Chapter 31
I stand under the faucet for a few moments after Leo gets out of the shower.
"Sunny?" His voice calls from outside.
I'm not going to tell him that I don't want him to go. I made a promise to be less attached this year and even though it was a promise to Lucy I'm including Leo as well. I don't want to scare him away but I just feel like somehow this entire thing got so much deeper for me. I haven't shared my body with anyone before and I now feel I've bonded with him through these acts.
I've thought about it for the past week. That first time I asked him to touch me I wasn't nervous the way I thought I'd be because I trusted him just like I did the time in my Mom's kitchen when we kissed the first time.
I'm not a guarded person but I've never instantly trusted someone the way I do Leo. I have yet to figure out what that means.
"Sunniva?" He calls again this time opening the curtain as his eyes scan me, "You okay?"
"Thirsty." I reply.
"It's the steam." He says, reaching to close the faucet, "Come on." He disappears behind the curtain again.
He watches me silently as I get dressed and fix my hair in the mirror.
"Would you like some tea?" I ask,
He eyes me incredulously before chuckling lightly.
"Yes." His replies.
He pulls at my bright tights making fun of it and I swat his hand away ignoring his teases. He's a lot less intense now and seems to have grown more comfortable around me.
"Lucy and I were supposed to watch the Day 1 reunion special last night but we sort of got sidetracked."
"You mean drunk?" He teases.
"No, only Ella." I say as we enter the kitchen, "You don't mind watching it with us do you?" I ask.
He shrugs in response.
"Sunsun please ask your mammoth to reach for the coffee beans on the top shelf, I can't find the stool." Lucy speaks, not even looking at Leo.
Looking up at him I see his face deadpan and he blinks slowly before walking off towards the living room.
Lucy scoffs at his reaction.
"You have to ask for things nicely Lucy and you can't insult people." I shake my head at her and reach into a cabinet below the bassinet to retrieve the footstool.
I hold it out for Lucy who rolls her eyes at me and grabs it from my hands.
"I said please." She mumbles under her breath.
When I place the teacups on the counter I glance over my shoulder and see Leo sitting on the sofa.
"How big is he by the way?" Lucy speaks and the teacup slips from my hand and clatters against the counter.
Leo looks over his shoulder startled by the sound and I try my best to not look awkward when I smile at him.
He frowns at me before turning back around.
"So if we're talking inches how many-"
"Lucy." I interrupt her, "I am not going to answer that. Now go apologize for being mean and I'll bring your coffee when I'm done." I demand and she rolls her eyes and drags her feet as she walks towards the living room.
Leo
Her friend takes a seat at the other end of the sofa.
"She wants me to apologize but I'm not going to so just smile back at me so she thinks that I am."
I turn to see the fake smile plastered on her face then turn towards the kitchen and see Sunny stirring a teacup.
"Do it and I'll leave you guys alone for the rest of the day." Lucy says, catching my attention.
I turn to her desperate eyes and try my best to paste a convincing smile on my face.
Sunny's footsteps are heard approaching.
"What are you guys talking about?" She asks, lowering the tray in her hands onto the coffee table before us.
"Just telling your friend here that I have plans I forgot about so I'll have to get going soon."
"What?" Sunny frowns at Lucy as she hands her a mug shaped like a rainbow, "But it's only an hour and I haven't picked up my phone at all today because I'm sure my aunt sent me a spoiler."
Lucy closes eyes and sighs heavily before shaking her head, "Okay."
Sunny smiles cheerfully at me as she hands me the saucer and teacup. I must've been a kid the last time I held similar objects in my hand. When I played at the neighbors mom would leave us at before work.
"It's starting." Lucy says, turning the television on.
I'm agitated with the space between Sunniva and I. She's close enough to reach but she has piping hot liquid in her hand so I can't pull her closer towards me.
"You cannot tell me they weren't fucking off screen." Lucy's voice is heard from the other end of the couch.
"She's engaged." Sunny gasps.
"Not sure she knows that." Lucy snorts, slurping from her cup.
The apartment I bought came fully furnished, including the television and the only person who keeps it from collecting dust is Eddie but I'm surprised with myself because recently I've been tuning in more often. For some reason this terrible show intrigues Sunny and I enjoy teasing her about her favorite contestants.
"That's exactly why Jackson didn't win." Lucy says and Sunny pouts in response.
I try to hide my chuckle but Sunny turns to me with a frown, "Not a word." She warns.
"You still hurt?" I smirk at her.
She rolls her big eyes and turns back to the screen.
