Chapter 21

She changes her mind and asks to go to my apartment but I decide against it not wanting Lucy to alert the authorities that her friend's been kidnapped because she seems like the type.

I text Marc at a red light that I left.

"Hey." Sunny grabs my phone from me, "That's very irresponsible Mr. Woo." She scolds, waving my phone in front of me.

"I forgot you're a teacher." I say and laugh at her offended frown.

"That is not a teacher thing, it's a responsible thing." She checks me.

"A lesson on responsibility from the girl with the fake I.D" I scoff.

She doesn't say anything, smiling sheepishly.

"I only got it this year." she explains, holding her hand out the window, "Lucy said my boobs wouldn't work off campus." The second the words leave her mouth her whole body retracts and she looks at the ground with her eyes wide in shock.

"Your friend's a liar." I say, deciding not to tease since she's clearly already embarrassed.

She looks up at me shyly. It's such a contrast how innocent she is in that sinfully erotic dress. I have to pull my eyes away from her exposed thighs to avoid crashing my car.

"You said we'd get ice-cream next time." She speaks up softly.

I chuckle and lift my brow up at the redhead beside me, "Really? You're drunk but you remember that?" I ask surprised by her as always.

"I remember everything." She shrugs, playing with the zipper on my jacket.

I don't think she means to but the pouty look on her face and the skin she's exposing in my jacket makes me grip the wheel for some semblance of control.

I shake my head trying to rid the image that pops up of her on her knees in front me and her mouth stuffed with my...

I grip the wheel tighter.

"Fine we'll get ice-cream." I huff taking a left.

She screeches in excitement beside me but I don't turn to look. I'll have to be face forward for the remainder of this drive.

"Thank you Harold." Sunny smiles at the teenage boy handing her the cone through the window.

I can see the little fuck trying to cook up a conversation so I put my put my foot on the gas.

"You should've gotten one yourself." She says and I shrug not turning to look at her.

"This is a real nice jacket." She comments , "Leather is made from cows though. Are you aware that cows can swim?" She continues without response.

I'm used to her rambling when she's nervous so it's no different than when she's drunk.

"Cows also don't much like being alone and actually can be in friendships with other cows for years much like us. Isn't that incredible?" Her laughter fills the car.

I'm once again grateful that my inability to deny Sunniva has put me here in this moment.

"We're here." She sighs as I drive into the apartment lot.

"Don't make a mess on my seats." I warn her getting out of the car.

I wait before I open her door and watch her struggle through the window.

"Leo!" She groans trying to open the door with her heels in hand.

I chuckle, finally opening her door and watch in slow-motion as her ice-cream falls to the floor. I guess the gods took pity on me.

"No no no." Sunny whines, sounding a lot like Marc's niece.

"C'mon Sunniva." I pull at her sleeve so I can close the door behind her.

She is still frowning on the way up to her apartment.

"Oh rats!" She exclaims before stepping out the elevator, "I don't have my key." She facepalms.

I look down at the the dramatic girl and pull at her sleeve to follow me down the hall.

"Leo, I said I d-" she stops and looks up at me in surprise when I pull a pin from her head.

I make quick work of picking the lock and she gasps when I open the door.

"No way!" She exclaims walking inside. She smiles at me in amazement as if I didn't just commit a felony.

I follow after her locking the door behind me.

"You two should stop leaving this door unlocked." I tell her, taking a seat on the sofa beside her.

She nods absentmindedly and turns on the TV.

"It's the finale tonight." She says, looking at me expectedly. I shrug unsure what she wants me to say.

"Day 1." She explains further and my expression remains unchanged.

She frowns, turning back to the screen and pressing the buttons on the remote. She looks less drunk than before but her eyes are still glossy and she blinks slowly.

"You guys have aspirin?" I ask.

"Yes, in the bathroom cabinet," Her hands reach for my face and the cold plastic of the remote control presses against my skin, "Why? Do you have a headache? Should I make you some tea?" She asks, her eyes worrying.

"No." I shake my head at the kindest girl I know and kiss her palm before getting up.

I walk to their bathroom and open the cabinet scratching through a few pill bottles, oils and tampon boxes before I find the aspirin. I have to push against the contents inside to close the cabinet properly.

Walking to their kitchen now, I reach for a glass to fill with water before making my way back to Sunniva.

"Take this." I hand her the glass and small cardboard box.

She looks up at me confused but takes them anyway and I sit down next to her to watch her swallow the pills.

"Thank you." She says, handing the glass back to me and reaches for the remote to turn up the volume.

I scoff at the glass in my hand and shake my head when putting it down on the table in front of us.

I watch how engaged she is while looking at the screen, not looking up once even though she does makes multiple comments about the contestants that she hasn't noticed me not responding to.

She looks so odd suffocating in my jacket on the sofa.

