Chapter 97 - Ninety Six:

Silence filled the air around them as they drove home, this time Leo was the who driving, and Becca sitting on the passenger's seat, staring at him. Watching everything clench on his muscles as he gripped the steering wheel, focusing on the road.

" Thanks for accompanying me here." Becca's voice broke the tranquil silence and Leo smiled at the road ahead, trying his best not to divert his focus from it.

" I should be thanking you instead." He glanced. " For choosing to share this sensitive moment with you. I'm honored." He added before reverting his gaze to the road.

Becca nodded, unable to respond with words, and kept staring at him.

The silence between them proceeded, going from tranquil to deafening in Becca's ear as she tore her eyes away from Leo and peered at the window, staring at random things that they drove past.

As the ride continued so did the mist of thought that fogged Becca's mind. Visiting her mother's grave had never been an effortless task. At least not with the toll the guilt and sadness took on her mentally, it also found a way to crush her. Weaken her soul. It was a firm reminder that she had wasted the time she had with her mother. A painful reminder that she would never see her mother again.

In other words, visiting Amanda's grave was something Becca never looked forward to but still did. Still had to. She had already ignored her mother when she was alive, she couldn't bring herself to do it again while she was now dead. So despite the pain and anguish it caused, Becca still visited the grave, telling herself that she deserved the misery, hoping that one day it wouldn't feel that awful anymore. That day was still yet to come.

After Becca decided to bring Leo to the cemetery, she braced herself for the pain that always pierced through her soul whenever she laid eyes on Amanda's grave but it surprisingly didn't come. Not this time. 

For the first time in years, she didn't feel like a sinner seeking penance, she didn't feel like a remorseful lost soul, no. Nothing like that.

For reasons that even she couldn't comprehend, visiting the grave with Leo by her side didn't make the experience as torturous as it usually was, neither did it make reminisce the fact that Becca fucked up in the past, instead it somehow made her feel her mother's presence, like she was standing right in front of her. In short, her Leo there with her made better, not perfect, but better.

Leo drove into the compound but Becca, who was still trapped in her web of thoughts, didn't realize that it. The car parked in front of the house but she didn't move, still resting her head on the side of the window, dazed.

Leo studied her of a couple of seconds and sigh before leaning towards her and kissed her cheek.

" We're home, my love." Leo whispered in Becca's ear and her eyes widened as she jerked back to reality.

" I—I'm sorry, I was just..." She trailed off as Leo brushed aside the hair that fell on her face, her neck aching from resting in an awkward position for so long.

" You miss her, don't you?" Leo asked, staring into Becca's ear and hesitantly, slowly, she nodded.

It wasn't the first time Becca had completely ignored him in the car but this was indeed the first time that the silence between them had felt this excruciating to him. It haunted. The look on her face as she stared at the window taunted him so much, it tugged painfully at his soul whenever he glanced at her. But despite all that, he didn't say a word all through the ride, giving her the space she needed.

" I miss her so much that it hurts." Becca said in a hollow voice and turned to the window before a small smile graced her lips. " It used to hurt. It wasn't much today, barely even noticeable." 

" Isn't that a good thing? You should be happy about it." Leo moved closer but halted when he heard her sigh.

" I have lived with the hurt for so long that I'm afraid I have gotten a bit used to it. I don't know what to feel now that it's gone." Becca confessed and touched the window with her hand.

No ever said the healing process was ever easy and it definitely wasn't for Becca. It was like the more the progress she made, the more she opened up to heal, the more the soreness of the pass soreness turned numb, separating through her.

She should be happy about it, right. The prolonged period of pain was finally gone, didn't feel crushed by the sight of her mother's grave. No more pain. Becca should be overjoyed right now, but oddly wasn't.

" My love." Leo called out softly. "Look at me."

No response.

" Becca." Leo called out again but nothing, she didn't even move.

Leo held her chin, focusing her gaze back on him and away from the window.

"Look at me." And she did this time, she looked at him. " Your whole life shouldn't revolve around the hurt from the past, you know that right?"

Becca's face brightened. " I know, I've learned." The hard way. " Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by everything."

She cupped Leo's face with her hand and touched his forehead with hers. " Thank you for being here for me, sometimes I just can't figure out what I did so right to have a man like you in my life." She whispered against his lips and he same.

