Chapter 34 Feelings
CHAPTER 34
Feelings
Leo returned home later than usual, the weight of the day still clinging to his shoulders. The house was quiet, wrapped in the soft hush of evening.
He loosened his tie as he climbed the stairs, his polished shoes echoing faintly against the marble floor. His mind wasn’t on work anymore. It was just on her.
Without knocking, he pushed Ruby’s door open. The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow from the bedside lamp. Ruby had just slipped into her nightwear, her back turned to the door. The soft fabric draped over her figure as she reached for the switch. The moment she turned on the light, she froze. Her eyes met his. For a second, neither of them spoke.
“Leo…” she breathed, startled, clutching the edge of her night robe instinctively.
He closed the door behind him without breaking eye contact. There was something intense about the way he looked at her, it was calm, controlled, yet filled with something unspoken. He walked toward her slowly, each step deliberate, his presence commanding the space between them.
“You’re home early,” she finally managed to speak, though her voice was barely steady.
“Earlier than you expected?” he asked softly.
He stopped just inches away from her. The air felt heavier now, charged. Ruby’s heart pounded against her chest. Being this close to him always did something to her, something she wasn’t ready to confront.
Leo lifted his hand gently, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. His touch was warm, careful. His eyes softened as they lingered on her lips before meeting her gaze again.
“Ruby,” he murmured, as he leaned in.
Just before his lips could touch hers, Ruby turned her face away. The movement was quick, almost instinctive. Leo paused, his expression shifting from certainty to confusion. His hand slowly dropped to his side.
“Why?” he asked quietly.
She stepped back, creating distance between them. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her robe, and she kept her gaze lowered.
“Ruby,” he called her with a sad expression. “What’s your reason?”
Her lips parted as if she wanted to speak, but no words came out. There was a storm behind her eyes, hurt, doubt, and fear, but she refused to let him see all of it.
“I…” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“That didn’t feel like nothing.”
He searched her face, looking for answers she wouldn’t give. The tension between them wasn’t just about a missed kiss. It was deeper than that—unspoken misunderstandings, pride, and emotions neither of them fully knew how to handle.
Ruby turned away, walking toward the window. “I just… don’t want to,” she said softly.
Leo exhaled slowly, the old Leo could push and demand an explanation. That was the kind of man he used to be…..direct and unyielding. But something about her hesitation stopped him.
Instead, he straightened his jacket and stepped back.
“Dinner is ready,” he said calmly. The simplicity of his words surprised her.
She turned around. “That’s all?”
“For now.” His tone was neutral, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of disappointment.
“Come down when you’re ready.” He walked toward the door, pausing briefly before opening it.
“Ruby,” he added without looking back, “whatever it is, don’t shut me out.” And then he left.
Ruby stood alone in the room, her heart aching more than she expected. She touched her lips unconsciously, replaying the moment she dodged him.
It was not that she didn’t want him, it was that she was afraid of wanting him too much.
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Leo reached the dining room first. The long table was already set, candles flickering softly, casting shadows that stretched and shifted across the walls. Everything looked calm, intentional—like a scene meant to suggest stability. It felt ironic.
He pulled out a chair but didn’t sit immediately. His mind was still upstairs, replaying the way Ruby had turned her face away. That hurt in a way he couldn’t explain.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
He straightened instinctively.
Ruby entered a moment later, fully dressed now, composed on the surface. She had changed into something simple that suited her. It always did. She paused briefly when she saw him, her fingers tightening around each other, then she walked toward the table.
Neither of them spoke to each other at first.
Leo pulled out a chair for her. She hesitated, then murmured a quiet “thank you” and sat. He took the seat across from her, the space between them filled with things unsaid.
Plates were served. Cutlery clinked softly.
“So,” Leo said at last, forcing a neutral tone, “how was your afternoon?”
Ruby glanced up, surprised by the normalcy of the question. “It was… fine,” she replied. “I finished the book I was reading.”
He nodded. “You always read when you’re trying not to think.”
Her lips curved slightly despite herself. “You’ve noticed.”
“I notice more than you think.”
The words lingered between them. Ruby lowered her gaze to her plate, pushing her food around without really eating.
“You didn’t have to come into my room earlier,” she said quietly.
“I know,” he answered. “But I’m not sorry I did.” he said with a smirk written all over his face.
She looked up at him then, startled. “Leo—”
“Not for the reasons you think,” he added quickly. “I’m sorry I scared you. I hate that. But I’m not sorry for wanting to be close to you.”
Her breath hitched. “Wanting something doesn’t always make it safe.”
“That depends,” he said gently. “On whether you’re running from the past… or from me.”
Ruby set her fork down, hands trembling slightly. “You make it sound simple.”
“It’s not,” he admitted. “But I’m trying to understand you instead of guessing.” Leo cried out, he wanted her to understand how he felt, or doesn't she feel the same way, he can't bring himself to say the word to her yet. He’s just scared of everyone leaving again.
She finally spoke. “Every time I let myself feel something for you, I remember how fast things can change. How quickly people leave… or turn into someone you don’t recognize.”
Leo’s expression softened. “You think I’ll become someone else.”
“I’m afraid you already are,” she whispered. “And that I’ll still like you anyway.”
That honesty hit him harder than anything else that night.
He leaned back slowly, nodding once. “I won’t pretend I’m easy,” he said. “Or that my life isn’t complicated. But I would never hurt you intentionally. Not like that.”
“I know,” she said. “And that’s what scares me.”
Dinner continued in fragments—small talk, half-smiles, long pauses. The tension didn’t disappear, but it mellowed into something quieter, more contemplative.
When they finished, Leo stood and collected the plates. “You should get some rest,” he said. “Tomorrow’s going to be long.”
She rose too, hesitating before speaking. “Leo?”
“Yes?”
“I didn’t pull away because I didn’t want you.”
His chest tightened.
“I pulled away because if I let myself lean in,” she continued, “I don’t know if I’d be strong enough to stop.”
Their eyes locked.
“She turned and walked toward the stairs, leaving him standing there with a truth he couldn’t ignore