All about Leo

From lovers to strangers again

And there is one more thing I'd like to say:

You have me. Until every last star in the galaxy dies. You have me."

(From Illuminae by Amie Kaufman)

***********††******†******††*********

Two months later.....

Hazel stood in her bedroom window with a tired look on her face. Her short hair had now grown till her waist and her new obsession with contact lenses made her eyes look grey. She was staring at her phone. Since the moment she had bid farewell to Leo at the Tokyo Airport, he had been out of reach ever since. Never once did he call her or even message her. She could slowly feel her confidence ebbing away. Was he really worth all that trust she had put into him over the past couple of months? She desperately wanted to ask him how he was and more importantly when he was coming back but she found herself helpless.

She had enrolled in a college in Vermont and she was leaving New York next week . She had wanted to inform Leo more than anything, she had even sent him countless messages, practically begging him to come, however, he hadn't replied to any of them. Well at least she hadn't kept him in the dark, at least he would know where to find her. This was all the comfort that kept her going. She knew that deep down her heart was breaking and that her soul was shattered to pieces. All that she had ever wanted from Leo had been to regard their relationship with sincerity. But now, she wasn't sure if he had ever really loved her as deeply and sincerely as her, she wasn't even sure if he had ever loved her at all.

Sighing in resignation, she walked downstairs towards the hall where her parents were seated. Lance Greyson was completely engrossed in the newspaper while Emily was in the kitchen.

"Morning sweetie," she called.

"Hey mom," Hazel said walking into the kitchen. Walking around the kitchen counter she hugged her mother.

She silently studied her daughter's face before saying
"Something is bothering you, isn't it?"

"It's nothing much mom," Hazel lied.

"Hazel dear, why don't you drop your plans of going to Vegas? I'll be all lonely here and you worry us a lot" she pleaded

"Mom we've already talked this through!" Hazel hissed in a mixed state of anger and frustration.

"Hazel, " her father called. The pointed edge in his tone was unignorable.

"I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean to be rude, it's just that I think that going to a new place would distract me from my worries since I'll have a lot on my plate to get depressed over small things "

Her mother opened her mouth to speak but pursed her lips the next instant. Nodding silently, she handed Hazel a plate of fried eggs and chicken.

" James will be back in six months," Lance said just as she appeared in the hallway.

" Really?" Hazel asked. " But how? "

" Well, they successfully proved that he murdered that girl under the influence of drugs and he is not old enough to be sentenced. So, they're sending him to Juvenile prison for six months. Then they will groom him for about four further months before releasing him" Lance explained.

Hazel nodded her head. She was happy that her brother was coming back. Even after what happened, she still loved him a lot. How could she possibly hate him?

****************

It was dark.

The street was empty.