So I won't hesitate
No more, no more.
It cannot wait,
I'm sure.
There's no need to complicate.
Our time is short.
This is our fate,
I'm yours.
~ Jason Mraz
Chapter twenty six. Memory Lane
"Do you think the baby will come out as a ninja turtle?" Johnny asked me, nonchalantly as he continued to watch the boring football game that was on.
"What?" I spluttered out, totally confused by Johnny's question.
"If the baby come out as a turtle, that'll be so f*cking awesome!"
He sounded like a little kid, who had just found out that a new toy car was coming out in a toy store.
"Er I guess..." I answered, totally unsure and baffled about the whole conversation.
Why the hell did Leo have to leave me with a nut case like Johnny for?!
I shifted my position on the couch and stared at him incredulously. For some reason my couch no longer felt comfortable and it was probably because of the pregnancy that I was feeling more uncomfortable, every day.
A few weeks had passed since April, Lia and I had started to plan April's wedding. We still had a ton of stuff left to plan but I was in no position to go through that type of stress all over again, especially with a bride to be like April.
April was a perfectionist, everything had to be right or she wouldn't be happy. In a way I felt sorry for Don because April was one of those girls that liked to have a schedule and everything planned out in her life. She probably even had baby names planned out, whereas I had no idea what Leo and I were going to call our unborn baby..
Everyday, Leo went to work, even on the weekends. Sometimes he would have the odd Saturday or Sunday off, but most of the time he was working.
Thankfully, I was never alone. April or Lia would usually come and keep me company, but mostly I had Johnny with me. Being around Johnny so much was interesting... since he mostly talked about random crap and made weird jokes that made me question his sanity.
I sighed heavily, for what seemed like the tenth time in the space of one hour, and shifted my position on the couch attempting to get comfortable.
"Stop moving so much Leah!" Johnny yelled out, he was seated on the other couch near me, and for some reason he looked perfectly comfortable.
"I cant help it," I groaned, my frustration getting the best of me.
Suddenly, Johhny paused the TV, and looked at me with pity.
"What's wrong Leah-"
"I'm not comfortable, my back is aching which makes no sense because I've still got three or four months left until the baby comes-"
I stopped talking, when Johnny stood up and walked over to me. He took my hand in his and pulled me off the sofa, gently.
I stood next to Johnny, awkwardly as he puffed up the cushions on the sofa. I watched as he rearranged each cushion, probably trying to make the couch more comfortable for me.
Johnny stopped rearranging the cushions and pulled something out of a gap in the couch.
It was a little box... a box that only one person in this house was familiar with. My eyes widened at the sight of the cigarette box.
"Does Leo smoke in the house?" Johnny asked me, with a raised eyebrow.
I didn't say anything.
"I may not know a lot of things Leah, but I'm sure he's not supposed to smoke around you, especially because you're pregnant," Johnny stated. His voice was firm and icy, it even scared me.
"Johnny maybe they just fell out of his pocket... that doesn't mean that he smokes in the house-"
"Leah really? I've seen an ash tray lying around, I'm not that stupid-"
"Wait what? You've seen an ash tray, Johnny who do you think cleans the house. I would know if Leo smokes in here because I would have seen an ash tray as well... just stop trying to cause a problem! I'm fine, the baby is fine and even if Leo does smoke in the house, I'm not in the same room!" I yelled, I didn't need Johnny stressing me out Leo's smoking habit.
I breathed in heavily and folded my arms across my chest. Johnny stared at me, with cold eyes.
"I'm only looking out for you Leah, don't forget you're carrying the heir to the Russo's family business, that child better be healthy-"
"Heir to the family business? Johnny what is wrong with you?"
I was so confused, Johnny wasn't making any sense. One minute he was being his dopey self, the next he was cold and harsh.
"Nothing," he said looking away from me.
I sat back down on the couch.
"I don't think you should come round anymore Johnny..." I said quietly, keeping my eyes on him.
"What, why Leah?"
He stared at me like I had grown another head.
"Because you're stressing me out and I feel like you still have hate for Leo and what he did to you... I'm sorry but I don't feel safe around you," I whispered honestly.
"You're being stupid Leah, but if it makes you feel better I'll leave," and with that, Johnny stormed off leaving me alone in the living room. I heard the front door slam shut, and I knew that I was well and truly alone with only Ash to keep me company.
A heavy sigh left my lips and I let my head fall into my hands. Why was life so damn hard?
I laid back on the couch and started to think about how Johnny overacted, I was extremely confused to how he could act like a dumb fifteen year old and then change to his mature age and start having a rant about Leo.
In a way Johnny was right, Leo shouldn't smoke in the house but the same time I never noticed that he did.
