Feel My Love: The Damaged Series - Book Two Page 2

  He continued to struggle every time he was around her but got very skilled at hiding it. He started to consider time with Amelia as a good way to learn control over his physical reactions.

  It was character building.

  For weeks, she’d been reminding him about the party at her house but he hadn’t decided if he’d be attending. It coincided with her birthday.

  Since he’d opted out of the winter break party and her spring break bash, Amelia had made it clear that his attendance at this celebration would mean a lot to her.

  His hesitation wasn’t about Amelia at all.

  The popular crowd she hung out with didn’t usually take to people like him. He played soccer for a community league but had no interest in high school sports. He was considered - by far - the biggest nerd in the school. Puberty was also kicking his ass while not giving him any of the height he prayed would show up from his father’s side.

  In the end, Leo decided to go because seeing her outside of school felt important.

  He wanted to see if she was less everything outside school.

  Amelia answered the door when he knocked and smiled brightly - as if she was watching for him. She wore a pretty caramel dress that matched her eyes but seemed too formal for the occasion.

  In her flats, she was still an inch or two taller than he was.

  Smiling, Leo handed her a box his mother had picked up for him earlier that day. Inside was a gold charm bracelet that held a few symbols of the things he knew to be truly important to her.

  “Happy birthday, Amelia,” he said softly.

  She touched the airplane, camera, heart, cat, and dog charms with the tip of her finger as she whispered, “Thank you so much, Leo. It’s beautiful.”

  As he watched, Amelia removed it from the velvet box and asked him to put it on for her. His eyes widened in surprise that she wanted to wear it now.

  Clearing his throat, he carefully fastened the clasp, marveling at the delicate skin of her inner wrist.

  Casually taking his hand, she took him on a tour of the house and blushed at the countless photos of her on the walls.

  At the threshold of the formal living room, she sighed at the French provincial décor and murmured, “My mother thinks it’s classy. I know how gaudy it is.” Leo shook his head and gestured for her to continue. “You have awesome manners, Leo. It’s like you’re from another century. I-I like it.”

  “My parents are descended from old customs. I was born in Spain but spent half of every year in Scotland with my mother’s family.” He shrugged one shoulder. “My accent doesn’t really fit anywhere.”

  “You talk like a professor and your accent is pretty.”

  “Thank you, Amelia.” Inclining his head, he explained, “I have no brothers or sisters but many cousins, aunts and uncles. There’s a strict outline for my life at this point. I hope to break the confinement of their expectations as I get older. We shall see.”

  “I know a lot about being in a mold you don’t want to be in.”

  He imagined she knew a great deal about how smothered he sometimes felt. His family was wonderful but saw him as an extension of their histories and traditions. An heir who would one day handle the tasks required by their holdings.

  “Sometimes, breaking the mold feels like the only solution.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I feel like that.”

  Chapter Two

  As she led him through the house to her bedroom, Leo could see the inner simplicity of Amelia as a person.

  The real person inside the perfect package her mother was determined to assemble.

  The room was done in varying shades of greens and decorated with furniture featuring clean lines. It was spotless and hyper-organized.

  Leo spotted an acoustic guitar in the corner and went to look at it. Glancing over his shoulder, he asked, “Do you mind?” She shook her head and he picked it up.

  Amelia sat on the edge of her bed to watch him. Checking the tuning, Leo perched on her desk chair and played her a blend of Beethoven and Bach. When he started a rendition of Spanish Romance, she smiled.

  As it came to a close, they didn’t move.

  It was her mother’s voice at the door that broke the spell. “Well, aren’t you talented? Amelia, you should take your lessons more seriously so you can play like Leo.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence and Amelia gave Leo a small shake of her head when he would have spoken on her behalf.

  “Honey, you need to be out here with everyone. Come on now, don’t be rude to the rest of your guests.”

  “Coming,” Amelia answered quietly.

