This Thing Called Love: A Novella ✔️

Twenty-Two - Leo

I don't even know what to pack because I have no idea how long I'll be gone.

I'm not going to lie, this transfer is happening quicker than I expected. The moment I mentioned it, the wheels of change were put into motion. I haven't even told my parents yet. Or Molly. And now I'm running out of time and it will probably have to wait until after I get to Denver. Then I'll call and let everyone know what's going on.

My suitcase is on my bed. I throw in what I think will get me through the next few days, but I don't have the mental capacity to plan beyond that. My head swirls—not only with the things I still need to do, but with the fact that seeing Molly last night may have been my last time for a while. Perhaps, a long while. I just hope she understands.

I fling open my closet door to search for a carry-on when the phone rings from my bed.

Shit. I don't have time to answer it, the minutes are ticking by faster than I'd prefer, but when I glance at the screen, my resolve flies out the window.

I take a quick breath and hit accept, my fingers combing through my mess of hair. "Hey, Molly. How are you feeling?"

She doesn't mince words. "You're moving to Denver?"

I stop what I'm doing. "You spoke to Val?"

"What gave it away?" And then a sad laugh echoes in my ear. "Were you even going to tell me?"

Oh, man. This is the exact situation I wanted to avoid. "Molly, I tried. That's why I stopped by your house last night. But you weren't, exactly, in a conversational mood." I pause. "Are you still feeling sick?"

She's quiet on the other end. And then, "Thank you for taking care of me. Yesterday was...not good."

"So, I gathered. But at least Val's doing well, and now you two can go back to being a happy couple." That last part comes out sharper than I intend. I don't mean to guilt trip her because he's awake.

I'm such an idiot.

"Leo... There's something I need to tell you."

The urgency in her voice makes my heart pound in my ears. "Is Val okay?"

"He's fine," she says. "It's nothing like that. Is it okay if I come over?"

Glancing at the time, there's no way that's going to happen. "I'm sorry, I have to finish packing. I need to leave for the airport soon. Can it wait?"

"No, it can't." Her breath shakes in my ear. "I'm sorry to do this over the phone. Hell—I'm sorry I have to do it at all." She hesitates before continuing. "Valentino and I aren't engaged. We never were. It was just something I told the paramedics so I could ride with him to the hospital. I didn't mean to take it as far as I have, but when the entire family found out, it was impossible to take back. And then one thing lead to another, and before I knew it, the situation was out of my control." She says it all in one breath.

For a minute, I don't say anything. I can't say anything. Because this is unreal. There's a buzzing in my head as I sink onto the edge of the bed.

"Leo, are you there?"

Finally, I find my voice. "I'm here."

"Good, because I'm not done." Molly lets out another ragged sigh of air. "I couldn't live with myself any longer, so went to the hospital yesterday to come clean with your family. That's when Valentino woke up."

I nod at the phone. "And he confirmed the two of you are engaged. He even told me so when I saw him this morning."

"Leo—he wasn't being honest. But that part isn't for me to get into. All I can tell you is that we're not together. We never have been and we never will. And I know you're pressed for time and this is a lot to take in, but I'm just really hoping you can forgive me."

Forgive her? Molly lied. She lied. And for whatever reason, my cousin did, too. If I were to name my biggest pet peeve, it would be dishonesty.

A bitterness spreads across my tongue. "Why should I forgive you? You've been dishonest with me from the start. You've been dishonest with my whole family! Why are you coming forward now?"

When she answers, her voice shakes. "Because... Because I'm falling in love with you. And I'm hoping you might feel the same way."

My hand falls to the bed and my phone tumbles across the mattress.

What the hell is going on? Molly isn't engaged. She and Val aren't even together. Any other day, this would be the best news I could have asked for. But knowing that she lied—I just don't know what to do with it.

When I reach for my cell, Molly's crying on the other end. "Leo—can I come over? Please? Can we at least talk about this?"

A slow breath leaks from my nose. "I don't know what to say. There's too much going on. I can't process this right now."

"I know. I can't begin to imagine what you must think of me." She sniffles in my ear. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention. I care about you too much—that's why I needed to do this. I need to find a way to make it right. Is that even possible?"

My heart collapses in my chest. I shake my head. "No. I can't. Not right now."

"Leo..." She gasps. " I'm begging you. Please don't go to Denver."

I scrub a hand down my face as I listen to her plea. Molly wants to make this better. She wants to pretend like she never twisted the truth, and we can go on living our lives as if this never even happened. But I'm not sure if I can do that. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to do that.

"I need to go. I have a plane to catch."

🌴

Y'all please don't me mad at all these crazy updates—I feel like I'm losing my mind over here lol! When I finally come up for air, I hope my writing isn't too cringey. 😆

Warning: the next chapter is super condensed, I'm embarrassed to even post it. But if I'm figuring this out correctly, I think there's only one chapter to go after that. As you can see, I'm keeping them on the shorter end. Because TIME, people! I'm running out of it.

ONC feels a lot like how I imagine insanity must be.
Just kidding, I love you! 💕