Chapter 9
691 Words
Leon’s POV
“Okay,” I sighed.
I stripped down to my underwear, folding my clothes neatly and placing them on a nearby lounge chair. The water was pleasantly warm as I stepped in, enveloping my tired muscles. Chloe swam over immediately, pressing her body against mine. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer, letting her familiar, sweet scent… a mix of her favorite perfume and the faint chlorine from the pool, wash over me.
“I love you,” she whispered before crashing her lips against mine in a hungry, almost desperate kiss. The water made our movements slow and fluid. I kissed her back, then trailed my mouth along the curve of her neck, tasting the faint saltiness of her skin. She threw her head back with a soft, breathy moan, her fingers threading through my wet hair. “Oh, Leon…”
She pulled back slightly, water droplets clinging to her lashes, searching my eyes. “Do you love me, Leon?”
I paused for half a second, just long enough for a flicker of worry to cross her face, her smile faltering.
“I do,” I said quickly, forcing what I hoped was a convincing smile as I brushed a strand of wet hair from her cheek.
She beamed with happiness. “Let’s get married, Leon. I can’t wait any longer to be your Luna.”
I leaned back in the water, genuinely stunned. “We will. I already announced you as my future Luna, didn’t I? We’ll have a beautiful wedding and an amazing honeymoon. You’ll be my wife and Luna.”
She shook her head, tracing slow, teasing circles on my chest with her fingertip, her touch light and intimate beneath the water. “No… I mean yes, we’ll get married, but I want it sooner.” She leaned in and kissed my collarbone softly, then rested her head against my chest, her wet hair cool against my skin. “We could go to the registrar tomorrow. Make it official right away.”
“What?” The word slipped out sharper than I intended, echoing slightly over the water.
Chloe lifted her head, eyes narrowing with concern and a hint of hurt. “Is there something wrong?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. “You don’t want us to get…”
“It’s not that,” I said quickly, cutting her off. “I do want to do this, but don’t you think we’re going too fast? I don’t want a small, rushed marriage. I want something bigger for you, something memorable. I think it can wait.”
She looked at me, brows creased in clear frustration, and pulled away. Water splashed between us. “So what the f**k are we doing then?” she said with a nervous, bitter chuckle, running her hand through her wet hair. “Who the f**k am I kidding? I’m so stupid.”
“You’re not,” I said, trying to move closer to her.
She pushed her arm out, keeping me at a distance. “Don’t f*****g come close to me.” Tears welled up in her eyes, glistening under the pool lights. “You say you love me, but you don’t seem so sure. I don’t know what the f**k we are doing anymore… Are you dating me for political gain?”
She turned and climbed out of the pool, grabbing a silk robe to cover herself with shaky hands.
“Come back, Chloe… it’s not like that,” I called, following her out of the water, droplets trailing behind me.
She spun around abruptly at the glass doors. “I love you, Leon, but if you don’t want to be with me, just say it.” Her voice cracked with raw emotion. “Give me your answer when you’ve decided. I’ll be going home.”
She walked past the glass doors into the bedroom, mumbling curses under her breath as she went, her shoulders tense.
I ran a hand down my face in frustration, standing alone in the cooling night air with water dripping from my body onto the tiled floor.
- Writer
