Don't Remind Me (Book 2)

-14-

G: I get it. Just let me know if you need anything.

L: thanks, again. can you just let katelyn know what's going on?

G: OFC.

Cadenza knocked on my opened door. "Hey!"

I put my phone down. "Hey, what's up?"

"If you don't have anything specific that you want to do, can you help me with a design that I'm working on?"

"Of course! What's the design?"

"A new dress. I just need to go collect the eggs first."

I quickly clipped my hair up in a claw clip. "Nice. I'll come with you." I said hi to Mrs. Zvahl as we walked out the door. The chicken coop wasn't too far from the house. I saw it when I walked out of the house, but my eyes went to something else first. Mr. Zvahl was talking to Laurance as he handled some hay. His tanned muscles bulged even from here. I couldn't seem to pull my eyes from him, which made my heart pound in my ears. Cadenza pulled be back into my senses. 

"Leona?" She gave my a mischievous, knowing look. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Nothing. No one." I stared forward at the coop.

"You know, he's still in love with you."

"He is not."

"He is." She linked her arm in mine. "You know he hasn't dated anyone since you, right?"

"I know. He told me about it on the ride here."

"So?" She drew the o.

"So what?"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm doing nothing."

She stopped me at the door of the chicken house. "Come on, why?"

"Because it's a bad idea."

She furled her eyebrows and gave me a confused smile. "Why would you say that? You two were great together."

"Yeah, were. Besides, there was more to our relationship than everyone else saw." I tried to go past her, but she stopped me.

"What do you mean?"

"Cadenza, you know I don't like to live in the past, and I've been doing that way too much recently."

"Just explain what you mean and I'll drop it, okay?" I gave her a doubtful look. "I swear it."

I sighed in defeat. "Look, all you need to know is that I messed up in an unforgivable way. I can't hurt him again, and I can't let myself get hurt again. Me and Laurance are over. Okay? End of discussion."

She gave me a sad look, but nodded.

-

Laurance's POV

I started walking to the house, putting on my tank top as I went. I forgot how hard field work was, but I wouldn't give up the feeling that it gives you for anything. It allowed me clear my mind and release some of the anxieties that had been plaguing me for the past few weeks. When I got in the house, Kelly smiled at me. "Hey, Laurance! Want some water or something?"

"Thanks, but I can get it. Do you need to sit down?"

"No, I've been resting enough for a lifetime. Besides, I thought I'd make dinner tonight." She took out some chicken from the fridge. "When you're done cooling off, would you mind asking your sister and her friend about their plans tonight?"

"Of course. Thanks, Kelly."

I finished my glass of water and bag of chips. After I put them away, I started up to Cadenza's room. I knocked and headed in. "Hey 'Denza, wha-" I looked in and saw Leona up on Cadenza's tailoring platform. She was wearing a sage floor length dress that had a high slit up to the bottom of her hip. The top of it was tied in a way that gave her a low neckline that wrapped around her body and was directly attached to the skirt. I was speechless. Seeing her in that dress was absolutely distracting.

"What do you want, Laur?"

"Oh, well... um." Leona finally looked at me, her green eyes making my head even more clouded. I shook off her effect and cleared my throat. "Kelly was j-just asking about y'all's plans. Tonight. She's making dinner."

"Yeah, we'll be here." She walked closer to leona, pinning something on the dress. "Before you go, what do you think?"

"S-she looks... good. Really good." Leona's face turned a subtle shade of pink and she turned her face away.

"Well, that's nice, but the dress. What do you think of the design?"

I felt my face get hot. "O-oh. Yeah." Leona looked back at me and our eyes met. "It's your best one yet." With a jolt of fake confidence, I tapped the doorframe on the way out the door.

Leona's POV

When he left, I stared straight ahead. "Leo-"

"Don't say anything."

"But-"

"You said that the issue would be dropped."

She didn't say anything after that.

Thanks for reading!