and get up.

"Sure," he says and pays the bill.

He's rich.

"You don't wanna pay this time?" He asks me with a smirk remembering the hospital where I paid my fee.

"No, this was unnecessary," I say and arches an eyebrow at me.

"Unnecessary?"

"Yes"

"You're weird. Let's go home," he says and opens the restaurant door for me.

Weird?

He closes the door when I get out and moves to open the car door.

"You're being very gentleman-like," I say after I sit in the car.

He just smiles and says," old habits die hard."

Old habits?

He even had habits like these?

Twenty minutes later we reach our houses.

"Today was fun," he says when I'm about to get out of his car.

"Fun?" I ask him.

"Yes fun," he says and smiles.

He looks better smiling than smirking.

"So I'm gonna go now, bye," I say and open the car door.

"You're free tomorrow?"

"Maybe"

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he says and waves goodbye to me.