Chapter 23

“Kissing Booth? Really?” I complained aloud, the name itself making me cringe. The title spoke volumes, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for this.

It was 8 o'clock, and we were all gathered in the living room: Clara, Leonard, and me, ready to watch the chosen movie.

“If you're going to watch a movie, you might as well watch the best,” Clara bragged as she moved to turn off the lights, transforming the room into a makeshift cinema.

She sat next to me and handed me the bowl of popcorn that Leonard had bought.

“You know, we could have just watched an adventure movie or a comedy,” I grumbled, trying my best to avoid the inevitable awkwardness.

“Given that ‘kissing’ is in the title, there's probably going to be a lot of it,” I whispered to Clara, who chuckled in response.

“If Clara picked it, it’ll be good,” Leonard chimed in, his voice smooth and steady.

“It's just kissing, Eva. What's the big deal?” Clara whispered back, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“The big deal? It’s going to be awkward watching people make out in front of Leonard. *Your boss*,” I emphasized, hoping she'd reconsider.

“I feel like I should join in on the whispering,” Leonard said as he got up from his couch and, to my horror, sat right next to me.

Great.

I grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into my mouth, hoping to silence any further complaints.

Clara pressed play, and the movie began. I sat perfectly still, making sure not to accidentally brush up against Leonard. Occasionally, I made comments like, “He’s cute,” or “She’s pretty,” trying to keep things light, but every time I said something, I could feel Leonard’s eyes on me.

Don’t ask me how I knew. I just did.

Halfway through the movie, Elle kissed her crush, and while it was adorable, I couldn’t shake the awkwardness I felt sitting so close to Leonard. I focused on the screen, trying to ignore him, but when I reached into the popcorn bowl, I felt my hand brush against his.

I flinched, exactly what I was trying to avoid.

Slowly, I turned my head, only to find him already looking at me. I quickly looked away, my face growing hot.

By the end of the movie, emotions began to well up inside me. Elle had to give up Noah because he was her best friend’s brother. It was so sad, and before I knew it, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

“Eva, are you crying?” Leonard’s face was suddenly in front of mine, scanning me for confirmation.

“No,” I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my fingers.

“My bad. Never give a pregnant woman an emotional movie. She’ll cry over anything,” Clara teased.

“Okay, enough of the movie,” Leonard announced, leaning forward to grab the remote.

“No, I want to see the end!” I protested.

“Elle ends up with Noah, and Lee is happy for them,” Clara said, turning off the TV.

“Spoiler,” I pouted, but before I could say more, the bright lights flicked on, blinding me. I quickly got up and rushed to the kitchen, hoping Leonard wouldn’t see my tear-streaked face.

In the kitchen, I splashed cold water on my face, trying to compose myself. As I lifted my shirt to dry my face, I froze. Leonard was standing in the doorway, watching me.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I replied, grabbing a glass of water and taking a large gulp, trying to steady my nerves. My emotions were all over the place.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“You were crying. I wanted to make sure—”

“No, I mean, why are you here? This isn’t your house.” I paused, realizing how that sounded. “Well, it is your house, but you don’t live here, so why are you here?”

“I’m here because of you. You’re going through a lot right now, and I want to help take your mind off things. For the sake of the baby and your mental health.”

I scoffed. “What makes you think you’re the one to help me?”

“Because I care about you, Eva.”

“Well, I don’t need you to care about me. You’re the reason I’m in this mess in the first place.”

“Excuse me?” His voice deepened as he stepped closer, his intense gaze locking onto mine. “So it’s my fault now?”

“Yes, Leonard, it’s all your fault! You were the one who kissed me!” I fired back, my voice shaking with anger.

“And you kissed me back,” he countered, his tone firm.

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. He was right, and the truth of it stung. Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I hated how vulnerable I felt.

“Eva,” he said softly, his tone shifting.

I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my hand, pulling me back. Before I could protest, his lips crashed onto mine, his kiss taking my breath away. I pushed against his chest, trying to resist, but it was no use. When he finally pulled away, I slapped him hard across the face, the sound echoing in the room.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I glared at him, fury burning in my chest.

“Stay away from me,” I warned, my voice trembling before storming off to my room.

What was happening to me? Why did I have to go through all of this? I loved Kelvin. Why couldn’t Leonard understand that?

I needed to get Kelvin back. I needed to see him as soon as possible.

The next day, I had a doctor’s appointment. Leonard was nowhere to be found, so Clara accompanied me instead.

“Just one more month to go, and you’ll be free,” the doctor said after finishing the check-up. I smiled weakly and thanked her, but my mind was elsewhere.

The rest of the day blurred by, and though I tried to distract myself, my thoughts kept drifting back to Leonard. I felt guilty for slapping him, even though I told myself I had every right to.

Why didn’t things feel the same without him around?

I had to stop thinking about Leonard and focus on getting Kelvin back. I asked Clara to help me take my mind off things.

Her idea of a distraction? She took me to a club.

“Are you crazy?” I exclaimed as we reached the entrance.

“You wanted a distraction.”

“This...is a club,” I stressed.

“With a lot of distractions,” she replied, pulling me inside the noisy, crowded place.

“Leonard’s going to kill you if he finds out,” I warned.

We found a seat in a corner, and as we sat down, I gave her a suspicious look.

“I’m beginning to think you had ulterior motives for coming here.”

She smiled innocently and got up. “I’ll get drinks,” she said, waving me off.

While I waited, I scanned the room, watching people dance, drink, and party. How was this supposed to be a distraction?

My eyes wandered until they stopped on a familiar figure across the room. My heart clenched painfully as I realized who it was.

Kelvin.

He was sitting at the far end, a girl draped over him, giving him a lap dance. My chest tightened, and I could hardly breathe. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest.

“Eva?” Clara’s voice brought me back, but I couldn’t respond. I quickly stood up, blinking away the tears.

“We have to go,” I muttered, and to her credit, Clara didn’t argue.

Even after we got home, ate, and I tried to distract myself with a movie, nothing worked. The image of Kelvin with that girl played over and over in my mind.

Finally, I did the only thing I could.

I cried.