Chapter 6
550 Words
Leo’s POV
The house was too quiet.
The moment I stepped into the estate, I felt it—the eerie, suffocating silence that came with knowing I was about to share this place with her.
It was a beautiful property, I’d give Eleanor that. Nestled deep in Napa Valley, the vineyard stretched for miles, with rolling hills and endless rows of grapevines. The house itself was grand but not flashy—elegant in a way that screamed old money.
I dropped my duffel bag at the entrance, shoving my sunglasses onto my head as I took in the high ceilings, the polished oak floors, the massive windows that flooded the place with golden sunlight.
And just like that, I was back there again.
With her.
Five Years Ago
"Sweetheart, if you keep stomping around like that, you’re gonna scare the grapes into early retirement."
Sienna spun around, her face flushed from the summer heat—and probably from the fact that I was pissing her off. Again.
"Leo," she snapped, jabbing a finger at me. "I swear to God, if you call me that one more time—"
I grinned, leaning against the old wooden fence that separated the vineyard from the estate. "What? Sweetheart?"
Her nostrils flared. "You are insufferable."
"And yet," I drawled, "you still tolerate me. Fascinating."
She turned away, muttering something under her breath.
I smirked, but it faltered slightly as I took her in—the way the sunlight hit her hair just right, making it look almost golden, the way she always bit her lower lip when she was thinking.
God, she was—
I cleared my throat. "You’re overthinking this whole menu thing."
Sienna sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. "You wouldn’t get it, Leo. This dinner is important. It could set up my whole career."
I watched her for a second. "Then why are you here?"
She frowned. "What?"
I gestured around us. "If you’re so worried about your big fancy dinner, why are you here—stomping through a vineyard instead of, you know, cooking?"
She hesitated.
And that was how I knew.
"You’re scared," I said, my voice quieter.
Her shoulders stiffened. "I am not scared."
I tilted my head. "You are. You do this thing where you run away when you’re feeling too much."
She glared at me. "You really think you know me that well?"
I shrugged. "Yeah. I do."
Sienna held my gaze, something unreadable flashing through her eyes.
And for a moment—just a moment—I thought she might actually let me in.
But then she rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You’re annoying, you know that?"
I smirked. "It’s one of my best qualities."
She huffed, but she was smiling. Just a little.
And God help me, I wanted to kiss her.
Present Day
I blinked, snapping out of it.
Shit.
I rubbed a hand over my jaw, trying to shake the memory.
That was five years ago.
Things had changed. She had changed.
And so had I.
A car pulled up outside, the crunch of tires on gravel breaking the silence.
I turned toward the door, exhaling slowly.
Sienna was here.
And just like that, the past wasn’t just a memory anymore.
It was about to become a war zone.
- Writer
