Chapter 33

Something tickles my cheek and my eyes flutter open.

"What did I say about locking that damn door Sunny." He speaks in the dark.

His hand pushes me down when I begin sitting up, "I smell like sweat. Can I take a shower?" He asks

"Of course." My voice is groggy from just waking up.

"Go back to sleep." He coaxes me caressing my cheek.

He must have magical powers because I'm immediately drifting off again. I struggle with consciousness wanting to be awake when he returns but my eyes are too heavy and I give in.

"It's not fair Mom!" Neoma's squeaky voice exclaims.

I drop my toothbrush in the metal cup and wait a few seconds before opening the door, Grandma would smack my hands because she always complains about Neoma and I listening in on conversations.

"Neoma, I don't know what you want me to do, it's just a nickname." Mom's voice sounds soft and I hear the creaking sound of her getting up from the bed.

"What's a nickname?" Neoma asks.

I hear mom sigh heavily, "I'll tell you in the morning, sweetheart." She says, "Sunny, are you done baby?"

I quickly open the door and my is heart racing, afraid I've been caught.

"On or off?" Mom asks, holding her finger under the lamp.

"Off." Neoma and I say at the same time. I giggle looking at her but she crosses her small arms and rolls her eyes.

"Goodnight my angels." Mom calls from the door.

"Goodnight Mom." I say but Neoma doesn't and instead turns over in bed.

"I love you, Neoma." Mom sings before closing the door.

"That wasn't very nice Neoma. What if you made mom sad?"

"Leave me alone, Sunny."

"What's wrong Neoma? Do you have a belly ache?" I ask, climbing onto her blue sheets.

"You have 2 names and I only have 1!" She sits up so quick almost making me fall back onto the floor.

I sit quietly not knowing what to say. It is true, I have two names that everyone calls me.

"I will move in with Aunty Hen if nobody gives me another name. She said I can stay over whenever I like and I will make Eric my new sister." Neoma pouts, crossing her arm.

"But I'm your sister!" My throat feels tight. I do not want Eric to be Neoma's sister.

"You can have my name. We can share it." I offer, pulling at her arms but she hits my hands away.

"I want my own name!" Her shoulders jump and her bottom lip juts out further.

"Okay..." I think quickly, "My name is Sun so your name can be Moon!" I shake her shoulders so proud of my smart brain.

"Your other name is Sunny." She rolls her eyes.

"Well what about Moony?" I ask.

"That sounds silly." She teases, rolling her eyes.

"Neoma, Moony is not silly... Moona? What about Moona?" Her eyes widen and a smile stretches on my face.

"Yes! I like that better! Moona!" She giggles, clapping her hands together.

I smile at my happy sister and climb off her bed.

I open the yellow blankets and climb into my bed. I feel hands pulling at me and I look up at Neoma's sulking face.

"Mom and Momma says we can't keep sleeping in the same bed. We're big girls now." I remind her.

"1 more time." She promises, holding her pillow between her short arms.

"Okay." I give in and hold the covers open so she can climb in.

"I love you, Sunny. I don't really want Eric to be my sister." Neoma says, holding my hand to her chest.

"I love you also," I yawn, fighting to keep my eyes opening, "Goodnight Moona." I smile at the way her eyes lit up.

"Goodnight." She says.

The morning sun shines through my curtains as I find consciousness again.

My body is pulled down into the center of my bed caused by a weight beside me. I turn slowly and see Leo facing the wall. His body is so warm even despite being half naked.

I stare at his back for a minute and admire the tattoos that stretch from his front to his back and the skeletal tattoo down his spine. It's all very beautiful and frightening.

It's probably just after dawn so I could just go back to sleep but I want to check on Lucy because she was pretty tipsy when she got home last night just a few hours before Leo got here probably.

I slowly creep out of bed and freeze when I hear a groan but it's just him spreading his long legs out on my bed. He's much too big for my bed.

I close the door as slowly and softly as I can and release a relieved sigh when I'm finally in the clear.

When I open the door to Lucy's room I immediately smell the wine she must've had a lot of last night.

She groans as I enter her room, she's a very light sleeper, and I crouch down at her bed side to feel her temperature.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I whisper softly, watching her eyes open.

"Eggs, the really cheesy kind." She smiles stretching her arms, "And some greasy ass bacon. Ooh! and pancakes please Sunny."

She's awake now for sure.

"Okay." I laugh at the excitement on her face, "You should take a shower to feel a little more awake." I suggest.

"Awake? It's not even 7am. There's no reason I should be awake right now." She groans and turns her back to me, "I'll wake up when I smell bacon."

Shaking my head at her I get up and collect the empty food containers and wrappers on her desk on my way out.

I wash my hands after disposing Lucy's never ending junk and turn on the stove.

Mom is the heaviest sleeper I know, she always says she'd sleep through the next world war so early mornings when we knew she'd be asleep Neoma and I would beg Momma into letting us help her with breakfast. We assisted Mom a lot with baking but we wanted more than just cracking a few eggs, we wanted to play with the real pots and pans instead of the plastic ones we got for Christmas. Mom would always say no, afraid we could hurt ourselves but Momma believed that we could do it and we were smart enough to follow instructions.

I plate the pancakes like a tower next to the eggs and take the last strip of bacon out of the frying pan. Lucy is not floating into the kitchen like I expect so I call out to her.

As she schleps into the kitchen she frowns at the three plates set out, "Who's joining us?" She asks, reaching for a piece of bacon.

"Leo must still be waking up. I'll get him." I reply, untying my apron.

"Or you could just leave him... we could enjoy breakfast on our own sans mammoth."

"Lucy be nice." I shake my head at the unfriendly brunette.

