Chapter 15

Her hand slips from mine and she places it under her head.

I stand from the couch and look down at Sunny curled up on her sofa like a cat.

How did she fall asleep that quickly and with no regard for her surroundings? I'd be so pissed if my chest didn't suddenly fill with warmth. She trusts me.

I look around at the dimly lit room for something to cover her up but I can't find anything.

Against my better judgement I walk down the hallway to where I assume her room to be. I'm proven correct when I enter a room and the sweet smell of Lavender, that's practically attached to Sunniva, fills my nose.

I ignore my curiosity to look around her room and just grab the purple blanket folded on her bed.

A small shadow gasps as I make my way out the hallway.

"What th-"

"Sunniva is sleeping on the couch." I tell the annoying girl, "Don’t wake her." I walk around her to get back to the lounge where I find Sunny undisturbed on the sofa.

She looks so peaceful and vulnerable right now. I feel ease in my chest but a heaviness as well.

She is not Knives, she's not malicious and a lunatic but she's also not capable of detecting obvious danger and even less capable of defending herself against it.

I shake the concerning thoughts from my head when laying the blanket over her.

I sigh, looking down at this sleeping beauty that has recently shaken up my life. I don't want to leave but I doubt her friend would allow me to spend the night just staring at her.

As I exit the room I see Lucy standing by the door, obviously waiting for me to leave.

I don't say anything as I exit but she stops me at the threshold with her words, "I don't trust you." She quietly states.

"I don't care." I huff and continue again.

"She told me about you." her words stop me again but I don't turn around, "About how you two were friends once, about why you aren't anymore, about your brother..."

I turn to face her this time.

"I don't know what your deal is but I don't think it's safe for you to be hanging around her." Her voice is concerned but her words feel like a threat.

I take a deep breath hoping it'll calm me, "You wanna know what's not safe?" I move closer and I see her take a step back into their apartment, "It's not safe to assume shit about someone you don't know and even if your assumptions are correct it's not safe to then threaten the person you're now so obviously scared of," I gesture to her retreating form, "you also shouldn't let someone you're suspicious of into your apartment with your unsuspecting friend inside because that's not safe."

She says nothing but her face is a mixture of anger and fear. She shuts the door in my face and I'm more upset that it might wake Sunniva than I am about being disrespected.

I'm on edge as I make my way to my car but I try breathing to calm myself down. It's never worked before so I try filling my head with positive thoughts instead and I'm swarmed with images of a redhead with big brown eyes and a bright smile. By the time the red light changes to green it's worked. Now I'm just smiling to myself like a fucking idiot.

She's as curious as I remember. Always watching me, questions bubbling at the surface but she never asks. She's probably always been too nervous and I don't think I'd want to tell her. I'm not a monster to Sunny and for some reason that's always made me feel worth a damn.

My apartment building is a couple minutes away from Sunny's and it calms me knowing I'm not that far away.

As usual the front desk security doesn't hide the fact that he's avoiding eye contact and is slowly gripping his gun. This fucker has less balls than Wesley, the daytime security, and he's a fifty year old with a limp.

Still under a calming trance I don't react to this idiot and instead wait for the elevator.

My clock says it's midnight but I'm not tired so I turn on the tv I hardly make use of and try to catch the end of the show Sunny made us watch.

"Jackson actually made it." I say and it echoes around my empty apartment.

My phone rings but when I see the caller ID I just let it ring. It's Holly and I don't know whether it's because I don't want a repeat of Rose or another reason completely but I don't want to hook up tonight. I'd stick to the former reasoning to avoid further confusion.

Deciding to just switch my brain off for the night I lay myself down on the sofa and close my eyes.

A loud knocking at my door wakes me. Sitting up from the sofa I try to massage the pain from my neck.

I turn the key but don't open the door and turn around making my way into my kitchen.

"It's 9am. Why the fuck are you still asleep?" Eddie's loud voice grates my nerves.

I don't respond and open my refrigerator in search of food but there's none. I was at the store yesterday but I forgot about groceries when Sunniva bumped into me.

