𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐟 (unfinished)

1 . 4

A boy from the other team helped Levi get back on his feet and for the first time in what felt like forever, mine and Levi's eyes collide. They looked at me longingly and instantly the events of our almost-three-month relationship rushed back to me. The words he used to wreck my young heart two weeks ago. I hated that he was right about liking Lanny. It wasn't like I had serious feelings, but he always found a way to keep me in his orbit and he was constantly in my gravitational pull.

But we could never be together, Lanny and I. Not with so many odds were against us. He would be going to university in a couple of months, and I still wasn't unsure if I even liked him to begin with or if I just found him attractive. And even if I liked him, I didn't know how he felt.

Isabelle's little hand tugged at my dress and that broke my eye contact away from Levi. I couldn't believe that he was ruining his chances to go to England because of me. "I need to pee!" Isabelle cried as she got to her feet and pulled me up.

I grabbed her hand and we walked back into the school. She was telling me all about how she's a dancer when I feel like we're being followed. The night was young; the full moon lit up the landscape and the stars in the sky hid from the city lights. But generally, it was quite dark around us and the footsteps crept closer. I pivoted around, hiding Isabelle behind me. She hadn't noticed my change of mood as she was still showing me her best pirouette. Such an adorable child. When she finally spotted the figure, Isabelle revealed, "Oh, that's just Lanny! Don't worry, he won't hurt you.”

And she was right; it was him. Lanny's  face became more visible the closer he got. He had his hands in his jeans. He stood so close that he blocked me from the moonlight. "You guys can keep going. I'm just coming to make sure you're safe. It's dark out here and anyone could be following you." he explained.

“Just like you're doing right now,” I retorted but he didn't respond. He lit a cigarette and blew the smoke away from us. I shook my head at him and found the the nearest bathroom.  Isabelle rushed into the first stall and did her business without closing the door. I turned away to give her her privacy.

"Do you want to play hide and seek?"

I pivoted at the sound of Isabelle's little voice. I told her no and it was late. She got out of the stall after flushing the toilet. She washed her hands and told me, "Lanny used to hide me under his bed from daddy and sometimes in the closet with the towels. I used to win, because daddy always found him and mommy!"

“Didn't Lanny hide?" I frowned.

She shook her head and her response was blunt, "No, cause he didn't want daddy to find me and mommy."

I grew more and more concerned. I didn't know how to word my next words but I asked her, "Sweetie, has your daddy ever hurt you?"

She shook her head, "Only Mommy and sometimes Lanny. But he makes mistakes. Mommy said so."

Leland stepped into the room and chimed in before I could say anything else. "Could you two please hurry up? Belle, I've got to take you back home before nine o'clock."

I looked at the time on my phone and it read as 19:58. “You're not allowed in here.” I scolded him.

“Not during school hours,” he retorted. “It's not school hours.”

Isabelle and I walked out of the bathroom, and he tailed us. I asked, "Can't she stay a little bit? It's not that late.”

"It takes a forty-minute drive to my mom's and she's got dance practice tomorrow, and a curfew." Leland looked at Isabelle and held his hand out for her, "Now, say goodbye to Drea, sweetheart."

"But I want to stay with Drea!" She looked like she was about to cry. “I like her!”

I knew I had to find a way to make her feel better again. So I whispered, "I'll visit you some time, okay? And we'll watch your favorite movie, okay?"

She nodded and a small smile finally made its way on her face. I wiped her pretty doe eyes and kissed her cheek. She stated, "My favorite movie is Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar."

I smiled kindly at her and she hugged me before grabbing Leland's hand. He looked down at her and in a stern voice he said, "Non dire a nessuno di papà. (Don't tell anyone about dad.)”

Belle looked at him guiltily; her head bent low and her body slowly swaying left to right, with her hands behind her. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Leland kisses the top of Belle's head and promises to buy her ice-cream on their way home. "But don't you dare tell Mama or she'll kill me."

Isabelle seemed sold on the idea of getting ice cream then she turned around and questioned, "Can't Drea come too?"

I looked up at Leland whose eyes were putting me in a trance. He opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to it. "No, sweetheart, you should get going. I promise I'll see you again some other time."

"Just us and no boys. We can watch Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar on the big TV!" she stuck out her pinky and I interlocked mine with hers.

"I pinky promise."

Isabelle hugged me and confessed, "I like you. You're pretty and you make Lanny smile. He doesn't normally smile a lot."

My heart felt like it was exploding in its ribcage at her words. I walked them to the parking lot which was surprisingly not empty. Once we got to the car (it must've been Leland's mother's because it wasn't the g-wagon he normally drove), Isabelle ran into the back seat and Leland closed the door. He looked at me and his lips - the same gentle lips I'd kissed moments ago - parted like he wanted to say something.

I expected he'd say he wanted to finish what we had started on the bleachers. Or a goodbye kiss. Maybe he'd ask me to go with them so we didn't have to be here any longer. Anything, but "I'll see you around, Tulip?"

I couldn't hide the my disappointment that he didn't kiss me. "Sure, whatever, I'll see you around, Leland."