181 Leo’s Heart
“No way!”
Leo exclaimed loudly, catching Ava’s attention, who turned to look at him with a questioning expression.
“Is everything okay?”
As she approached him, a hint of concern flickered in her piercing blue eyes. Her gaze shifted towards Leo, whose usually steady purple eyes were now quivering with an unsteady tremble, as if he was deeply unsettled.
Leo’s body gave way, and he leaned heavily against the wall, his trembling hand covering his face. He appeared on the brink of collapse, as if he could crumble to the ground at any moment.
“Leo!?”
Ava tentatively reached out and placed her hand on Leo’s shoulder, her fingers lightly brushing against his cloak. She wanted to ensure that he wasn’t about to relapse into his frenzied state, but as soon as she made contact, Leo flinched, and his piercing purple eyes snapped to meet hers.
Previously, Leo’s eyes had resembled nothing more than cold, empty mirrors, reflecting back no emotion. But now, as Ava looked into them, she saw a kaleidoscope of feelings swirling within. Glimmers of confusion, embarrassment, and confusion mixed together, creating a tumultuous storm within Leo’s eyes.
“Don’t move, I need to try something...”
.....
Suddenly, Leo leaned in close to Ava, his face only inches away from hers. She didn’t have a chance to react before he was hovering before her, his intense gaze scanning her stunning blue eyes, framed by long, delicate eyelashes and an angelic face. The air between them crackled with tension, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.
Ava’s face flushed with heat as she felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She tried to avert her gaze from Leo’s intense stare, but it was as though her eyes were glued to his. She felt vulnerable and exposed under his penetrating gaze, and felt as if she was beginning to slowly melt.
“L...eo?”
Ava found herself stuttering in response, her words catching in her throat. This seemed to snap Leo out of his trance, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he tried to sort through the emotions that had overtaken him. Though he didn’t move his head, Ava could sense the tension in his body.
Though intangible, Ava could sense that something within Leo was shifting, transforming into something she had never seen before. She had always known him as a chameleon, able to adapt to any situation and become whatever he needed to be – a cold-blooded player or a money-obsessed child. But now, he was revealing a side of himself that she had never witnessed before, and it was both exciting and interesting.
It was ironic because Ava had never acted this way before, not even when she was with Eli. Now, she found herself behaving like a completely different person – teasing a beast and sharing ‘intimate’ physical contact with a male, something she had sworn to herself she would never do.
‘Get yourself together!’
Just as Ava was about to slip away from Leo’s grasp, he suddenly caught her hand, his black-gloved fingers wrapping around hers in a surprisingly gentle hold. Though she could have easily pulled away from him, something about his touch made her hesitate.
“Wait, I have to do another test...”
Leo continued to hold Ava’s hand, his fingers tracing slow, gentle circles over the palm of her hand. As he did so, Ava felt her face grow increasingly warm, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. Despite herself, she found herself enjoying the sensation of his touch.
Ava suddenly flinched, realizing the direction her thoughts had taken, and she quickly pulled her hand out of Leo’s grasp. Looking up at him, she gave him a reproachful look, as if blaming him for the way he was making her feel.
“W..hy did you do it?”
Ava whispered softly, her face turned away from Leo’s gaze in an attempt to hide the blush on her cheeks and the swirling emotions in her eyes. She didn’t want him to see how much he was affecting her.
“Felt like it.”
Leo’s calm voice cut through the air, causing Ava to freeze in her tracks. The shyness and embarrassment she had been feeling just moments before melted away as she turned to face him, curious about the seriousness and mischief she could see in his eyes. It was as if he was taking revenge on her...
“You!...”
She wanted to scream out, but didn’t find anything to say as she was once again reminded of her actions and closed her mouth, feeling the heat returning to her face.
While Ava was fighting her shyness Leo was practically fighting his demons. As soon as Ava redirected her eyes from his, he instantly let go of his act, feeling the strange heat rising to his cheeks.
In reality, Leo’s motives for teasing Ava and holding her hand were not solely driven by revenge. He was also struggling with identifying and understanding his own emotions and feelings, and he saw this as an opportunity to test and explore them.
Leo had been feeling increasingly frustrated by his inability to make sense of his emotions. He knew that he was attracted to Ava, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what he was feeling or why. He decided that the only way to solve this confusion was to get closer to Ava and try to identify his feelings through his interactions with her.
‘How did this happen...’
Leo felt his heart pounding in his chest, and he knew exactly what that meant. Despite his usual denseness when it came to matters of the heart, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he was feeling something strong for Ava.
As he cursed himself for his lack of awareness, Leo realized that his feelings went beyond just simple attraction or curiosity. He was genuinely drawn to Ava, and he couldn’t ignore the fact that he wanted to spend more time with her.
Leo couldn’t ignore the intense thumping in his chest, and he grabbed at it as if trying to still its rapid beating. A series of curses escaped his lips, directed at no one and nothing in particular.
Leo couldn’t help but glance over at Ava, taking in the delicate features of her face and the shimmering silver strands of her hair. As he watched her, a deep longing welled up inside him, and he felt an almost overpowering urge to reach out and touch her, to breathe in the sweet fragrance of her skin, and to feel the warmth of her hand in his once again.
‘Fuck off!’
Leo let out a frustrated groan, feeling overwhelmed by the strange thoughts that had suddenly taken hold of his mind. He tried to push them away, to ignore the persistent voice that whispered to him, urging him to take a chance on Ava and see where their connection could lead.
Leo clenched his gloved hands tightly, feeling his knuckles crack in the deafening silence of the dark. He knew he needed to regain his composure and stay focused, even though he was now painfully aware of his feelings for Ava.
As much as he wanted to show her how he felt, Leo knew he couldn’t risk scaring her off or making things awkward between them.
Leo couldn’t deny that one of the things he treasured most about his relationship with Ava was its neutrality. He had always been careful to keep their interactions professional and respectful, not wanting to risk ruining the delicate balance they had achieved.
‘This will be difficult...’
Leo could already feel the changes of his acceptance of his feelings. It was as if Ava’s features were made 10 times more attractive, her glances made him feeling nervous, butterflies rising from his stomach.
Leo could feel a shift within himself as he finally came to accept his feelings for Ava. Suddenly, everything about her seemed to be magnified tenfold, from the delicate curve of her lips to the sparkling glint in her eyes.
Her mere presence had the power to make him feel nervous, his heart beating erratically in his chest at even the slightest touch or glance. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to have taken up permanent residence, their wings fluttering with a new intensity that left him feeling dizzy and disoriented.
‘Is this is how others see her?’
Leo couldn’t help but wonder if the other boys saw Ava in the same light that he did now. As he struggled to come to terms with his newfound feelings for her, he couldn’t help but feel like a newborn thrown into an ocean full of the unknown.
Leo felt uneasy with the unknown, it was not something he liked at all. He preferred when everything was predictable and he could prepare himself accordingly. However, this new and intense feeling that had taken hold of him was completely unexpected, and it had engulfed him quickly and without warning.
After taking a moment to sort out his jumbled thoughts and regain his composure, Leo turned towards Ava, putting on the same stoic mask he had worn throughout the game.
“Let’s go, the fourth wave is about to start.”