Chapter 54 The Weight of a Whisper

Chapter 54 The Weight of a Whisper
LIORA'S POV

My phone was slipping out of my hands. The message on the screen made my blood run cold.

There were two pictures below the message. My hands were shaking as I opened the message. The number that sent it did not have a name or a picture. I tapped on the picture.

It was a conversation between Leonard and someone else. My eyes scanned the messages quickly. My heart was racing.

The second picture is cut off in the middle of a sentence.. It was enough to make me feel uncomfortable. The messages were recent. He was apologizing to the girl for something and something about the way he wrote it felt a little intimate. It was the kind of talk that came from people who knew each other well. I scrolled down to see if there was anything.. There was nothing. No explanation. Just those messages.

I wondered if I was overthinking or I was just paranoid for no reason.

I tried to call the number that sent the message.. It did not even ring. It just said the number was not available. Of course. The person who sent this did not want to be found.

My legs felt weak. I was standing in the parking lot like a fool. Students were walking past me laughing and pushing each other. The sun was too bright and too hot on my skin. I still remembered the way Leonard touched me.

“Who is Mila?”

This question was burning a hole in my chest. I started walking towards the gate. I put my phone in my pocket like it was poisonous. Every step I took hurt my thighs. It reminded me of what Leonard did to me an hour ago. The way he said my name like I was the thing that mattered. Was all of that a lie?

By the time I got to the café my mind was a mess. I tied my apron with my fingers. I barely heard the bell above the door.

“Liora you are late " Ava said. She put two plates on the counter with a lot of force. Her hair was already coming out of her ponytail. She looked stressed. "Table four needs drinks and I have a lot of orders to fill."

“Sorry " I said. I grabbed the coffee pot.. My hands were still shaking. I spilled coffee over the first mug. "Shit."

Ava looked at me for a time.. She did not say anything at first.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. I was taking orders. Smiling when I had to.. Every spare moment I thought about those messages. Then my mind went to the phone call he received that day we almost fucked and how he didn't receive the call in my presence but left my presence to pick the call and deliberately avoided conversations with me.

I was getting anxious. 

“Liora what is going on with you?" Ava said. She was standing next to me with her arms crossed. "You told table seven their food would be out in five minutes. That was fifteen minutes ago."

I looked at her. My face was hot. "I…I did not sleep well."

Ava sighed. She took the plates herself. "Look I get it.. I cannot keep covering for you. This is the time today."

I felt guilty. At the end of my shift Ava was doing most of the work. I was struggling with the register. She did not complain again.. I could tell she was upset. I said sorry a lot as we locked up. I promised to make it up to her. She just told me to get some rest.

The cab ride home was bad. I sat in the seat with my forehead on the window. The city lights were blurry. The driver was playing some low music.. I barely heard it. My phone was heavy in my lap. I opened the message again. I looked at the pictures like they might tell me something I wasn't seeing.

Was Leonard already tired of me? We just slept together today. It was raw and desperate in that classroom. Ronan was watching us like a jerk. Leonard seemed so into it. He seemed possessive, but then he was probably seeing or fucking someone else. Maybe while I was still cleaning up after him he was already planning his hookup.

“It is fake Liora,” I told myself. “You agreed to this. Fake dating. You should not care this much. It shouldn't bother me this bad.”

But I did care. I cared a lot. The memory of Leonard’s kiss on my forehead made my chest hurt. What if that was all part of the act? What if the blackmail thing with the principal and coach was connected? He was acting strange before we even got to the classroom. The cab stopped in front of my house. I. Got out. My legs were still sore. My heart was heavy. The porch light was on. The living room was glowing with the TV.

Leonard was lying on the couch. He was wearing sweatpants and a black hoodie. His hair was messy. He was watching a  hockey game. He looked up when I walked in. He smiled at me. I didn't return it, I just stared at him.

“Hey princess, " he said. His voice was warm. He stood up and walked towards me. Before I could stop him he kissed my forehead. 

My body reacted without thinking. I leaned into him for a second. Then I remembered the messages and I pulled away, fast.

“Who is Mila?"

The words came out before I could stop them. They were abrupt and accusing. My voice cracked when I said her name.

Leonard froze. His hand was still near my waist. The smile on his face disappeared. He looked confused. Startled. His eyebrows came together. His eyes got wider as he looked at me as if trying to figure out how I knew that name.

For a second the only sound was the hockey game. The crowd was cheering. The sticks were clashing.

He looked like I had slapped him. His mouth. Closed. I saw something on his face. It might have been a surprise or panic.. Maybe it was guilt. I could not tell.  I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

The silence was thick and unbearable; it felt like he wasn't going to talk.

He took a step back. He ran his hand through his hair. "Liora…"