" Don't be silly, my love. If there is anyone between us that should be asking that question then it should be me because it is I who doesn't deserve you." but still chose to have you anyway.

The rays of sunlight smiled devilishly at Becca as they peek at her through the curtains, disturbing her sleep once again. For Christ's sake, it was Saturday and even the sun was against her sleeping.

She groaned as she stirred on the bed, moving closer to Leo's side to snuggle with him but all she felt was the cold emptiness. His was gone.

Becca lifted her back off the bed and rubbed her eyes with her hands, scanning the room but couldn't find him. No Leo.

She moved the covers off her body, ready to go downstairs to see if he was there but pause on hearing a knock on the door.

" Come in." Becca permitted and the door was immediately opened by a help, who had a breakfast tray in her hand.

Becca stared at the food then at the help." Where is Leo?" 

" The boss stepped out early." The maid answered and Becca's heart sank instantly. 

" Oh" Becca's voice was low as disappointment ran through her. " When did he leave?"

" Very early this morning. He instructed me to bring you breakfast once it's ten and he is not yet." The maid said.

Ten o'clock, the time she always woke up during the weekends, or at least when the sun always woke her up.

Becca glanced at the tray once more and felt a turn in her stomach. She lost her appetite and a delicious-looking meal couldn't restore it.

She shook her head." I'm not hungry." 

" But madam, the boss—"

" Your boss won't mind if I skip one meal." Becca cut the meal, laying back down on the bed.

" Actually, I will mind." 

Becca's eyes flew to look at the door as she heard the deep voice, same one she was already starting to miss. 

" Leo." She kicked off the covers and jump out of bed as he stepped into the room, walking towards her.

He walked to where the maid stood and took the tray from her hands and dismissed her. Then he turned to Becca with a smile.

" Hasn't anyone told you breakfast is the most important meal of the day?" Leo asked with a little laugh.

" When did you leave?" Came her first question.

" Early, you were still asleep and I didn't want to wake you up." Leo answered with ease as she stepped closer to her.

" To where?" Becca folded her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes slightly and Leo halted to stare at her for a few seconds, drinking in the sight of her beauty. Her hair was as unraveled as a bird's nest and her eyes droopy, still looking sleepy but to him it was perfection. 

Without answering, he walked past her and sat on the bed with the tray on his lap.

" Come here, my love." He said, patting the spot next to him on the bed.

She started at him for a while then walked to the bed and quietly sat next to him on the bed.

Immediately she plunged her butt on the bed, Leo pulled her in a kiss, parting her lips with his tongue and she melted, kissing him back.

Their lips parted and Leo smiled at her.

He brought the first bite to her lips and she stubbornly shook her head, refusing to open up but Leo was ready to take no for an answer. He lifted the tray off his lap and placed it on the floor before prowling his fingers all over her body, tingling her.

" Leo, stop." She scolded and giggled at the same time. " stop, I can't take it anymore." 

Becca pleaded but Leo didn't stopped, grinning as her back fell on the bed, wiggling like a worm. She knew the reason why she was being tortured and Leo would stop until she corrected herself.

" Fine, fine. You win, just stop." Becca giggled, running out of breath as she kept fidgeting and Leo's tickles of doom finally seized.

Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, staring at Leo as he hoisted the tray off the floor and settled it back on his laps. He used a knife and a fork to cut a piece of sausage and brought it to her lips.

Becca glared at the sausage that at him but still ate it. She let him feed her, already aware of what were happen if she refused.

" Good, girl. If you keep this up and I will show you the surprise I have for you."

Becca inched a brow. "What surprise?"

" Finish your food and I will show you." Leo sounded amused as he spoke and Becca squinted at him before scoffing.

He leaves so early in the morning and refused to say where he went, now he's saying he has a surprise for her? Unbelievable. 

Becca grumbled under her breath but eventually finished everything, cursing the food for being so delicious.

Leo smiled at the empty plate then at Becca who had her cheeks stuffed with food.

" What?" Becca asked, noticing his stares, and kept chewing the food in her mouth.

" How are you so cute?" Leo asked in awe and Becca swallowed. " Now that breakfast is out of the way, how would you like to be taken to your present? Blindfolded or not?"