Ash came padding into the living room and hopped onto the couch. He settled on top of my feet, instantly making warm. His head laid on my legs, and he looked at me almost as if he could sense that I was upset.
"I'm okay buddy," I said quietly, giving him a smile as I reached over to pet him. Ash really was a good dog and I couldn't wait to see what he would be like when the baby arrived.
A few hours had passed and I had done nothing but lay on the couch and binge watch episodes of Pretty Little Liars. I hadn't even gotten up to make myself any food or even go to the toilet, I just simply wasn't bothered to move.
As for Ash he had sat with me for the whole four hours, occasionally he would go into the back garden and then come back or he would go to his dog bowls for food and water; he was more motivated than I was.
The front door opened and within a flash Ash was on his feet running to the front door. I paused the TV and listened closely. If Ash barked that would mean Leo was home, if he didn't bark it meant that someone else was here.... he always barked whenever the front door opened.
I smiled when I heard Ash's barking, I wasn't sure what the reason was but he still had a slight grudge against Leo, all I could think of was that Ash was jealous of Leo.
"Honey, I'm home!" Leo called.
Heaving myself off the couch, I pulled my sweater dress down and stretched. Sitting on the couch for a long time was definetly not a good idea, my joints and limbs were all stiff and my neck was starting to hurt a bit.
Before I could walk to the front door, Leo was already in the living room. He smiled brightly at me and engulfed me in his arms. The baby started kicking instantly as soon as Leo touched me. It was happy that it's daddy was home.
I couldn't take my eyes off him, I didn't see him this morning when he left since he left really early so I never got to appreciate how good he looked today. Typically, he was dressed in a black suit but his shirt was grey and his tie was black. His dress trousers hugged his long toned legs, I just couldn't stop staring at him.
his hair was combed back messily, and today he didn't use any gel but he didn't need it since his hair usually stayed the same all day. The few day's old stubble on his face made him look even more attractive, and dangerous.
"Hey my love," he whispered in my ear, before placing a kiss on my neck. I blushed a beet red and leaned up to press a small kiss on his lips, he eagerly returned the kiss, making my heart skip a beat. However, when I breathed in deeply the unmissable scent of tabacco hit my nose.
"Leo," I sighed his name, as I pulled away from him.
"What?" he frowned.
"You've been smoking," I stated bluntly, wrinkling my nose. I was disgusted with him, I just didn't like the smell of it. Leo wasn't disgusting for smoking, the smell it left was disgusting.
I watched him breathe in deeply and stare at me sharply.
"I cant quit Leah-"
"I'm not asking you to, I just want you to think about the baby. When it comes, will you be constantly smoking?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.
"It's not like I smoke in the house," he said, looking away from me and running a hand through his thick black hair.
I wanted to laugh at him sarcastically but I restrained myself from doing so.
"Oh really?"
I leaned over to the couch and grabbed the box of cigarettes that I had kept under a cushion on the couch.
"I found these tucked in the sofa. Now, this makes me think that you do smoke in the house and it's obviously true because you couldn't look at me in the eye when you said that you did," I was out of breath and soon as I said the last word, why did I have to talk so fast. Was it because I was worried how Leo would react or if this whole conversation was going to cause an argument.
Leo glared at me and I glared back, placing my hands on my hips.
"Don't you question me, Leanne. You have no idea how tough my life is, you wouldn't last a day if you were me-"
"Hold on a second, don't talk to me as if I am thirteen again! I'm your wife Leonardo, you have no idea what I've been through! You wouldn't last a day if you were in my head! Don't start something that will make me hate you, I am just telling you to think about my health, your health and our child's health. By all means smoke at work but don't you dare smoke in my house or have a cigarette before you walk through the bloody front door!" I exclaimed, my voice breaking as my anger was expressed. I breathed in heavily, placing a hand on my stomach, that was clearly viable that there was a baby in there.
Leo didn't say a word, he just stared at me darkly. Our marriage was like ice and fire, or sunshine and rain, I just couldn't wait for the day when it would be sunshine and rainbows.
I gave Leo one last look before walking into the kitchen to start dinner, Ash followed me hot on my heels and I knew that he didn't want to stay near Leo, personally I didn't either.
We were both annoyed with each other and we both needed to calm down before more fire could spread.
Wondering into the kitchen, my stomach growled and it was the case of if I didn't eat right now I would literally feel like I was going to starve.
I opened the fridge and saw that it was empty. When was the last time Leo and I had gone shopping?
I stamped my foot and glared at the random jar of pickles that was in the fridge. There was only two pickles left in the jar, that was not enough to even last my a day. My pregnancy cravings were so strange, i loved eating pickle and peanut butter sandwiches but right now I wanted a proper dinner and I couldn't exactly make anything with pickles and the other random stuff I had in the fridge.
