Chapter 12: Psychic (Leo's POV)

I know what he said to her, I'm not stupid. And no, that's not true. He's definitely seen me smile, it hasn't been years... has it? Maybe one or two. It's been a really long time since I laughed or smiled or did anything. I haven't had a reason to. 

Yeah, sometimes I would let out a chuckle talking to Flynn, but never wholeheartedly, hysterically laughed in the last two years. It just died down. 

After one year without my mom, everything just became pointless. 

And I knew I just laughed. I smiled, I laughed, wholeheartedly. But I wasn't supposed to. And if I acted like I didn't, maybe she will too. And she did. Thank god. I don't need to be psychic to know what would happen if she did point it out, she knows it too. Everything would have gone back to the way it was when we brought her here. 

She came closer before going behind me. "Can I get a piggyback?" she asked, her arms around my neck and her legs around my torso, her chin resting on my shoulder. 

"No." I unlocked her legs but she locked them back up. 

"Please?" she whispered. 

"Claire," I said sternly. 

Please get off, Claire. 

"No," she pouted, tightening her hold on me. 

"Claire, get off." 

"Pretty please?" she whispered, her cheek on my shoulder while she looked up at me. I couldn't even risk looking at her. She poked my cheek and I clicked my tongue in frustration, shoving her finger away. I turned to her and my eyes locked with hers. 

This is what happens when I'm alone with her like this. It's like a pull. And if she pulls me in, I'll lose focus on my job here, which is only to keep her safe. 

"Don't do that stupid puppy-doe eyed thing," I rolled my eyes. I looked back at her and she was still doing it. She pouted sadly before pulling her arms down. 

Fucking hell. 

I grabbed her legs that were still around me before she pulled away completely. She squealed in excitement before wrapping her arms around my neck. I scoffed before shaking my head and straightening her legs out. I swam around for a while with her on my back in silence. 

"Is that a scar?" She traced a spot on my upper arm. 

"Yeah, I got cut." 

"With a knife?" she gasped. 

"No, a sword," I said sarcastically, "It was a fight with some people a long time ago," I mumbled. 

"Must have hurt," she said. 

"Yeah, a little bit," I lied. 

She laughed, "You can't even admit it hurt." 

I never admit when I'm in pain.

I rolled my eyes and continued swimming in circles, tracing the perimeter of the pool until the backyard door opened and she let go. My hands were itching to pull her back on but I didn't act on it. 

Flynn walked out, dressed to go somewhere. "I'm going out, I'll be back late," he said. 

"Where?" My eyebrows furrowed while I squinted under the sun. 

"He has a date," she teased while climbing back on. 

"This looks like a date to me," he smirked at me. 

"Shut up, Flynn," we said in sync. 

"She's right. I have a date." 

I looked at her. "With Aesha," she smiled, "Have fun," she looked up at him, also squinting at the sun. 

"Bye." He saluted both of us with two fingers before leaving. 

"Are you done with the piggyback? You'll break my back," I said. 

"Are you calling me fat?" she arched an eyebrow at me. 

"Jesus Fuck, no. Are you done?" 

"No." She put her chin back down on my shoulder. 

I shook my head and rolled my eyes, continuing to swim around. After a while, I began pestering her. I began poking her legs and arms. Once I poked her thigh her facade faltered. "Ow," she laughed. 

"Ow?" I deadpanned. 

"That tickled," she chuckled. I turned away from her and smiled to myself. She grabbed my shoulders and leaned forward, looking at my face. I looked the other way and stopped swimming. "Okay, okay. Fine," she huffed. 

I swam one last round before stopping. "It's been over an hour." 

"Do you think you can get out like this?" she laughed while detaching herself from me. 

"Probably," I climbed out and grabbed my towel. There's only one out there. She climbed out behind me and squeezed her ponytail, water dripping out, then did the same with her clothes. Or tried to. 

