Chapter 65: Abandon Me

Chapter 65: Abandon Me

Ivy

It was as if someone had turned off a switch with the snap of a finger. Leo’s mood instantly soured.

The warmth that had wrapped around us only minutes earlier vanished like it had never existed. His body stiffened beside mine. The arm that had been draped protectively over my waist pulled away. When he spoke, his voice was flat, edged with something sharp and cold.

“Why do you ask?” He said. “Want to abandon me too?”

That statement caught me off guard.

The words landed hard, heavier than they should have. I blinked at him, still half-dazed from the intimacy we had shared, still sore and open and raw in ways that went far beyond my body.

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

He just looked at me, brows furrowed, scrutinizing.

His dark eyes, which had been soft and full of something close to reverence earlier, were now guarded. Suspicious. “Then why do you ask? Why are you keen on finding out why she left me and my dad?”

“Because I’m trying to get to know you a lot better.” I said in my defense. My voice came out smaller than I wanted. “Leo, I know nothing about you except the fact that it takes less than a second for you to lose your temper.”

He shut his eyes tightly for a long moment before opening them again. Something flickered across his face—pain, maybe, or old anger that had never fully healed.

For a second I thought he might actually answer. Might finally let me in. Instead he rolled away from me and sat up, the sheets sliding down his bare back.

“I’m going to take a shower. When I get out we’ll head out to grab a bite.”

The dismissal stung. I sat up too, clutching the sheet to my chest, my heart beginning to race for an entirely different reason.

The sweetness of the morning still lingered on my skin, in the ache between my legs, in the faint scent of him that clung to me. But the shift in his mood left me cold.

“Leo, there's something we need to talk about.”

“Go ahead.”

“We had sex twice without a condom.” My voice came out in a squeak. I hated how small it sounded.

The look in his eyes when he looked at me again was proof that my question had pissed him off. “And?”

I was dumbfounded. That was it? That was what he could say to me? Just that?

The single word landed like a slap to the face. I stared at him, waiting for something more.

Concern, reassurance, even a simple acknowledgment that what we had done carried consequences. Nothing came.

Just that flat, almost defiant stare as he waited for me to say something else.

“I didn’t give you anything, Ivy.” He stated. “We can stop by any hospital of your choice if that’s what you want—”

I didn’t let him finish his stupid statement.

“I’m talking about getting pregnant!” My voice rose with anger. Heat flooded my cheeks. “I could get pregnant, Leo. Why do you act as if there isn’t a possibility of that happening?”

“You make it sound like it’s the end of the world.”

What? He looked me straight in the eyes and said that. Like the idea of me carrying his child was nothing more than an inconvenience. Like it wouldn’t change everything. Like it wouldn’t ruin both of our lives and potentially his career.

The casualness of it made something cold settle in my stomach.

“Because it is.” I insisted. My hands tightened in the sheets. “My life will get ruined if I fall pregnant, Leo. Please.”

He chuckled. The sound was practically humorless. “If you fall pregnant.” He said slowly, tasting the words. “Or if you fall pregnant with my child? Which one is it, Ivy?”

I frowned. Confusion mixed with the rising panic in my chest. “What are you even saying? That’s not what this is about.”

“Really? It’s not about that?”

“Leo, it’s not! What is wrong with you?” I said in anger. “Why do you keep bringing Andy up when the conversation isn’t even remotely about him?”

He chuckled again, Adam’s apple bobbing upwards and downwards. The sound scraped against my nerves. “It’s not? Doesn’t your entire life revolve around Anderson?”

I shook my head, deciding I was not going to have this back and forth with him after the sweet moment we had not too long ago. Those moments felt like they belonged to a different morning. A different version of him.

“Leo, I’m sorry if I worded my fears wrongly.” I found myself apologizing for absolutely nothing. The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I pushed them out anyway. “But I’m just begging you to please take me to a store where I can at least get a pill. Please.” I begged.

He just stared at me, eyes narrowed.

As if I was being unreasonable. As if asking for the most basic form of protection after what we had done was some kind of personal attack.

I reached for his hand on the bed. His skin was warm. “I don’t want to get pregnant. Please.” I hoped it would soften his anger. “My life would be over if I get pregnant. There’s still so much I want to do.”

“What exactly are you afraid of?” He asked, brows furrowed. There was something almost genuine in the question, as if he truly couldn’t understand. “I won’t abandon you, Ivy. I'll take responsibility. You have nothing to fear.”

I ripped my hand away. The contact suddenly felt too intimate, too dangerous. “No! That is not up for debate.” I looked away, staring at the wall because I couldn’t stand the intensity in his eyes. “I won’t let you do this.”

“Really?” He chuckled.

“If you won't agree to my demand. Then this is the last time you'll ever touch me, Leo.” I glared at him. “And that is final.”

