Elizabeth Harrison's Hope For A Better Tomorrow

77: Breakfast And Kisses.

Leo chuckled and pointed at the sky – slowly coming into color, "This is when I usually get up," He replied. Elizabeth's eyes widened, "Are you crazy?!" she asked. Leo laughed to which Elizabeth shook her head, "That's ridiculous – why would you get up so early?" She asked him. Leo smiled and held her hand. He pulled her to him and made her sit between his legs while she placed her head on his bare chest. Leo wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on her head and sighed, "Well, I usually workout, then take a shower, then make breakfast, and then finally go to work," He replied. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, "Wow, if I were you – I would have been tired before I go to work," She replied to which Leo laughed. "I am used to this. When I was deployed – since then it has been my routine," He added.

Elizabeth bit her lower lip before she looked up at Leo, "Leo," she softly called out his name. He softly hummed in return – Elizabeth loved the way his chest vibrated, "Talk to me," She said. Leo knitted his eyebrows together, "What do you mean by that?" He asked. She heaved a sigh, "I feel like you know everything about me but I don't – or maybe I just don't remember but can you please tell me everything again – what am I missing on?" She asked. Leo's smiled slightly faded, "I did tell you everything about myself before – I didn't hide anything. I even gave away the darkest secrets of my life," he uttered. Elizabeth downcast her eyes and looked away with sorrow filled in her chest, "And yet I didn't remember them," she mumbled.

Leo tightened his hold around her and placed a kiss on her ear. He could see that Elizabeth was getting upset and he didn't want to spend the last few hours with her before she leaves in any sort of gloominess, "All right, how about this? You ask me anything you want to know about and I will answer truthfully and honestly to you," He suggested. Elizabeth looked at Leo's finger intertwined with hers, "I don't want you to talk about something that troubles you," She replied. Leo chuckled, "Nothing bothers me when you are around," He replied lovingly. His statement brought a sweet smile to her face. She sighed and smashed her lips together, "Okay, then tell me about your nightmare – why were you so scared?" She asked slowly. She wasn't sure if she started with the right question but the curiosity got the best of her.

Leo didn't say anything immediately – he didn't stiff and got weird about it but he did feel a little uncomfortable and Elizabeth could feel it. She thought about changing her question when he finally decided to speak, "It – it was about the night you were attacked," He slowly gave her the truth. This time Elizabeth went still and then she slowly realized that it was the reason why he was so concerned about her. She gulped the lump in her throat – it has been a while but she never talked about the attack with anyone yet – maybe it was time to know a complete truth. "Leo, tell me about that night," She asked. "No, I am not going to do that – I can't," He shook his head. Elizabeth exhaled and pulled away from him before she sat – facing him. Leo's eyes glossed with tears and that clenched her heart. "Leo, I know it is hard for you but you are the only person who can tell me what happened and what led Mia to attack me? What did I do?" She asked.

Leo's nostrils flared as he gulped and looked away before he looked back at her, "Because you made me fall in love with you," he replied. There was absolute silence between the two of them before Elizabeth finally broke it, "You know," she started while looking down at her fingers, "Whenever someone sees me and tries to mention the incident – all they say except for that they are sorry is that 'they can't imagine what I had to go through to get over that night'," she told him. "But I always wonder that why would it be hard for me to get over something I don't even remember," She added and looked at Leo, "Where else you, Leo – you had to go through everything. You were attacked as well. While I know that no one ever said it to you but I really can't imagine the trauma you had to go through and I know that you blame yourself for it and I honestly want you to know that it wasn't your mistake – you didn't do it. And I love you – I love you and I so madly respect you for dealing with everything and for not let me go," She spoke truthfully with fat tears dropping off her eye. Leo couldn't say anything without breaking down so he leaned in and embraced her in a hug. Her words deeply touched him.

