Leo woke up and inhaled with his eyes closed – he smelled lavender. He tried to open his eyes but the intense headache made him close them again – tightly. He groaned and covered his eyes with his hand and rolled over on the bed only to fall on the floor. He opened his eyes and looked around to see that he was not sleeping on the bed – but on the couch. He rubbed his eyes and looked around – trying to figure out what happened. He recalled drinking at a bar and then coming back to the hotel to find Elizabeth waiting for him. His eyes shot open – Elizabeth. She was here. He stood on his feet and looked around to find her but she wasn't there – only her sweet scent of perfume was present in the room which meant that she didn't leave long ago. "What the hell happened last night?" Leo mumbled to himself. He remembered kissing her but that is all – he doesn't remember what happened next.
He looked down at his shirt – the top three buttons of his shirt were opened but other than that he was fully dressed. He cursed under his breath and rubbed his face – he hopes he didn't embarrass himself last night. He had a little too much to drink and usually when he drinks that much – he loses control a little bit. He hoped and prayed that he had simply passed out. He thought about calling Elizabeth to make sure that she was alright but first he needed to take a painkiller – the ache in his head wanted to make him hit his head to the wall. He took a bottle of water from the mini-refrigerator and took a pill from his small bag in which he brought his belongings to stay in New York for two days. He gulped down the pill into his system with the water when his own voice rang into his head, "Please don't go, Lizzy – I want you in my life. Please – stay. I am never letting you go. Never – ever – come with me to Chicago – we can start anew. Please." He recalled saying to Elizabeth while hugging her from the back. His eyes widened, "Fuck," he whispered as he felt as if all the blood drained from his face.
Elizabeth didn't sleep all night and now she was drinking cup after cup of coffee – her head was throbbing due to lack of sleep – she was already grumpy because of the lack of sleep and in addition to that Maria was breathing down her neck – looking at Elizabeth with a smirk on her face. Elizabeth sighed and looked at her, "What is it?" She asked Maria – who chuckled in return. Maria smirked again before she took her empty plate in her hand and stood with her crutches by her sides, "Don't be so grumpy to me – I wasn't the one that didn't let you sleep all night," She teased her to which Elizabeth jerked her head towards Maria – who walked to the kitchen. She gasped, "Hey, nothing happened!" She tried to defend herself. Maria stopped and turned around with a grin on her face, "When did I say that something happened?" She shrugged. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes before she rolled them, "Yeah – whatever," she mumbled and looked down at her coffee mug. She didn't expect her to behave in such a manner when she was sober. Her cheeks warmed up when she thought about the wicked thoughts she had in her head last night for Leo and how it all turned out – so different. Last night was an eye-opener for Elizabeth. She realized that Leo knew her more than she thought anyone could know her. It scared her to know that he could read her as he did.
Leo went to get the breakfast – his hotel had a breakfast buffet so after he showered and felt a little better he went down to eat something. He grabbed a plate and was about to head towards the buffet when he saw Jennifer – sitting alone – eating her breakfast. Leo sighed – he felt guilty. She was here with him and she has never been to New York before – he shouldn't have left her alone especially after what happened yesterday – he should have talked to her. So, after he placed scrambled eggs, a toast, and a few fruits on his plate and got a cup of hot black coffee – he headed towards her. Jennifer was slowly chewing the morsel when she felt as she was being approached by someone – she lifted her head to look who it was and stopped chewing. Her eyes were on Leo as he pulled a chair in front of her and put his own plate full of breakfast and coffee on her table before he sat right in front of her.
Jennifer didn't know what to say to him – she honestly didn't think that he will even talk to her after what they discovered yesterday. Jennifer smashed her lips together and looked down at her plate – she didn't want to eat anymore so she was about to get on her feet when Leo looked at her and spoke, "Wait," Jennifer looked at him as he continued, "Can we please talk?" He asked. Jennifer sighed – she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him about everything. She came here with him for work purpose – who would have thought that things will turn so ugly in a night for her. She shook her head, "I don't think I want to talk now," she replied. "I just need to be alone – I will come to you when I will feel better – for now – just forget about it." She answered him before she pushed her chair back and walked away from him.
Elizabeth closed her eyes as she rested her head on the cold glass of the car's window. She was Maria was being taken to the hospital to see Charlie – she wasn't in the mood to drive so Maria's driver was taking him, but unfortunately, the weather has gone bad and caused an accident that had blocked the road and hence – they were stuck. Maria blew her cheek out, "I hate this," she mumbled while Elizabeth was looking out of the frosty window. Last night rewinds in her mind. She closed her eyes and pictured everything that happened last night in the hotel room.
Elizabeth kissed Leo back – she never thought she would do that but she did. Elizabeth doesn't know what it was about this man – even when the thought of being with him felt weird – she couldn't stop herself from kissing him. They both slowly pulled apart from each other but they kept their forehead on each other's while their breaths were labored. They both had their eyes closed – none of them dared to open them – there was still tension in the air but also they didn't want to. Elizabeth knew why Leo didn't want to she didn't want to either. After almost a minute – Elizabeth dared to open her eyes. She looked at Leo's face and his eyes were still closed. He was holding her face in his hand – gently letting his warm skin burn her cold one while Elizabeth had her hands resting on his waist – clenching to his shirt. Elizabeth licked her lip – they were still moist from the kiss. She sighed and slowly back away – her movement made Leo opened his eyes and the warm feeling of his hands was gone once he slowly withdrew his hands off her and she did too. All of the sudden – the affection was gone and now she was embarrassed.
