Crisis Of Desire

< LVI >

Cataleya Valentina Velez:

'Are we almost there?' I ask softly. Neveah fell asleep a few hours ago and I really don't want to wake her up. 'We have two more hours to go.' Leon sighs, looking at me for a second. 

We switched seats, just like Neveah said we would. 

She said that I could sit in the back with her, but I felt kind of bad for Leon, so I got into the front seat. 

'You can go to sleep, I'll wake you up when we get there.' He smiles, before turning back to the road ahead. 

The scenery around us is making me more and more tired, and I should catch up on some sleep since I haven't slept since last night, but I can't. 

I can't sleep. Cause when I tried to sleep last night, I started having a panic attack in my room. 

All because I murdered someone. I took someone's life. 

'I'll be fine.' I say, looking at the peacefully sleeping Neveah. She fell asleep muttering some harsh words to Leon, and he hasn't said a single word since. 

I actually need Neveah to wake up. I need her to wake up and Leon to disappear for a few hours. That way I can tell her about what happened. Because I need to talk to someone about what happened. 

And it's not going to be Leon. 

'Little one, can I ask you something?' Little one... He's been calling me that ever since we met. Little one. 

'Sure.' As long as it doesn't involve Rio. I want to add, but I swallow my words when I look at him. 

He does not want to talk about Rio with me. I can tell by the pained look on his face. He wants to talk about Neveah, about the problem they're having right now. Or something like that. 

'Did you really mean what you said back there?' He asks, trying to keep his voice down. 'What part?' 

He glances at the rearview mirror, trying to see if Neveah is still asleep so she won't hear our little conversation. 'Do you really forgive me for what I did?' 

'I think so.' I answer honestly. 

Leonardo hasn't done anything wrong ever since. He treated me like a princess and made sure I knew his apology was sincere every day. 

So I think I forgave him. I don't feel like I really had a choice. Neveah loved him and he was the cousin of... He's related to Rio. They're basically keeping us with them, so I was bound to forgive him at some point. 

'Why?' He asks, seriously wanting to know. 'Because I know you thought there was no other option. And because I know you did it out of love.' 

I take a deep breath, feeling my heart break at the word love. Is this what Rio felt? 

'It was very obsessive, but you did it because you care for her. And she's happy with you, she loves' Pain again. 'you with all she has. So I guess I don't have the right to be angry with you if you make my best friend the happiest person on earth, right?' 

He takes in what I just said, absorbs every word, before nodding slowly. 'I do love her.' 

I chuckle softly and look at him for another second, 'I know,' before slowly turning to the window on my right, 'which is why I don't understand what's going on right now. Why are you hurting her?' 

He sighs deeply and grips onto the wheel a little tighter. 

'Because it's not safe. I want her to survive, I want her to live.' Because he cares...