I closed the kitchen fridge and made my way back to the living room. There was no point even looking in the cupboards because I knew that there would be hardly anything in there anyway.
Ash followed me back to the living room and he ran up to Leo who was sitting down, his blazer jacket was taken off and his sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, his tie was loose around his neck and the top two buttons of his shirt were open.
"We have no food," I told him, not bothering to stand up.
He didn't say anything, he didn't even look my way.
"I'm hungry and I want dinner but there's nothing for me to cook," I said again, keeping my eyes fixed on him.
"Why were you alone with Ash, where was Johnny?" Leo asked looking at me, he hard a dark look in his eyes. He was in an extremely bad mood.
"I told him to leave... he got p*ssed about the cigarettes..." I mumbled, quietly but of course Leo heard me because he had super hearing powers.
"So what he smokes as well," Leo shrugged standing up. He stood in front of me, towering over my small frame.
"I didn't know that," I stated looking up at Leo. It was useless arguing about cigarettes and people smoking. It was wasting the precious time that I could have used to be going out shopping to get food.
"Leah I can't promise you that I'll stop but I can promise that I won't smoke around you or our child," Leo said firmly as he took my hand in his.
"Okay," I said, relief filling my heart.
"Alright bella let me take you shopping and we'll eat out as well," Leo said, as he leaned down to kiss me on my forehead.
"Sounds good."
**
Almost half an hour later, Leo and I were in our local supermarket. We didn't bother to change into different clothes since we weren't really bothered. I just wanted to shop and then eat and go home to sleep. Leo, on the other hand wanted to shop, eat, go home and do work. For the last few days that was all that Leo did in the evenings, he worked in his office at home. Sometimes he would stay up till two in the morning typing away at his laptop. Occasionally I would come downstairs and fall asleep on the couch that was in his office but when I woke up in the morning I was in our bed, alone.
"Bella do we need milk?" Leo asked me as he stared at the different types of milk in the cold section of the store.
"Yeah, make sure you get the whole milk not the fifty percent one," I told him.
Leo grabbed two bottles of milk and placed them in our cart, before taking my hand and pushing the cart with his other hand. I had offered to push the cart but he wouldn't let me.
We were almost done with the shopping, we just had a few more things to get such as Nutella, whipping cream and eggs.
"Hey you go and pay for the shopping, I'll go and get the rest of the stuff," I told Leo, I started to walk away from him, knowing that he would say no.
"Wait I'll come with you-"
"Too late, I'm already going!" I yelled, loud enough for him to hear me, and then I bolted off to go and get the Nutella. I had decided that I was going to make Nutella pancakes for breakfast with whipped cream even if Leo wasn't home in the morning, I was still going to make them.
Once I had grabbed all the things I needed, I headed down to the checkout area and spotted Leo. However, my blood ran hot, piping hot to the point where I thought I would explode.
Leo was at a check out point and the cashier happened to be a girl I once knew when I was in high school...
"Leah, you're such a baby! Go on, go there!" Kelsey sneered.
"Hmm no, sorry," I said and started walking in the direction of my house.
"Fine! Be like that, be a pathetic coward for the rest of your life! I don't care!" Kelsey shouted. I stopped in mid-track when snickers and giggles from her so called friends, filled my ears. They were laughing at what she had called me and personally I didn't find it that hilarious. Spinning around on my heels, I turned around to glare at them sharply.
"What did you call me?" I asked her cocking an eyebrow and placing a hand on my hip.
"You heard you deaf, pathetic coward!" she snickered.
"Oh, if I'm such a coward then why am I going to Westfield's?" I asked her. She looked shocked out of her skin. Usually her skin would be glowing with the ridiculous fake tan that she always wore but no one could tell that she wore fake tan, I was the only one who knew what her real skin colour was like and trust me it was actually quite disgusting. Kelsey was my arch enemy she picked on every single girl that didn't meet her expectations, I mean no one could. She had unnatural blonde hair and blue eyes. I guess the only reason why she was popular was because she was so damn rich, and well the saying 'money can't buy friends' that was actually false when it came to Kelsey.
"But you just said-"
"It's opposite day you stupid idiot!" I snapped and started walking away! I heard snickers and giggles of her sheep. I had just embarrassed Kelsey Williams and ruined her reputation, no one stood up to Kelsey Williams and I mean no one did.
"YOU BITCH!" She screamed at me but I had already started walking away.
Not only was Kelsey serving Leo at the till, she was also flirting with him. Her hand was touching his forearms and she was practically shoving her boobs in his face.