  Leo put the instrument away and followed Amelia to the patio where the party was in full swing.

  She was pulled from group to group, casually polite to all, her arm linked tightly through Leo’s. He stayed with her, unsure why she seemed to want his company. She was popular, beautiful, wealthy, and talented. He was, for all intents and purposes, a nerd. Nothing else mattered when you were given such a label in an American school.

  Still, she wanted him with her so he stayed.

  Some of her friends glanced curiously between them but didn’t ask questions. Her position in the social hierarchy didn’t permit most people to challenge her.

  To her primary circle, she announced, “I’m sure everyone knows Leo. I probably would have been held back without his help.” When someone mentioned her new bracelet, she held out her wrist. “Isn’t it lovely? My birthday present from Leo. Such a thoughtful, beautiful gift.”

  Holding his arm, she asked, “Are you hungry? We have all kinds of food. Drinks, too. Come on. You’re going to love the dessert table.”

  Hours later, as the evening drew to an end, he thanked her long-suffering father and obnoxious mother. Mr. Whitehall seemed to be a genuinely nice person but Mrs. Whitehall appeared to go out of her way to be confrontational.

  Waving her hand dismissively at Leo, she told him, “I’m sure being asked to our home should count as thanks for your help, young man. Amy is going to be very busy this summer so…”

  Amelia interrupted, “Leo is going to help me get my science project prepared for next year and I signed up for two classes to make sure I’m on track for next year.”

  “School during the summer? It’s pageant season, Amy!” the woman shouted and quickly dropped her voice. “There’s plenty of time to worry about credits…”

  “Me getting my high school diploma might not be important to you but it’s important to me, Mom. I’m not failing school - or coming so close - ever again. Leo will help me.”

  She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “You don’t need…”

  “No.” Amelia’s hand tightened on Leo’s arm. “If you want me to choose one or the other, I choose school.” He could tell it was a difficult thing for her to say.

  There was a tense silence and then Mrs. Whitehall huffed. “Fine. There are several pageants you cannot miss.”

  “We can talk about that once I know the workload for summer school classes. Dad already said he’d drop me off and pick me up.”

  The woman turned her head slowly and stared at her husband. “You knew about this? The two of you! Thick as thieves when I do everything for both of you…”

  Amelia said quietly, “Mom, you’re causing a scene in our home, on my birthday, in front of all my friends. That’s a good way for me to lose my popularity.”

  It was absolutely bizarre to watch the effect the words had on Amelia’s mother. She instantly dropped her hands and lowered to the couch. “We can talk about this later, Amelia.”

  “Sure. I’m going to walk Leo out. His driver is here.”

  Frowning, Mrs. Whitehall asked, “Driver...?”

  “Leo’s family has been wealthy for generations. It’s nice to know he’s not friends with me because we have money now.”

  Amelia walked him outside and stopped a dozen feet from the driver who waited at the bottom of her driveway. She turned to face him. “Thank you for comi
ng tonight, Leo. It meant a lot to me. I-I hope you don’t mind me telling my mom you were going to keep helping me. I know you’re busy…”

  “I’d love to help.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you for inviting me. I had a wonderful time.”

  She held up her wrist and watched as the charms on her bracelet sparkled in the moonlight before meeting his eyes. “I’ll wear it always. I’m glad you braved my house and my mom. I hope you’ll keep doing that now.”

  Tilting his head, he considered her words. Unsure what to say, he gave a slight bow and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

  He was floored when she turned her face at the last moment and accepted the kiss on her lips.

  After a single heartbeat, Amelia lifted her hand to the side of his neck and sighed against his mouth.

  The rapid fire of teenage male hormones tried to cloud Leo’s mind but he gently lifted his hand to Amelia’s cheek and caressed her silky jaw with his thumb.

  He moved his lips over hers for a few seconds then pulled back and looked at her with a smile. “You taste like honey.”