"Was it Cooper? She wore you out didn't she?" Marc says, entering the kitchen.

Ignoring him too I take a glass from the cabinet and fill it with water.

"Why are you even he-" My phone rings in my back pocket and I look down to see that it's Sunny.

Without thinking I swipe right and when I look up Marc and Eddie are staring at me.

"It's Luther.” I lie but the soft voice at the other end of the line is heard through the speaker.

"No it's me, Sunny." She says and two shit-eating grins make their way on their faces.

"Leo?" She questions and I walk out of the kitchen.

"What's up?" I shut my door when I enter my room.

"I wanted to ask if you'd give me Luther's contact details so I can make an appointment."

"What's wrong with your car?" I ask.

"I'm not sure but it's kind of uh... it's kind of smoking." She sounds uncertain.

"Where's the smoke coming from?"

"Under the hood." She responds, confidently this time.

"I'll be there in 20."

"No ,Leo it's okay. You don't have to if you're busy it's fine I'll just make an app-"

"I'm not busy. I'll see you in 20."

I hear her sigh on the other end of the line.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." She says and ends the call.

Exiting my room I see Marc and Eddie waiting outside with mischievous grins.

"Shut the fuck up." I warn them and walk towards the bathroom.

When I open the shower curtain I notice the bathroom is filled with steam and I have to wipe mist off the mirror on the bathroom cabinet.

I notice a faded blue bruises beneath the tattoo on my chest.

"Fucking Uilee."

That motherfucker's had it out for me since I beat his ass during our first match. It was just out of high school but I had games under my name, games that Lan didn't know about, so I'd been preparing for a while.

I'd been fighting for some time trying to make extra cash but the big money was in the underground ring and so I wrote down a fake name on the list and convinced Dylan to send me in, at the time he didn't know I was Lan's brother so he didn't think anything of it. I beat Uilee's ass to prove to Lan that I could hold my own and compete in the ring.

"Hey, no masturbating when you have guests over, buddy." Eddie yells from outside the door.

I whip it open and he steps back in surprise but his smile never falters, "So we're going to the Sunny side?" He asks, following me to my room.

"I am going to Sunniva." I turn and push him out across the threshold, "You're not going anywhere." I say and slam the door in his face.

"You're no fun." I roll my eyes at his childish words and I almost trip trying to hop into my jeans.

Marc yells that they're leaving and by the time I'm dressed and outside I see the fast food wrappers those assholes left all around my damn kitchen.

At the red light my phone chimes and I check it in case it's Sunny but it's just the usual anonymous number.

Heathen Tomorrow Night.

The car behind me honks and I look up to see the lights green again.

Driving into Sunniva's apartment parking lot I notice her standing outside, already at her car and some guy standing next to her. I'm on edge until I notice her smiling and laughing with him now I'm just pissed for no reason.

I hop out as soon as I turn the engine off and make my way over to her. Her back is facing me so she doesn't see me coming. She's wearing a long light blue dress and short white cardigan.

My footsteps must be loud because she whips around. She smiles immediately and wraps her arms around me.

I don't think anybody's been this happy to see me.

I hold her closer when I notice her friend looking at us suspiciously.

"I know you or something?" By the look on his face he heard the threat in my words but Sunny obviously didn't because she smiles up at me as she wiggles from my grip.

"Leo this is Josh, he works at the diner across the street. Maybe you've seen him before." She sounds excited so I don't respond how I want to and instead just nod at her friend.

"Maybe." His voice is deep but I hear it shiver.

"I called you when I was at the diner and my car wouldn't start but Josh and his friends got it across the street for me." She says, gesturing to the road behind us.

That explains why her death trap of a car is awkwardly standing on the side of the parking lot entrance. Before I question who these friends are I see Lucy exiting the building with two guys both wearing the same uniform as Josh. I'm suddenly nervous wondering if Lucy's told Sunniva about our conversation the other night. Would she be pissed at me for being rude to her friend? I don't think I've ever seen her pissed.

"You all good Sunny?" One of the guys ask, also eyeing me suspiciously.