Leo and Elizabeth talked for the rest of the time they had. She asked everything except for the night it happened and Leo truthfully answered her everything. Elizabeth came to know about Leo's friend and Mia's husband and how one time Mia cheated on him with Leo – Elizabeth was surprised to find it out. She doesn't remember it from the first time he told her that. He filled her up with all the other details – how they met and how he started to fall in love with her. She was enjoying the conversation when Leo realized that if he doesn't get going – he will be late for work. So, he went in to shower while Elizabeth – still in Leo's shirt went out of the room. She decided to make him breakfast. She knows that she is a terrible cook but this is the least she could do and how hard would it be? She decided to make something simple for him – maybe a toast and butter with cereal.

While Leo was in the shower, Elizabeth worked in the kitchen – she switched on the coffee maker while she places the bread slices in the toaster and went to take the butter out of the fridge – she felt embarrassed by looking into his fridge – it was so well organized and clean – maybe she needs to learn to be organized – this puts her in shame. Elizabeth can be extremely messy and she needs to change her way and maybe learn how to cook as well – she will have to do it once she comes to Chicago permanently. She took the butter out of the fridge and smiled at what she did. She knows that putting bread slices in the toaster, making coffee, and taking a tub of butter out of the fridge doesn't count as cooking but knowing herself – she could have messed it up as well. She bit her lip and thought about taking it to another step – maybe she can cook eggs as well – how hard can it be to fry them. With determination – she took eggs out of the fridge and switch on the stove. She was going to prepare eggs for him as well.

Leo came out of the room with a towel hanging low to this waist while with another towel he dried his hair. He brought his eyebrows together as he smells the strong smell of coffee and heard the sizzles of an egg being fried. He walked out of the room to see Elizabeth cooking in the kitchen. He chuckled as he saw her shielding herself with a pot cover while she tries to fry the eggs. Elizabeth heard him and turned around to look at him and then she forgot about everything. She forgot that the coffee was ready, bread was nicely toasted and the eggs were completely cooked to the point that the yolk was getting harder – but she didn't care – all she could see was Leo and that ridiculously low towel around his waist. She gulped, "If that towel falls – I will not be responsible for my behavior," she lifts her hands in surrender.

Leo couldn't help but laugh, "Don't worry – it will not fall," he winked. He walked into the kitchen. Elizabeth knitted her eyebrows together, "Umm, excuse me – no, you are not going to come in with just that towel on. I already suck at cooking – I don't need any more distractions," she pointed out. Leo grinned and halted a couple of feet away from her. He folded his arm over his chest, "I am a distraction to you?" He asked. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Shut up and go change – I don't want to mess up anything – for the first time in forever things are going right for me in the kitchen," She replies. Leo chuckled and quickly kissed her on the cheek, "Maybe, I am just lucky for you," he said before he turns around and walked into his room. Elizabeth blew her cheeks out – with him gone she can concentrate on her eggs.

Leo smiled as he walked out to a table with breakfast displayed on it. He wrapped his arm around Elizabeth – whose back was facing him and softly placed a kiss on her neck, "Thank you," he spoke softly. "It has been a while since someone made breakfast for me. Usually, I have to do everything – it feels nice to not do that once in a while," he chuckled and placed another kiss on her cheek. Elizabeth smiled – she was glad that he felt that way. "I love you," he said and pulled a chair for Elizabeth. Once she was seated – he sat in front of her. Elizabeth looked proud with her work and she should be – nothing was burned and everything smelled nice. "Here, I made you some eggs," she passed him the plate. "Why aren't there any for you?" He asked. She wrinkled her nose, "I was in no mood for egg this morning," she replied and put toast and apple on her plate. Leo looked down at the egg – the yolks were completely cooked – something Leo cannot stand. He can hate chewy and hard egg yolk but he was not going to say a word to her about it, instead, he was going to eat it. So, he cut in and placed a fork full in her mouth – the smile that was on her face as he ate the breakfast she made for him made him forget his hatred for hard-cooked egg yolks – he grinned, "This is perfection," he said – causing her to break into a grin – he loved it.