2 months after Clara and Max's wedding
November 2026, Autumn
San Francisco

Weighed down by two huge luggage and a pet carrier, I dragged myself out of the arrival hall. My mind was internally cursing at my lack of consideration to mail some of these things beforehand while my eyes scanned across the sea of people crowding behind the metal barrier. 

Many of them held onto signs with names and designations written in all sorts of formatting while others waited excitedly for their family or friend to pass through the gates. Still, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find Leon. Disappointment tugged at my heart as I reached for my bag and picked out my phone.

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R: I'm arriving at San Fran tomorrow. Come pick me up, please?

R: Love you!

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When I checked the conversation window this morning it was still left unread. The same single tick indicating that message had not been read still remained. I exhaled and closed my eyes for a moment.

Since Clara and Max's wedding, Leon had been acting weird. I thought that his expression when I caught the bouquet was a clear sign that we are going to move our relationship forward. But since then, he had been avoiding me. He had claimed to be busy and even refusing to call on some days. He started sleeping at odd hours that vastly differed from the disciplined routine that he insisted on following on most days.

I freed Cotton from the carrier and placed it in my handbag before swinging the handles of my two luggage and went towards the pick-up point to call for a cab. I provided the driver Leon's address before I plugged into my music and sat in silence for the entire car ride.

-

I stood in front of Leon's house, jaw-dropped and captivated by the aesthetic exterior of his house. I remembered him mentioning that he had moved house earlier in the year and he even gave me a house tour during one of our video call sessions. I also recalled the amount of praise he threw at himself for the design of the house. Witnessing the house now, I guess he wasn't bragging when he exaggerated how great his house is. 

My fingers raised to ring on the doorbell but an automatic response sounded, "The owner of the house is currently not at home. Please leave a message after the tone."

A beep followed and I groaned, "Damn it."

"Thank you, your response has been recorded," the system responded.

"Ugh, don't record that," I whined. Regardless of where Leon moved, his doorbell has never liked me even once.

I tried dialling his number but the call failed to go through as well. Sitting on one of the luggage, I pulled Cotton out of my bag and petted it.

I waited for quite a while before a car pulled up right in front of me. The driver wound down the tinted window and inside revealed a surprised Leon. "Sweetheart?"

"No, not sweet anymore." I rolled my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he laughed.

My finger pointed towards the luggage that I was sitting on and his brows raised in amusement. He got out of his car and helped me with the luggage into the boot of his car.

"Didn't you say that you'll only be arriving on Friday?" he asked.

"Why don't you check your phone?" I frowned.

"Sorry, I had been busy," he raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't manage to check my messages."

"I figured," I muttered unhappily.

"Rae, I'm really sorry," he apologised sincerely. "Please don't be angry."

Getting back into the driver's seat, he drove both of us into the garage and parked his car before lugging my luggage into his house.

"Did you manage to apply for a long leave? You sure brought a lot this time," he smiled.

Getting out of the car, I put Cotton down and he ran into the house. Then, my hand reached for one of my heavy luggage and dragged it into the house without answering his question. The automatic door slid open and revealed amazing interiors. The grey and black tones on the furniture had subdued shades that blended well against the white walls and tall glass windows around, adding to the interior's minimalist aesthetics. His house smelled like his old apartment in Massachusetts and his previous house, there was always a warm smell of fresh linen from the candles he bought from Maison Balzac.

"Rae," he called me from behind. His tone was careful, soft and tinged with sadness. "Are you mad at me?"

I turned around and face him. This silly boy, how could I possibly stay mad? Grinning, I dropped my backpack on the ground and ran towards him. It was almost in reflex that he extended his arms and allowed me to crash into him before he lifted me up and squeezed me tightly. I squealed, "I'm finally home, Leo!"

"Welcome home and a warm welcome to my new house," he chuckled heartily. "How long are you staying this time?"

"Make a guess." I folded my legs around his waist for support as I rested my head on his shoulder. His arm flexed to hold me in place and walked towards the kitchen.

"Judging by the amount you brought this time, I'm guessing about a year or half?" he responded. He placed me on the island surface and stood in between my legs. His finger tapped lightly on my nose and those hazel eyes speckled in anticipation.

"No." I leaned forward and rubbed my nose against his. He tilted his head and pressed gently on my lips. I giggled, "I'm staying here until you decide to chase me out."

His back straightened immediately and his fingers curled on my shoulder, his face hovered close to mine as the gold in his eyes danced in between the green. "You're moving to San Fran and you're moving in with me, aren't you?"

"I am!" I chirped.

His strong arm circled my back and in one swift movement, our bodies were pressed against each other with no spaces in between. He kissed me with kindling passion, and hands slid along the curve of my waist and down to my thighs.

"Leo," I whimpered softly.

My hands reached for the hem of his shirt. Just at the moment when I wanted to lift it off him, the annoying vibration of an incoming call halted us to a stop. Leon inched over to look at his screen before putting some distance between us. "Sorry sweetheart, I really need to take this."

Just like that, I was left in the heat of the moment. He grabbed his phone and walked out of the kitchen. I watched him as he did that and wondered why things had changed between us. Normally, he would put his phone aside when he's with me. Moreover, it's also a Saturday.

-

Leon's POV
(Later in the night.)

"Hey Clara, can I trouble you with another thing?" I asked, leaning against the glass railing of the balcony.

"Hey Leon, what's up?" Clara chirped before there was a loud clank in the background.

"Sorry, that was Max. We were trying to whip something up for supper but it didn't strike us that we were actually terrible cooks."

"Cooking isn't that difficult," I shrugged.

"Well, I don't love food enough for Max to put in the effort to learn cooking so that he could impress me," she teased.

I coughed in awkwardness and continued, "I need you to distract Rachelle tomorrow."

"She's in San Fran already?" she asked, surprised. "Wasn't she supposed to arrive on Friday?"

"Yes, that was the initial plan," I replied simply. "I hope I'm not disrupting your plans with Max."

"Nope, our trip to San Fran is just to help a bro out," she said. "Max and I will head over to distract her tomorrow."

"Thanks a lot, newlyweds."

"Better make it work, Mr Taylor."

"Nothing to worry about," I laughed. "I am confident that my to-be Mrs Taylor would be pleased."

✿

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