Surprisingly, he said, “Fine.”

I sighed, the relief so sharp it almost hurt. But I might have reacted rather too quickly.

“But we’re only getting condoms.”

I looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“You heard me.” He said. His voice was calm now, but the calm felt more dangerous than the anger. “I’ll wear a condom next time.”

I watched him roll out of bed, my earlier question still unanswered.

He took large strides into the bathroom without a second glance, slamming the door shut so hard I feared the glass would shatter from the impact.

My God. What was I doing?

Why did I think it was a good idea to ask that question at that moment? Why did I think Leo would magically change and become less angry and more like Andy because I gave him my first time?

It clearly didn’t change anything between us. Not much. But at least, he didn’t hurt me this time. And that was somehow a small win.

I glanced at the place he’d grabbed me yesterday. The bruises were still there—dark fingerprints against the softer skin of my arm.

They would fade away in no time. The body healed faster than the mind, I was learning.

I sat up and pulled the cover away, only to regret that the next moment.

The cold attacked me immediately, a very harsh reminder that I was still naked beneath the sheets. Goosebumps rose across my arms and thighs.

Setting my feet down on the ground, I grabbed Leo’s discarded shirt and pulled it on. The fabric was soft, oversized, and still held the scent of him—something clean and masculine that made my stomach twist with conflicting emotions.

The pain and stinging in between my legs was so brutal I nearly doubled over in pain.

But I bit my lip and endured it.

I needed to make a call. And I didn’t want to risk doing it here where Leo could overhear. Or worse, where he could walk out of the bathroom and catch me red-handed.

I shuddered at the thought of what he’d do to me in such anger.

It was obvious he had an evil plan to get me pregnant. The way he had dismissed the morning-after pill, the way he had looked at me when I begged—none of it felt accidental.

The second my eyes darted across the bed, I regretted that decision immediately. There was blood there. Right on the spot where I’d been.

It wasn’t a crazy amount of blood. No. It was probably just a few drops smudged across the sheets.

The proof that I’d given an important part of me to Leo. The evidence of how completely I had let him inside me—twice—without protection.

I cringed and looked away immediately. Any more of that and I’d probably throw up.

Grabbing my phone, I tiptoed across the room and towards the door quietly. Every step sent a fresh wave of discomfort to my aching body, a constant reminder of just how easily Leo could crush me beneath him.

I walked down the hallway and stopped where I felt I could have some privacy, pressing my back against the wall and listening for the sound of the shower still running.

I dialled Poppy’s number and waited for her to pick up the phone. A sigh of relief left my lips the moment she picked.

“Pops?” I said, voice low.

“Ivy.” She said, “Is everything alright?”

I frowned at the question. But decided it wasn’t the time to focus on issues that didn’t matter at the moment. I didn’t have a lot of time. And I really needed to let her know why I called.

“Pops, can I ask you for a favour?”

“Of course! You know you can always count on me.” She said, “Is Leo okay?”

My heart dropped. The automatic way she asked about him made something twist in my gut. “Yes. He is.” I said. “Can you bring me some morning after pill? Leo and I did it… without a condom.” I whispered.

Her squeal was immediate. “What?! Ivy you freaky, freaky girl! You didn’t give me a heads up! I would have given you—”

I cut her off. “Poppy, now is not the time.” I stopped her excitement halfway. My free hand pressed against my stomach as if I could already feel something changing. “Can you bring it here today?”

Her tone changed immediately. “Ivy, are you okay?” She asked, voice serious. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No. Of course not.” I said. The lie was very heavy on my tongue. “It just happened. It was the right moment so we weren’t prepared.”

“Oh… I understand.” She said, There was a pause, and I could almost hear her thinking. “I’ll drop by Leo’s place this evening with it.”

I exhaled in relief. “Thanks—”

I didn’t even hear the door open. All I heard was Leo’s voice.

“Who are you speaking with?”

The phone nearly slipped from my hand.

I spun around, heart slamming against my ribs so hard I felt lightheaded. Leo stood at the end of the hallway, a towel wrapped low around his hips, water still dripping from his hair and trailing down his chest.

His eyes were set on me—on the phone pressed to my ear, on the way I had frozen like a child caught sneaking out after curfew.

The shower had been shorter than I expected. Or maybe I had taken longer than I realized.

“Baby.” His voice was surprisingly controlled. Far more dangerous than when he had been shouting. “I asked you a question.”

I swallowed hard. Poppy’s voice was still faintly audible on the other end of the line, tinny and concerned. “Ivy? Are you still there?”

Leo’s gaze dropped to the phone, then lifted back to my face. Something cold settled into his expression.

“Hang up,” he said.

My fingers trembled. For a second I considered ignoring him, to tell Poppy to hurry. But the look in his eyes made the words die in my throat.

Slowly, I lowered the phone and ended the call.