Slowly her eyes start shutting on their own and she lays herself down on the sofa with her head resting on my lap.

"Goodnight Leo." She whispers, placing her hands under her head.

I will never get used to her being this trusting of me and as much as it scares me knowing she's so oblivious to the monsters she continues to let into her life I am glad I can protect her from the rest.

Her lips part and the jacket moves as she takes in a breath and then let's it out. I sit here undisturbed watching her sleep for more than a few minutes but I figure my thighs are not as comfortable as her bed so I cradle the rest of her body in my arms and lift her up from the couch.

She's still asleep when I struggle to open her door and then lay her down on her bed. I cover her open legs with the purple blanket folded on her bed and lay down on the satin pillow next to her. She feels the dip in her bed and moves closer towards me, curling herself up next to me.

I take in the scent of her hair and put my arm around her comfortably finding a position. I listen to her even breaths and feel all the tension leave my body and I allow myself to fall sleep next to her.

Sunniva

As I gain consciousness I feel the warmth of someone next to me and my mind resets all of my memories.

Yes, of course.

My heart skips a beat as I take in Leo's angelic face while sleeping. His lips are parted slightly and his beautiful face is absent of his constant frown.

I take in the tattoos crawling from his neck to his chest and the big scar that stretches the same length beneath it. I fight against my instincts to run my fingers over it.

I kissed Leo last night again and he kissed me back. In fact he kissed me a few times after that if I'm memory is correct, on my head and hand but it still counts plus he promised to kiss me again this morning.

My face feels warm remembering the way his eyes raked over my body as if he was fighting some internal battle. I also remember falling asleep on the sofa and my ice-cream cone on the floor. So it was equal parts an embarrassing and productive night. I finally confessed my feelings to Leo and although he didn't exactly reciprocate them, he didn't say that he didn't like me back.

Maybe he just didn't want to upset you in an intoxicated state.

Oh goodness could that be true? Could he really like me or was he just afraid to hurt my feelings? But then why would he stay the night? But then again he did ignore me for two days so maybe I just caught him off guard and he didn't know how to get rid of me.

I shake my head ridding myself of all my overthinking and slowly get up from bed careful to not wake a sleeping Leo.

My bedside clock says it's six forty-five in the morning and I see the material of the T-shirt Leo was wearing last night hanging over it.

I smile when raising my arms to look at how the ridiculously long sleeves of his jacket hide my hands.

I feel movement behind me and slowly turn to see Leo still sleeping. For reasons yet unknown I reach for Leo's T-shirt before making my way to the bathroom.

Closing the door as quietly as possible I walk down the hallway towards the bathroom. I note that Lucy's door is still open which means she's not home yet.

The hot water running down my body puts me at ease and I'm completely absolved of all my problems for a few peaceful seconds until the memory of Leo's lips on mine resurfaces. And his big hands gripping my face.

Rinsing the soap off my body I notice my nipples are pebbled in arousal at the memory of Leo but I don't give into my lustful urges and instead turn off the faucet.

Stepping out of the shower I see the bathroom filled with steam and in the mirror I see the red hue below the skin on my cheeks and my hair slightly damp. I put on my clean white underwear and rub oils on my hair before reaching for Leo's T-shirt. I smell the smoke and the musky scent that is his signature as I bring it to my face.

Screw it Sunny! Just do it.

Putting on his shirt I smile shyly at my reflection in.

Is Miss Goody Two-Shoes attempting the art of seduction?

"I guess I am." I say to myself.

I give myself multiple pep talks on the walk back and I'm feeling pretty confident until I open the door and see Leo sitting up on my bed.

His eyes rake me from top to bottom and I see his body tense up.

I turn to close the door behind me and he moves further back on the bed.

"Sunny what-"

"Y-you promised to kiss me in the morning." I say with less confidence than intended.

Walking towards him slowly I see him clenching his jaw and his nostrils flare a bit.

"Sunny you don't want-"

"I know what I want Leo." I state, regaining my confidence.

He shakes his head and squints his eyes at me, "Really?" His deep voice challenges.

"Y-Yes," I waver a bit but stand firm, "But Leo if the attraction isn't the mutual then I-"

"Sunny you wouldn't believe how attracted to you I am." He interrupts.

"So what's the problem?" I ask desperately.

"I'm every kind of bad for you Sunniva."

I stare at him in frustration and move closer until I'm standing between his legs.

I lay my hands on his shoulders and massage my thumbs into his neck, "Let me be the decider of that Leo."

In an act of sheer bravery lift myself to prop onto his lap. His holds me at my waist and runs his hands under the T-shirt and up my back. His fierce eyes are staring straight through me and I can see the internal war waging.

He waits patiently as I move closer towards him but I stop when our noses meet, "You have to kiss me this time Leo." I barely whisper.

His eyes look between my gaze and my lips and he releases a sharp breath before slamming his lips upon mine.