I threw the towel at her and she looked up at me in surprise. "Shut up," I grabbed her phone and began pushing her to the house. She laughed and looked back at me, stopping once we got to the door. She dried her arms and legs off and then gave me the towel, taking her phone. I dried myself as well and then went upstairs behind her. 

I can't like her. I'm not allowed to. And it's not just me not allowing myself to, it's my dad and hers telling me I can't. I understand where her dad was coming from, why would he want his daughter with someone like me? 

Everyone knows. I got into fights, I've broken a fair share of laws, I've gotten in loads of trouble with the cops, and I've killed people. I say that bluntly now, but after I killed that guy, the guilt I felt, the trauma it brought was out of this world. And that was despite knowing he had killed my mother. 

I had to teach myself to cope. No one even bothered doing that for me. 

She can't be with me, it'll ruin her. 

✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿ ✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯

I sat there as she cooked our dinner, Flynn wasn't going to be back till late so it was just gonna be us tonight. She was trying to explain to me how some TV show worked, but I couldn't even tell you the name. 

"Stop. My brain is going to rot, stop," I huffed. 

She laughed and stopped talking about it while making lasagna. "You are so much more stupid than I thought," she chuckled, "I can't believe I used to have a crush on you," she laughed. 

"What?" I straightened up.

"Yeah, sophomore year. Or was it junior year? Yeah, no. It was junior year," she nodded. 

"Junior year?" I asked, shocked. That was when... 

"Yeah, when you came back after that summer completely changed. Everyone has a glow up, I like to think that was yours." 

"What?" I asked in utter confusion. 

"You know... you came back all dark, mysterious, quiet, rebellious. Always looked like you were brooding in misery. I found the whole act very hot," she laughed to herself, still focused on the food. 

"It wasn't an act. It still isn't," I glared at the back of her head. 

"I know," she glanced at me, "Sure, it isn't. I just don't think guys like that sneak off to places you know. They normally don't care about getting caught," she smirked. 

"Where do I sneak off to?" I scoffed. 

"The shooting range at 3 am every Friday. You did in Junior year. Do you still do that?" she asked. 

Nobody knew about that. And I mean nobody. "Stalking me, were we?" I arched an eyebrow at her. 

"No, just casually walking by a shooting range at 3 am. I was looking for my dad," she scoffed. 

"Where was he?" I questioned. 

"Gambling. Where else would he be?" She shook her head, seeming disappointed. 

"He's a fucked up man, no offense," I mumbled. 

"None taken. But so are you." 

I looked up at her when she slid my plate over to me, sitting across from me. "Why's that?" I arched a brow at her. 

"Because you enjoy brooding in misery. And quite frankly, I think you've learned to enjoy the pain too." She filled both of us a glass of water and handed me mine. 

She's not supposed to figure all that out about me. 

"You know, I wouldn't mind causing you some pain right now." I shot daggers at her. She should just stop talking sometimes. 

"That sounds awfully kinky," she snickered. 

I put my fork down on the plate. "I will kill you," I deadpanned. 

"Try me," she smiled. 

I stared at her for a moment, shocked at how gutsy she was. She just said whatever came to her fucking mind, not thinking about how it sounds to other people and how it affects them. Not that what she just said had any effect on me. 

"Eat, it'll go cold and I'm not making you dinner again," she scolded. 

I snapped out of it and ate. We ate in comfortable silence and then I helped her clean up. 

"What side do you sleep on?" she asked while I turned on the dishwasher. 

"What?" I asked. 

"What side of the bed do you sleep on? Left or right?" 

"Right. Why the hell are you asking me that?" I questioned. 

"Because we're supposed to share a room for the next two weeks," she snorted, washing her hands. 

I stared at her like she grew another head which she might have and it must have blown a fuse in her head or something. "Flynn isn't here," I stated the obvious. 

"I know that," she scoffed, "But I'm a woman of my word."

I'm gonna die tonight.

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Chapter twelve

Getting piggybacks in a pool is so much fun, I cannot explain

and I cannot explain how cute that would be

and I cannot explain how fucking single I am

next chapter: Fire