I stormed up to Leo, and placed the few things I had on the conveyor belt, before staring at Kelsey with a hard look. She still looked the same however she looked more like a prostitute than anything else. Her fake orange skin gave her no justice and she resembled an actual tangerine. Her lips were coated in sticky pink gloss and her make up was nowhere near classy or professional, she just looked awful.
As for her clothing, well she looked like she was about to go clubbing later on, and what she was wearing was extremely inappropriate for a family based supermarket.
"Hey honey," I greeted Leo, loud and clear. I also placed my left hand on his hand, flashing my wedding and engagement rings.
I noticed how Kelsey stared down at my hand before opening her mouth to say something but I cut her off.
"Honey I really need to use a toilet, our baby is squashing my bladder," I whined looking up at Leo with a sharp glare in my eyes.
He didn't say anything but he looked down at Kelsey before saying something that had me gob smacked.
"Hurry up, we need to go," He said gruffly, making Kelsey's mouth fly wide open. She looked at me, glaring slightly before scanning our items.
I waited patiently for her to finish scanning, but to be honest she took such a long time that I felt like complaining to her.
Once we paid for our items, I was to leave the supermarket and go and eat but something that Kelsey had said, made me smirk and want to mock her.
"You remind me of someone I used to know," She said, her whiny voice making me cringe.
"Oh really who?" I asked.
"Yeah this girl called Leah, you look a bit like her-"
"Oh really? I can't be her," I laughed, putting on an act.
"Maybe," she shrugged, looking at me intensely.
What I said next must have chilled her to her bones.
"It's opposite day, you stupid idiot."
As soon as I said those words, I made Leo walk off, fast without even sparing Kelsey another glance.
What were the odds of seeing my old high school bully at my local supermarket, I had never seen her there before which meant that she must have just started working there.
"What was that all about?" Leo asked me, as we got back in the car, after loading the shopping into the back.
"She was my old high school bully.... the day I met you; she dared me to go to Westfields, so I did-"
"Oh really?" Leo asked, cocking his head to the side and smirking.
"Yep... in a way I should thank her because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have met you," I smiled at Leo, he smiled back and entwined our finger together.
"I love you Leah, always have and I always will."
"I love you more Leo, I always will and I always have," I replied, if it was even possible I could feel my heart connecting with Leo's filling my body with his love and affection.
**
Leo
The immense amount of paperwork on my desk had me going crazy.
Each piece of paper was relatively about the same thing.
The weekend had come along quick and it was crazy how February was just around the corner, soon it would be my favourite cousin's seventh birthday, a birthday that I never missed. Giana was my dad's brother's youngest daughter and she was the only cousin that I could tolerate. Of course she was into all the girly shit just like most girls her age, but she was special because she was the only one that knew I had loved Leah for a long time.
I had even betted against Giana that Leah and I would be together and I had ended up buying her a new pony. She was spoilt but she wasn't a brat, for a seven-year-old she was incredibly smart and I knew that one day I hoped to have a daughter just like her.
There was no way that Leah and I would be able to attend Giana's party, not with my parents around. If Leah wasn't with me I would go because I knew I could take their hatred towards me but I couldn't let Leah be affected by it, that wouldn't be fair to her at all.
I sighed heavily and turned my laptop off. Leah was fast asleep upstairs having a nap, she barely slept at night and it seemed that only during the day she was able to sleep because the baby was a lot calmer then and perhaps asleep itself.
Just before I could stand up, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and answered it.
"Hello," I greeted Angelo.
"Leo what's up," he said back. I could hear a lot of background noise on his side of the line.
"Nothing just at home, where the hell are you?"
"That's good cause we are all on our way to your house," he stated.
"We?"
"Me, Don, April and Lia we're coming over!" he yelled.
"What no, Leah is tired I don't think she'd want you idiots here-"
"Hell no Leo!" my oh so loving sister shouted.
"Go home Lia, don't make me angry, Leah is f*cking tired, you don't know what you're doing by coming over. The more voices our baby hears, the more excited it gets which means no rest for Leah-"
"Chill out man, you're way too possessive! Leah is a grown woman she'll be fine!" Don said in his usual quiet but firm voice.
"Don't forget who you're talking to," I muttered darkly.
"Quit the tough act brother, we're here now!" and with that, the call ended.
I sighed heavily again and ran a hand through my hair. So much for a quiet Sunday.
I went to the front door and opened it and allowed the front gate of the house to be opened. I watched with a glare in my eyes as Angelo's car drove through the gates.
This was going to be a long but interesting afternoon.
****
Hey guys, I know this was a really bad chapter and it was meant to be short because it's just a filler. I was gonna write more but it just felt like it was making the chapter too long.
The next chapter should be better! You guys get to learn something new about Leo, something Leah doesn't even know herself!
Please VOTE and COMMENT!
Dhana xx