Unraveling us

Chapter 15

The days after that night were a blur. I kept replaying everything that happened—Leo’s touch, his words. It felt like I couldn’t escape it. Every little detail of his presence, every moment we shared, kept circling in my mind, until I was drowning in it.

Work became a distraction, but even that couldn’t keep my thoughts from drifting back to him. I found myself looking for excuses to be near him, to see him again. But Leo... Leo was distant. Colder than usual. He didn’t call. He didn’t text. And when I did manage to get a few words from him, he seemed like he was deliberately keeping a distance.

It was maddening.

I couldn’t help myself. I missed him. I missed the way he made me feel when he looked at me. It was as if he knew exactly how to twist my emotions, how to pull me in and make me need him, even when every instinct in my body screamed that I shouldn’t.

It wasn’t just physical. It wasn’t just the way he kissed me or the way his touch sent shivers down my spine. It was the intensity. The way he made me feel seen, understood, in a way that nobody else ever had.

I had tried to move on from him. I had even gone out with a few friends, tried to distract myself with their chatter, their smiles. But everything felt empty, like it was missing something, like I was pretending to be okay when all I wanted was to be with him.

And then there were the dreams.

Every night, they were the same—Leo’s hands on me, his lips, his voice. His touch haunted me even in my sleep. I woke up sweating, heart racing, every time.

But it wasn’t just the dreams. It was the fact that I was waking up to an empty bed, to an empty apartment. And for the first time in my life, that empty feeling felt like it was eating me alive.

I couldn’t do this anymore. I couldn’t keep pretending that I was fine, pretending that I didn’t care.

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual, a sense of urgency rushing through me. I had to see him. I needed to know where we stood. I needed to know what was happening between us, even if it was just to put my mind at ease.

I quickly threw on some clothes and grabbed my phone, dialing his number before I could think twice. My hand shook as I held the phone to my ear. The ringing seemed to last forever.

Finally, Leo’s voice came through, low and steady. “Elara.”

My chest tightened. “Leo... we need to talk.”

There was a long pause on the other end, and I could almost feel him hesitating.

“What about?” he asked, his voice unreadable.

“I... I can’t do this anymore. The distance, the silence. I need to know where we stand.” I said it quickly, almost like I was afraid to admit it, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I need to know if this is just a game to you, or if there’s something real between us.”

Another pause. I could hear him breathing on the other end, and then he sighed, deeply.

“I don’t know if I can give you an answer, Elara.”

My heart sank. I couldn’t stop the frustration that bubbled up in me. “What do you mean? You kissed me. You said things—” My voice cracked, but I pushed on. “You made me feel like I was more than just another one of your distractions.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I never meant to make you feel like that.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and I could tell that he was being honest, but it wasn’t enough.

“I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, Elara.” His tone had shifted, almost like he was speaking to himself more than to me. “I’ve been fighting this, fighting us... but I can’t seem to stop myself.”

My heart pounded. “Stop yourself from what?”

“I don’t know,” he murmured. “From feeling. From wanting something I can’t have.”

I was silent for a long moment. The words hung in the air between us, heavy and uncomfortable. “Leo,” I whispered, “you don’t have to fight it. Not with me. I... I don’t want to fight it anymore either.”

Another pause. And then I heard the sound of Leo moving, the shuffle of papers, or maybe him standing. “I’ll come to you. We’ll talk.”

Before I could say anything else, he hung up.

I stood there, the phone still pressed to my ear, unsure of what had just happened.

I had asked for answers. I had demanded them. And now, I had them. But it only made things more complicated.

I spent the rest of the morning trying to prepare myself for whatever was coming next. I couldn’t deny that I wanted this, wanted him, but at the same time, I was terrified of what it meant. What would it mean for me if I let myself fall for him, if I let him get under my skin?

By noon, I had almost convinced myself that I should cancel, that I should pull away and protect myself from whatever was coming. But then, my doorbell rang.

I opened it to find Leo standing there, his usual cold mask in place, but there was something different in his eyes. Something that hadn’t been there before.

“Can we talk?” he asked, his voice low, urgent.

I nodded, stepping aside to let him in.

The moment he entered, I felt it—the tension between us. The pull that had always been there, the chemistry that had simmered under the surface since day one.

But this time, it was different. This time, it wasn’t just a kiss. It wasn’t just physical. It was everything that we hadn’t said, everything we hadn’t admitted.

“I don’t know what to say,” I murmured as we sat down across from each other. “You’ve made me feel things I wasn’t ready for. I’ve been fighting it too, Leo. But now, I don’t know how to stop.”

Leo leaned forward, his eyes intense. “We don’t have to stop, Elara. But you need to know what you’re getting into.”

I met his gaze, my pulse quickening. “I don’t care anymore. I just want to know if you feel the same.”

The silence stretched between us, and then he finally spoke.

“I do. I feel the same. But it’s not simple. Nothing with me ever is.”

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “Then let’s figure it out together.”

And just like that, everything changed.