"You are going to walk out of here now, aren't you?" Leo asked. Elizabeth lifted her gaze to look at him and sighed before she slowly shook her head, "No," she replied. Leo didn't expect that reply from her. He brought his eyebrows together and asked, "You won't?" his voice held so much vulnerability that it made Elizabeth feel a little guilty. She never thought of it as her fault that she doesn't remember being with him but it did ache a little when he asked in such a manner. Elizabeth exhaled, "I am tired of running away." She replied. "All that I remember about myself is – I always run away from all my problems and troubles and it had got me nothing but pain and suffering," She added. Elizabeth smiled, "Do you know I never liked you before? I always thought of you as an unforgiving uptight man who was sucking the colors out of the world." She told him. Leo chuckled and nodded, "Everything thinks of me the same," he replied and looked behind Elizabeth's shoulder before he sighed and walked past her.
Elizabeth turned around to see that he was sitting on the floor by the window – looking out into the night. Elizabeth stood still for a couple of seconds before she decided to join him. She sat down beside him and looked up at the sky – it was a clear night. She could see the stars shining up in the sky. She had her hands wrapped around her knees while she brought her knees closer to her chest. They both were completely silent before she looked at Leo to see him still looking out of the window – with no particular expression on his face. She kept looking at her for a while before she smiled softly, "When I was told about us after I woke up in the hospital – my mind wasn't accepting it at all. It was all so unreal for me." She told him. Leo looked down at his feet – he didn't dare to look into her eyes. "Not because I didn't like you – but because I remembered you hating me and my family so, thinking about you and I in love – it was something I couldn't understand. Even my mind couldn't make up a story that I would accept." She told him. Leo was drunk by yet he knew that he shouldn't say anything and listen to her.
Elizabeth was once again silent – she kept looking up at the dark sky. When she was little – her mother told her that the people who die become stars – of course, it was just a made-up story but still – she wondered if her mother ever got a chance to be a star after everything she did to her family. Elizabeth sighed and smashed her lips together, "Tell me, Leo, were you happy when my mother passed?" Her question took Leo by surprise – he never thought she would ask him something like that. "What? No," he replied immediately. Elizabeth didn't look at him immediately but after a snigger – she slowly turned to look at him. "Why?" she whispered. Her eyes glossed, "She was an evil person – you should have been happy about it," she said.
Leo narrowed his eyes, "I am not a person who gets happy on deaths – not even if I hated them. And we shouldn't talk ill about her – she is gone." Leo replied to her. Elizabeth had her eyes out on the sky – she chuckled, "Yes, thank God she is. I am happy that she is not here anymore." Her voice choked when she said that. Leo turned his head to look at her and sighed – he knows what she is trying to do. Leo's eyes soften, "No, you are not." He said. Elizabeth turned her head to look at him. She had her eyebrows knitted together, "You are trying to show everyone that her death doesn't bother you, but it bothers you the most," He told her. "And there is nothing wrong about that."
Elizabeth clenched her jaws together before she averted her gaze away from her – it felt as if Leo could read her and it was scaring her. She sniffled, "How can you say that?" She said. "Didn't you hear that I didn't even cry at her passing? Her death didn't bother me." She added. Leo smiled softly, "No, I didn't hear them talking about it but I saw you when you came here to New York. I saw the pain and emptiness in your eyes. I saw how much her absence was bothering you. I saw the pain and suffering that you were going through." He said. Elizabeth was surprised that Leo noticed her in such detail. She turned to look at him, "People – they see what you want them to see. You wanted to act as if her death didn't bother you because you were afraid that others might think less of you for crying for the person who was so evil to Maria and Marcus but they didn't care about the fact that she was your mother as well. In my life, I have always seen people trying to make others see what they are seeing. They saw your mother as a person who broke off marriage for her reasons but they failed to see the mother that you knew. We are no one to judge you for showing for emotions at your mother's death nor did you should have cared." He said.
Elizabeth was stunned. She couldn't say anything – she never thought that Leo was so observant about her. Her eyes watered as he got closer to her and held her hand in his. He glanced at their intertwined fingers before he looked back into her eyes, "It is okay to cry, Elizabeth. It is okay to show your emotions. It is okay to be sad about your mother's death." Leo said softly. Elizabeth's lower lips wobbled as she listened to him. Leo let go of her hands and cupped her face in his hands. With his thumb, Leo softly brushed her skin while she couldn't look away from him – her heart was breaking in her chest. No one had consoled her – knew her – as he did. "Lizzy, she is gone. She is never coming back and you have every right to cry. Just let go of these emotions – just be a human." Leo whispered.
A fat tear fell from her eye. His words hit home – he was absolutely right. No matter how much Elizabeth says that she doesn't care – her mother's death has left her empty. More tears started to fall from her eyes, "I miss her," Elizabeth choked. Leo nodded his head, "I know you do," he stated softly. His thumbs wiped the tears off her cheeks, "It is okay," Leo whispered. Elizabeth closed her eyes and let out a sob, "She shouldn't have done that. I feel like she killed herself because we made her." Elizabeth hiccupped and continued, "She was horrible – I know – but," Elizabeth couldn't complete her sentence and broke into sobs. She rested her head on Leo's shoulder. Leo sighed, "But she was your mother." He completed her sentence and let Elizabeth cry on his shoulder.
Leo's head was throbbing and he was thirsty but he didn't move at all and let Elizabeth cry on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and lightly rubbed her arm. "It is okay, Elizabeth." He mumbled and kissed her head – such affection made her cry even more. She has been trying to keep in her emotions but in front of Leo – she felt like she could be free. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Leo didn't hesitate – he placed his one hand on her head and the other one on her waist and let her cry as much as she wanted to. She was completely vulnerable around him and he was three for her. She doesn't know if it was love or what but since the last night – Elizabeth feels a pull towards Leo – maybe this is how she felt before she lost all his memories.