"You so are! It's okay Sunsun there's always next season." Lucy laughs loudly.
Having had enough teasing Sunny gets up from the sofa and collects the cutlery onto the tray and takes off into the kitchen. Lucy continues her laughter while watching her.
"She's never picked one winner in all of 3 years." Lucy's green eyes look at me as she speaks and I tense up immediately.
We're not friends.
"Ass." She scoffs, getting up from the sofa.
"Hey Sunsun I'm off." She yells.
"To Mr. Grover?" Sunny sings with a wide smile.
Lucy shakes her head and walks over to the coatrack.
"Alister Grover?" I ask without thinking.
Lucy squints at me, "How do you know that?"
Your boyfriend helped cover up a murder.
I shrug trying not to look as agitated as I feel, "The pages."
A few seconds pass as Lucy's stare continues then she rolls her eyes and reaches for her coat, "Small fucking town." She grumbles and exits the door.
I look over my shoulder and see Sunny loading up their dishwasher. I admire the look of her in those tights and she must feel my eyes because she turns to me and smiles.
"Do you like lemon blueberry cake?" She asks, walking towards me.
"Never tried it."
"You wanna help me bake it?" She asks, hunching over with her hands resting on back of the sofa.
The top she's wearing doesn't do much to cover her tits and I'm very grateful for that.
"Yes." I respond and reach my hand behind her neck and bring her lips to me. I can't pull her over the sofa without hurting her so I don't deepen the kiss.
She smiles at me over her shoulder when she walks back into the kitchen.
"Have you ever baked a cake before?" She asks, tying an apron around her waist.
I shake my head.
"That's okay I won't have you do too much because I don't want you getting all dirty. I don't have any of these in your size." She pulls at her apron.
"My gran loves to bake and so does my mom and my aunt." She says, reaching for the large glass bowl in the cabinet.
I reach over her to get it and hand it to her.
"Thanks." She smiles, holding the machine to her chest, "Gran used to say without Momma none of us would ever have a meal to eat because she's the only one who actually cooks." She plugs the machine into the wall.
I watch her move around the kitchen collecting different things from their refrigerator and cabinets.
"Okay." She sighs, dusting off her hands, "I'll pass you everything to add into the mixing bowl, okay?"
I don't know how but I must've done something wrong because my face is splattered with the contents of the bowl.
"Shoot!" Sunny rushes over to me and unplugs the machine.
"Are you okay?" Her hands wipe the sludge from my face, "Did any of it get in your eyes?" I look at her and see the panic in her eyes.
"No." I shake my head, "Did I fuck up your machine?"
"No, you probably just hit the wrong setting," She says, looking at the glass bowl, "It's really my fault, you did tell me you've never baked before."
I don't like the nervous look on her face so I wipe the excess sludge on my face and smoosh it against her cheek.
She gasps and her eyes go wide, "Leo!" She laughs loudly, pushing my hand away.
Her saying my name makes me feel proud that it's mine.
"I can't believe you!" She giggles, wiping away at her cheek and I bend my knees to lift her up and kiss her.
"You'll get it in my hair!" She screeches, pushing at my shoulders.
I chuckle and drop her onto the counter.
"Come here." She says, pulling me between her legs. She reaches for the rag beside her and wipes my face.
I watch her closely as she wipes her the wet rag over my nose, cheek, chin. She stops at my chin.
"What do you want to ask?" I smile at the utterly transparent girl.
"Nothing." She shakes her head but her eyes don't reach mine.
"Sunny..."
"I don't want to upset you." She whispers.
"You won't." I sigh heavily closing my eyes, "You wanna ask about my mom?" I conclude.
She nods her thumbs running over my eyebrows.
"What was she like?"
I try my best to fight through the anxiousness that swarms around my stomach.
"She was busy." Is all that comes to mind and her confused frown pushes me to continue, "She worked at different jobs, I remember because sometimes she'd have to take me with her but I don't actually remember what she did exactly. But when she wasn't busy she was like an annoying kid, bothering my brother and I when we were trying to watch cartoons or playing outside." I smile, remembering how tired I was after running from her for hours around the backyard.
"I think she just did it to tire us out but she was really annoying." Sunny joins me in laughter. "She was..."
Sunny's arms loop under mine and she clutches me tightly. "It's okay," She mumbles into my chest, "You don't have to say too much."
I take in a deep breath and inhale the lemon scent either emitting from the spoiled contents splattered around the kitchen or from it could be from Sunny's hair.
"Your floor's getting sticky." I announce and she slowly removes herself from me.
"Maybe you'll hand me the ingredients this time?"