  “My lip gloss,” she said breathlessly. “Thank you for my first kiss, Leo.” His eyes widened. “What’s that saying about perception?”

  “Perception is reality,” he supplied for her.

  “Exactly. People perceive me to be a certain way, so that’s who I am. It’s not real.”

  She brought his mouth back to hers, kissed him more firmly, turned and ran up the driveway. Her dress shimmered in the moonlight.

  “Goodnight, Leo!” she called over her shoulder.

  That was how Amelia Whitehall, the most popular girl in the ninth grade and beyond, became his girlfriend.

  Chapter Three

  1993-1994 - Sophomore Year

  When cheer practice was done an hour earlier than usual, Amelia went to wait for Leo.

  Her Leo.

  One of the other members of the student government returned from the bathroom and nodded at her sitting cross-legged on the floor beside the entrance to the auditorium.

  A minute later, Leo opened the door and looked around. Realizing she was on the floor, he came all the way into the hall and took her hands to lift her to her feet.

  “Why are you sitting on the floor?” he asked with his hands on her shoulders. “You can come inside…”

  “I didn’t want to interrupt. I don’t mind waiting.”

  He stroked his palm over her hair. “Why don’t you sit in the car? Baylor has drinks and snacks.”

  “It’s alright. Don’t let me distract you, Leo.”

  His laugh gave her butterflies. “Wearing this? Impossible. Come on.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her inside. “We’re just finishing up. I want you to be comfortable.” Handing her into a chair, he shrugged off his jacket and pulled it around her shoulders.

  “Oh, god. I was freezing. I forgot mine in my locker again.”

  “I figured. You have goosebumps. We’ll grab it on the way to the car. Give me ten minutes.”

  She nodded and he returned to the stage where the other students waited with wide eyes. Leo firmly pulled everyone’s attention away from Amelia and got them back on track.

  Listening to him speak about the upcoming food drive for needy families in their area made her heart fill with pride. Working from a clipboard, he assigned each officer a task and reminded them that they had another meeting the next week.

  “That’s it for today. Cindy, I need you to finish the tasks you haven’t done from the last three meetings. If you need help, let me know. Each of us is necessary.”

  A short girl with red hair twined her hands together and tried to speak. “My-my grandmother is sick. I should have asked for help sooner but I didn’t want to let anyone down.”

  “Hey, we’re all in this together. I’m sorry about your grandmother.” Leo quickly reassigned the girl’s responsibilities to other students and took a couple for himself. “I’d like everyone to keep Cindy’s confidence. As far as Mr. Fellman knows, this is a well-oiled machine that doesn’t falter - no matter what happens.”

  Everyone murmured in agreement and gave the redhead their sympathies. Then everyone was grabbing their things and walking for the exits.

  Leo returned to her with his backpack over his shoulder. With a slight bow, he held out his hand and she took it with a smile. When she was on her feet, they were eye to eye. He’d grown more than two inches over the summer.

  “Hi,” she said shyly.

  “Hello, Amelia.” He dropped a chaste kiss on her lips and guided her into the hall. Stopping at her locker, he took her bag and helped her into her jacket. “Hungry?” Amelia shrugged. “Did you eat lunch?”

  “I’m not a big fan of school pizza…”

  Tilting his head, he frowned. “You didn’t have breakfast either. Everything okay?”

  “Oh, yeah. Just not very hungry. I’m drinking this juice and it really fills me up.”

  He took her hand and they headed for the parking lot. “What kind of juice?”

  “I don’t know. Some health drink.”

  They exited into the crisp winter air and she felt Leo’s gaze on her face. She turned to stare into his pretty dark brown eyes. They seemed to sparkle with intelligence and general goodness. She could stare into them for hours but would never do something so weird.

  “Where did you get it?” he asked her.

  “Mom ordered it from a health company. I think she saw it in a fitness magazine.”

  “Will you bring me one tomorrow? I want to try it.”

