Stealing The Bad Boy's Heart

Chapter 54- Princess Bianca's Royal Tea Party

Leo ran his hands to his curly hair clearly troubled and frustrated.

"I didn't delete it. I should have deleted it." Leo's voice was filled with sadness. "But then again..." He shook his head.

It was as if he had forgotten I was there.

"I deleted the app from his phone but downloaded it on mine and logged in through Chris's account only. At that time... I wasn't in a good place. Sheer loneliness I guess... it was consuming me. I had you guys but... I just... you know... wanted someone. It was the time when my parents.." Leo choked. He wasn't facing me.

I knew Leo. I knew it was a big deal for him. A really big deal. I have never seen him so upset and vulnerable.

"I saw the girl's reply. We had had Chris send something really weird to that girl and she had instantly guessed that it was a prank. Somehow. She seemed nice and smart. She had laughed it off. I thought... I thought why not continue talking to her? She seemed like a genuine person. I know that the Internet is a shitty place and all and I didn't tell her everything about me at once."

He sighed.

"I made sure she was who she said she was. A real person. A person at Islesbury High. A girl." Leo laughed darkly. "We talked everyday. Every single day. We talked so much. She told me everything about her... everything... her likes, dislikes, dreams, fears... everything. I told her everything. Everything about me."

He paused and put his head in his hands. "I fell in love."

My eyebrows flew up.

This was Leo. Leo was a player and a charmer. He was not a lover. Never.

"She seemed so wonderful. So full of life. She would cheer me up when I was sad... make me feel better when I was bummed out about Courtney and Mom and Dad... she would make me laugh... literally. She was sweet and kind and funny and just beautiful. I never got to see her face but I knew she was beautiful. Her personality was so beautiful I didn't care what she looked like."

"Sometimes I would pretend I was Chris. Maybe I was paranoid that someone would figure out who I was... or maybe because I was too scared she would figure out who I was and not like me. So I mixed up mine and Chris's stories a bit. I talked about how I liked a girl and almost loved her and she liked this other guy..."

My eyes widened a fraction. He was talking about Dory. But he wasn't in a stable state of mind. He had forgotten I was here. I didn't want to probe him.

"I told her all about this love triangle and she sympathised with me. She wold comfort me. She thought that I was in love with that girl... when it was her I had been in love with all along." The pain evident in his eyes.

"It was a terrible feeling... hiding my feelings for her. So many times I would try to convince myself to meet her. But I would chicken out... I thought she wouldn't like me when she saw who I really was. She wouldn't love me back. There would be nights when I couldn't sleep... classes I couldn't concentrate in... days I would be depressed.. all because I was afraid, afraid of heartbreak."

He gripped his hair. He was getting more and more frustrated.

"I finally gathered up the courage to meet her. Tonight. I met her at Oak Park. I was so nervous that I couldn't even drive properly. I was so scared... yet so excited. I could finally see her! I could finally meet her! But..." The happiness in his voice faded. "I never guessed who she was. Never."

Hurt. It was pure pain and hurt in his voice now.

"It was Celeste. It was f*cking Celeste O'Connor. How did I not see it? How did I not guess that it was her all along."