Chapter 69 - Attached

(From Leandro's Perspective)

"It can happen between two random people too. How can you just say that they are relatives just by seeing this?" I asked tiredly. Arguing with Ella would easily drain anyone's energy and cause the loss of words. 

"You don't understand. It's just not that. There are a lot of similarities too, I just can't point to the right place," she said impatiently. 

"Can you..."

"Just leave it, Leandro. If he betrays us, I'll take the responsibility and you can kill me. I swear I won't run away. It's not like I can even if I try. You're faster. You'll catch me anyway. All I'm saying is that I'll give myself to you and you can kill me. I won't even try to run away or do anything."

She was not joking. Her facial expression, her tones were serious with no hint of joking. But how could I tell her that no matter what, now that she had made a place like a deep wound in my heart, I could never kill her even if everything went wrong and even if I found out that she was behind that though she was never going to betray me? 

"I know you won't kill me," she mumbled to my surprise, "because you got attached." 

Did she have to be so straightforward with everything? It was like she could read me like a page tucked into a narrow gap where she could read a few parts from it. But those parts were_ true. 

"I know it happens... I lived with my family all those years. Even though they never treated me well, I still craved for their betterment and safety no matter what. I wanted not to call them my family and stop thinking about them, but I couldn't. It was like an invisible pull. I understand that comparing you to my family is not the right thing to do... Because you treat me well_ better than anyone has ever done to me. They have a reason for what they do, but you don't. But still, there is a bit of similarity between my family and you. They are attached to me in a blood-related way, and you got attached to me as we live together all the time... It's just how life is. We get attached to people and then it gets harder and harder to let go. Like you're attached to me, I'm attached to you too. Do you think I can go and betray you just like that, leave you just like that? I can't. I know I still want to open the portal... But I'm not sure how I'm supposed to leave you. It's an invisible pull as well... But the fact is that I feel it more than I felt with my family. It's stronger_ much stronger than anything else. I can't describe it, but I can feel it."

"How can you be so straightforward? Too bold... How are you like this?"

"You know how I am," she smiled. "There is no reason. I just like to state facts and highlight the main points."

"And I think," I said, leaning closer to her, "that's why I like you."

She blushed but did not move away from me, rather she stayed like that, her lips inviting mine to touch. When she was this inviting, how could I not give her what she wanted, but was shy to do so? 

My lips met her and she gasped in a way as if she was waiting for this, craving but not quite brave to start it. She held my neck, pulling me towards her, but I had other plans. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist, pulling her to me. My pull was much more powerful than her and her petite form tumbled upon mine. 

She was on my lap, as both of our lips were savoring each other's tastes, like the most addictive thing of all. Lack of breath forced me to pull my lips away from her, but I was not done with her. I never would be. 

The moment my lips met the tender part of her throat, she lifted her hips up, gripping my shoulders tightly. I knew that she was not doing this on purpose and she did not know how she was hurting me as my insides filled with the need for her, but still, I felt the need to make her mine fully right away. 

"Uh... Leandro..."

"You can always say no if you don't like something," I said in a husky voice. 

She looked down at me with her deep honey-brown eyes in confusion. I chuckled and pinched her hip. Her eyes widened as she winced in pain. I started to kiss her throat and the side of her neck hungrily, while my hands roamed on the side of her body, slowly and gently, like a pain that's worth enduring. 

My hand slowly went up to her front and my fingers ran over her nipple that was hardened under my touch like a leaf on a cold winter morning. She was surprised as she held on to my neck tightly as if she was falling and I was her only support. 

"Yes?"

"Y-Yes," she mumbled, more like a moan. 

I started to caress her breast with my hand while my other hand was keeping her in place wrapping around her waist. She was moving a lot, kind of like squirming at the reaction of my touch. 

I played with the hard bud with my fingers, placing it between them, then squeezing slightly. 

"That's... uh..."

I kissed her lips once more before she held my hand weakly to stop me. I did not go any further just like I promised.

"Don't you like it?" I asked.

"I do... But I'm not ready yet," she said, "for anything else."

I kissed her on the forehead, looking down at her slightly guilty and flushed face. "It's alright. It's me who is a bit impatient."

She nodded, her damp brown hair falling on her slightly sweaty brow. I removed the wisps of hair from her forehead and she leaned in my touch. 

"You need to eat. Let's go. We'll have dinner," I said.

"No! You haven't shown me the stones yet," she said and climbed down my lap. She pulled me with her by my hand and took me to the closet, looking at me with an adorable angry look. 

"Alright, my little wife, I'll show you," I said.

She was surprised as she blushed. "I'm not your wife."

"You're the one who said it to Nicklaus."

"That's fake. And besides, I'm Lee Edrei's wife, not yours."

"I am Lee Edrei, just the way you're Leora Edrei," I said into her ear. "It's a lie, yet so true in a spectacular way."

"I'm underage," she mumbled. "I'm not eighteen yet. Wait! I am eighteen!"

The sudden change of her tone and reaction would surprise anyone, but as I stayed with her these days, I knew how normal it was for her. 

"I've turned eighteen two days ago. I had been counting down days for a long time, yet I forgot. Damn it! Anyway, it doesn't matter. I don't celebrate birthdays."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Well, I'm getting closer to death, right? I'm losing a year of my life as my birthday comes. I don't like celebrating because my death is getting closer," she said as if it was common sense. 

"You have a point there."

"I know. Now show me the stones."

I sighed and opened the closet. From inside, I took a box out that I had been caring for a long time. I had never shown them to anyone else. I did not care for them that much, but I still liked to keep my things private. But to her, my privacy did not seem like a good thing. 

She was so curious that she would go any length to know something, let it be something simple. She was slightly reckless in this case but always managed to get away from everything. But it surprised me why she had not gotten through my stuff. Was she respecting my privacy?

She snatched the box from my hand and sat on the bed, pulling me with her. She jumped on the bed, like a little kid for no reason and smiled at me. Sometimes I truly had a problem thinking how old she truly was. 

"Come on," she urged and I sat on the bed beside her. "How do you open it? It seems impossible to... Got it!"

She opened the box with a bit of hardship. Her lips were pouted and pursed together adorably as she tried to concentrate to open the box giving me the urge to claim her lips once again. 

"Why didn't you see what's inside it before? You don't seem like the person to ask for permission," I said.

"Be glad. It's your thing. I was just giving you the privacy you need," she grumbled.

"Why? You never do this with anyone."

"Because I like you and I want to trust you and want you to trust me. I want you to rely on me with anything and I want you to be the one to tell me something if you want to.. I don't want to be so nagging_ with you."