  “Sure.” She wrapped her arm around his waist because he was always so warm and she was usually freezing. “I like watching you work with your clubs and stuff.”

  Tugging his jacket around as much of her as he could, he hugged her to his side. “Let me get you to the car. You’re shivering.”

  As they approached, the driver grinned. “Glad it’s almost Friday?”

  “Uh uh. I have a stupid pageant this weekend,” Amelia admitted. “That means I won’t see Leo until Sunday.”

  “Shall I take the long way to your house then?” The driver glanced at his watch. “You’re both out more than half an hour earlier than usual.”

  “Thanks, Baylor.” Leo handed her through the open rear door and slid in beside her. “Let’s get cocoa to help warm you up.” When his driver slid behind the wheel, he added, “Can you remind me to put a warm blanket in the car for when Amelia is with us? The winters here remind me of Scotland and she’s freezing.”

  “Will do, Leo. I’ll turn up the heat. Want me to stop for soup or something?”

  “Cocoa from that place Amelia loves.”

  “On the way. Let me know if you want music.”

  Amelia rested her cheek on the front of Leo’s shoulder when he took off his jacket and used it to cover her.

  Wrapping her arms around his back, she told him, “I’m okay, Leo. Just got chilled.” He kissed the top of her head. “You take such good care of me. No boys act like you. I love it.”

  He smoothed his palm up and down her back to warm her up and her shivering slowed as the heat filled the car.

  With a chuckle, she said, “Thanks, Baylor. You can turn it down before you and Leo start roasting like chickens.”

  They got cocoa and chatted while Baylor drove them through one of the pretty historical districts. He timed it perfectly and pulled up to her driveway within minutes of her usual arrival.

  Leo stepped out and helped her to the pavement. “Keep my jacket and bring it when we pick you up in the morning. Dress in layers in case you’re getting sick. Don’t forget to bring me a juice to try.”

  Leaning up, she kissed his lips lightly. “Okay. I’ll call you after I finish my homework for history. I-I’m getting behind again in chemistry.”

  “Not a problem,” he said gently. “We can fix it.”

  “Will you stay on the phone tonight until I fall asleep?” He nodded. Kissing him again, she pulled away when she heard h
er front door open.

  “Amelia! Get in the house! You need to practice your routine. The competition is in two days. There’s no time for you to be kissing boys.”

  Without looking at her mother, Amelia replied, “I’m not kissing boys. I’m kissing Leo...and there’s always time for that.” One more quick kiss and she ran up the driveway, pausing to wave before disappearing inside.

  When she realized her mother didn’t follow her inside, Amelia returned to the front door. Her mom stood on the stoop with her arms crossed and a terrible look on her face.

  “Stop glaring at Leo, Mom.”

  “I don’t want you seeing…”

  “Say it all you want but Leo is my boyfriend. I do all the things you tell me whether I want to or not. Leave Leo alone. You don’t get to decide that part of my life.”

  Slamming the door, her mother inhaled to start screaming.

  “If you don’t stop, when I get to the pageant, I’ll stand there like a simpleton while my music plays. I’m serious, Mom. You get enough of me...Leo gets what’s left.”

  Then she turned and went to her room.

  An hour later, she called Leo’s house. His mother answered the phone. “Hi, Mrs. De La Cruz. It’s Amelia.”

  The woman said kindly, “Hello, sweetheart. Let me get him for you.” Covering the handset, Leo’s mom yelled his name.

  A moment later, he came on the line. “Amelia. I was just thinking about you.” He sounded out of breath. “Your mom looked upset. You okay?”

  “Fine. I’m almost finished with my history homework but wanted to read you this poem I saw in a magazine.”

  She flipped to the page she’d marked and read him the lines about a boy chasing a lightning bug...only to realize it was really his dreams all along.

  He said softly, “That’s beautiful, Amelia.”

  “It made me think about how you want to help the poor instead of manage the rich.”

  “You hear me,” he whispered.