"Ugh this large man is stealing my housewife." I hear her groan as I exit the kitchen.

I don't mean to startle him but the loud bang of my door must've done it because his eyes are wide with alarm.

"Leo! Oh my god! What happened?" I rush to his side to hold his bruised face between my hands.

He turns his head to the side and pushes my hands away.

"Leo? When... How did-"

"It's okay Sunny." He shakes his head getting up from my bed and I stay seated.

At this angle I can see his split lip and the bruises on his cheek , chin and eye.

"Somebody hurt you. What happened?" I can't stand the sight of him, it pains in me.

"Nothing, just some drunk assholes looking for trouble last night at the club." He says, turning away from me.

I'm up on my feet and move around him to take another look.

"Do you remember how they look? We have to report them! Oh my god your face, Leo!" I'm trying my best not to lose it any further but a surge of emotions rush through me.

At fifteen my sister made me promise not to tell our parents about the bruised cheek she got from some girl in the center and then at seventeen I watched Leo's awful brother beat him and didn't do anything about it. I keep letting them down but it ends now.

I reach for the phone on my bedside table and start dialing.

"Sunniva, stop." Leo grabs my phone out of my hand.

I reach for it but he raises his arm, "What are you doing? We have to report this!" I jump to get my phone but he doesn't budge.

He scowls at me and I do not like it at all, "I don't even remember how they look it doesn't matter okay?"

"Of course it does! Nobody walking around beating on people at night should be allowed to get away with that! Where is this club? Maybe they have security footage we can show to the police when we report it." I'm frantic I know it.

"Sunniva!" His loud voice stills me, "Sit." He walks me back to my bed and lowers me.

My shallow breaths even out and when he crouches down to looks at me I can't help but reach for his bruised face. Bile rises in my throat at the sight.

"It's okay Sunny, I swear I'm fine. I ran them off and they were... so drunk off their asses they probably don't remember what happened." His big hands rub over my bopping knees.

"I hope they do." I spit, trying to fight my tears, "I hope they're filled with guilt and shame and that they're fists are scraped and bleeding."

He chuckles quietly, "Easy there. Are you okay?" He asks.

"Me? Are you okay?" I wince when my hands run down his face to his chest and I see another light bruise on his stomach.

"I'm alright, Sunny."

"Okay." I accept and trace his jaw with my finger, "I'll make you some lavender and lemon tea to help with the pain."

He smiles softly and it calms me just a little but I wince at the way it stretches the cut on his lips.

"Do my bruises repulse you Sunniva?"

"Never, it's just your lip... Does it hurt?" I ask.

"A little," He pouts playfully and it makes me giggle, "I need something for the pain." He whispers, leaning in closer.

His pulls my chin and I kiss him as softly as I can to avoid hurting him but he places his hand around my neck to deepen the kiss.

My hands rest on his shoulders and my tongue dances along with his as I moan into his mouth.

If it wasn't for the intentional ruckus Lucy makes from the kitchen I'm sure this would've gone a lot further.

I take in large breathes as we break the kiss and run my hand through his hair, "I'll go make the tea." I say and he stands up, pulling me with him, "I made breakfast too if you're hungry."

"I have to go into the shop soon but I'll have the tea."

I nod and hug his naked torso loosely before I leave the room.

"You couldn't have waited until after breakfast?" Lucy rolls her eyes, sipping on her mug.

"Don't tease him when he comes in okay? He got hurt last night." I whisper, putting the teakettle on the stove.

Lucy lifts her brows in suspicion but thankfully nods in agreement.

When Leo enters the kitchen I see her internal struggle as she takes in his face. She shakes her head, hopping off barstool before bolting out of the kitchen.

Leo watches her leave the kitchen and when he eyes me I put on a bright smile to avoid suspicion.

"Here you go." I say, placing the teacup in front of him.

I must not be subtle about my gawking because he takes a sip and looks up at me, "They fade after 2 days or so." His words are meant to be reassuring but it just makes me wonder why he knows that.

"Sparring at the gym." He shrugs, reading my mind again.

I nod and collect Lucy's empty plate.

"You should eat." He says, eyeing the mountain of food on the counter.

I round the counter to sit next to him and begin plating some pancakes.

His phone lights up beside me and I unintentionally read the messages.

It's says something about him forgetting his bag somewhere but what guts me is the name on top of the text.

Heather

He pulls his phone to check the text and curses under his breath gulping down the rest of the tea. He gets up and looks down at me an uncertain frown on his face.

"I gotta go."

"To Luther?" I test.

"Yeah." His eyes don't reach mine as he says this, "I'll see you after?" He asks and I nod, unable to process my thoughts into words.

He heads out in a rush and I try to finish my pancake but it tastes like sand in my mouth.

Lucy's bedroom door is pulled open and I hear her feet skipping into the kitchen.

"Okay what the fuck? Tell me- Sunsun what's wrong?" Her pitch rises at the end.

"Nothing... I-"

I'm just once again pining after Leo while he enjoys the company of woman who aren't prudish like me. I shouldn't even be surprised or upset. Why would Leo Woo as attractive and sinful as he is want to waste his time waiting on me to have sex when he could have it with anyone he wanted? It feels like a dagger in my chest knowing he shares himself with other people the same way he does with me.

Well not exactly the same way, Sunniva. You're a stiff virgin who probably doesn't even know how to do half the things the women he gets with does. All the beautiful, sensual women. All the time. Whenever he asks. He probably rushes over to get what you aren't putting out.

I shake my head and try to swallow down the lump in my throat.

"I didn't add enough sugar to these." I say, holding up my forkful.

"What? No, they were great as always." Lucy protests.

"I can do better." I sigh, getting up from the barstool.