I'm about to lunge at him until Sunny places her hand on my arm, "Yeah, this is my friend I was telling you all about."

"The mechanic?" The blondie on other-side of Lucy perks up and this one doesn't look at me but I fucking wish he would because his gaze drops from Sunny's face to her tits.

I look down to see that her cardigan is tied above her chest and her dress is a little low too so there's a sweet spot of perfect cleavage and as much as I appreciate it I wish there weren't three other fuckers here doing the same thing and doing it so blatantly.

"Don't you guys have people to serve or something?" I quip.

"Leo." Sunny gasps and looks up at me in shock. I'd take a couple hundred punches straight to the gut to avoid this look on her face.

I avert my gaze and catch the smirk on Lucy's face instead.

"No, he's right." Blondie says, "We should get going guys. See you for breakfast tomorrow?" He asks Sunny and I want to take that smug look on his face and wipe it on the tar ground below us.

"Yeah, of course." She says, grating my nerves even further.

They take off and unfortunately for me Lucy doesn't follow.

I look down at Sunniva who has a questioning expression on her face, "You okay Leo?"

"Yeah."

"You were kinda mean to my friends. Is something wrong?"

"They're not your friends Sunniva." I roll my eyes.

"What?" She looks at me perplexed.

"Those guys are not your friends. They just want into your pants." I say before being able to stop myself.

This time she moves away from me so quickly you'd think I was on fire.

"That's not true." She defends and I think she's trying to be intimidating with that frown on her face.

"Whatever you say..." I see Lucy behind her trying to contain her laughter.

She's annoying as fuck but I'm guessing she's noticed their 'friend's' intentions as well.

I drop my toolbox beside her car and bend to open up the hood, allowing the steam to exit.

"Leo.” Suniva's voice is low again, I'm guessing to avoid Lucy's ears.

“I know you with struggle being around other people but you can't be mean to my friends." She says and her hand grips my forearm to get me to turn back around.

She looks so hopeful I can't bring myself to disappoint her.

"Okay." I sigh and she beams up at me. I guess that's my reward for trying to be civil.

"Sunny, we should probably take my car tonight then." Lucy says as I turn around and begin working on the car.

I can tell that by how obnoxiously loud she speaking that she wants me to pay attention to their conversation.

"Yeah I guess..." Sunny sounds hesitant.

"And we should probably start getting ready at 7 so I can help you with your outfit." Lucy says.

"Okay..." Sunny answers, obviously not excited about their plans tonight.

"C'mon Sunny it'll be fun, I promise.” Lucy encourages, "Plus I'm sure when you meet Ronald you'll forget you were ever nervous about the date in the first place." Lucy says and I drop the wrench in my hand.

"I guess..." Sunny says again.

"What do you say, Leo?" Her friend asks.

I turn around and feign confusion.

"Don't you think after the stressful week Sunny's had she should go out tonight?" She stretches out her words like the sadist she is.

I look over at Sunny who’s nervously biting her lip.

"Yeah." I shrug but before I can turn around her friend continues.

"I asked Sunny to double date with me tonight at this charity event the firm is hosting. Maybe you should come..." Lucy says, taping her chin.

“You know our secretary, she'll be there." Lucy's sinister smile stretches across her face.

"You know Dione?" Sunny asks.

Fuck.

"Yeah she says you guys know each other, though I'm not sure if she meant in the biblical sense or not." Lucy smirks.

I hope Lucy can feel the holes I'm burning into her skin.

"I guess we met once. I don’t kn-"

"Once? She mentioned a few times actually." Lucy's laugh is almost villainous, "Anyway you should come tonight and catch up maybe."

I see Sunny looking at me expectedly.

"Maybe. I don't know if I have her numb-"

"That's okay I got your number from Sunny and gave it her. She’ll text you the address." Lucy smiles at me challengingly.

What is she playing at?

"Anyway I've got a nail appointment to get to." She walks to Sunny and places a kiss on both her cheeks, "I'll see you two later." She skips and jingles her keys in her hand.

"So you know Dione, that's great, she's great."