I fell asleep at Leonardo Ramero Vasquez's mansion and woke up in his arms.
I repeat.
I fell asleep at Leonardo Ramero Vasquez's mansion and…
WOKE
UP
IN
HIS
ARMS.
One minute I was laying down to rest my head and the next I found Leonardo's arms over mine. His face tilted a few inches of mine wearing dark brown eyes matching my absolute shock. I didn't allow another moment to pass for him to explain as my body chose to react in the most theatrical way possible.
A scream that could open San Andrea's Vault and be heard from all of South America escapes my capped lips and showers the mansion halls, awakening Sir Stefan and Omar. To make matters worse, with an iron fist under his stomach, I punch Leonardo off the bed and directly to the marble floor.
I guess between fight or flight, I chose to fight.
He groans in pain as the edge of the nightstand hits his arm on the way to his fall. The bed was about three feet from touching the ground floor.
Without missing another beat, Omar kicks my bedroom door off its hinges, pointing a loaded black pistol at the window.
Another shriek pours out of my mouth, not because of Omar, but of what he was holding.
"Isa are you okay- Leo?" Omar pauses, shifting the weapon to the figure that has stood from the ground.
"Oh, dear god." I huff, pulling the blanket closer to my face. "Can this day get any worse?"
Right behind Omar, comes Sir Stefan with a silver metal baseball bat. "Don't worry Ms. Stephanie, I will protect you-" He swung it a few times, breaking the side of the already opened door. I did not want to think about how expensive its repair was going to be.
"I'm okay!" I shout from under the thick covers.
"Omar put the gun away please." Leonardo raises both of his arms in the air, vulnerable to any bullet.
Sir Stefan and Omar simultaneously put their weapons down in embarrassment."My apologies Mr. Leonardo. Come, Omar. These two need to…talk."
"I am so sorry, Leonardo. Please don't fire me. I thought she was being attacked and wanted to follow your orders to keep her sa-"
"It's fine, Omar. You can still keep your job." Leo tries to reassure him, but Omar persists in apologizing. With his eyes, Leonardo gestures to Sir Stefan to console Omar elsewhere, as I was uncomfortable and wanted an explanation on how on earth did he end up in the same bed as mine.
"I'm such a terrible bodyguard. What if Ms. Vasquez was right?" Omar moans over to Sir Stefan as they both exit the room and down the hall. Leo attempted to close the door to give us some privacy, but with complete failure, the door stayed ajar.
Leonardo sighed and sat on the sofa across the bed. He lifts the lid of the middle sofa stand and pulls out a water bottle to place on his shoulder. Feeling guilty, I march up to him, grab another bottle from the cooler, and hold it over the hand wrapped in layers of compression bandage.
"Did you take out the shards of glass?" I ask, analyzing the swelling of his hand. It's gotten down and there was no sight of blood to be found.
"I had a private nurse come down to take care of it."
"Was she cute?" I raise my right eyebrow. Look I'm not one to play Cupid but if I can find someone who can make Leo happy and can get his parents off both of our backs, I am completely game.
"He was sweet." Leonardo jokes, and flinches when I press the water bottle too hard. "Ouch. Easy."
"Sorry. I was hoping,"
"That I would find a match so soon?" Leo continues my sentence.
"Yes."
He chuckles with a half-hearted sigh. "I hate to break it to you Estrella but I don't think I'll find anyone any time soon."
"And why is that?" My attention span perked from zero to one hundred.
Leonardo has a crush? Leonardo actually likes someone other than himself. Who would have thought?
"Because she's emotionally unavailable."
"But is she single?"
"Estrella. You can't make someone like you."
"But what if she does."
"I doubt it." Leonardo scoffs, tossing his head back to get his hair out of my eyes. "Anyways. Going back to this." He gestures around the room with this head. "Allow me to explain what happened."
"Yes please do." I frown at the broken door to the left of us, past the bathroom.
"Well, after I had gotten off my phone call, my nurse, Dean, came in to wrap up my arm. After he did, I went up to this room and saw you in your room. I was trying to wake you up but then you grabbed me and wouldn't let go…" Leo drifts near the end and tells me to grab my phone. I asked him why and he suggested I grab it and open my camera roll.
I turn my phone on and find the most humiliating footage of myself holding Leonardo's wrist captive and tugging him to me to use as a pillow. As someone who had sleepwalked, sleep talked, and according to Beth, sleep juggled, there was no doubt I had indeed dragged Leonardo to lay next to me. As we watched, Leo explained that he didn't feel comfortable recording me on his phone, so he took mine. "I used your phone so you can delete the video on your terms."
I pause the video and cover my face with my free hand. "Oh my god. I am so sorry Leo. I had no clue. I'm glad you recorded it because clearly I was the problem." I turn the screen off and ignore the incoming messages exploding on my cell phone. I am bound to check them eventually.
"I guess I thought you were Mr. Wally or something."
"Mr. Wally?"
"My weighted walrus plushie. He's twice the size of you. I won him in the carnival last year with Beth." I murmur under my breath. "Meugh, I wish I could compensate by helping to fix your door, but I don't think I can afford to sell my right kidney at the moment."
The side of Leo's mouth perks. "It's fine, Estrella. You meant no harm. Though that punch was personal." He grimaces, analyzing the scratch across his arm. "I'll consider that a reminder to wait until morning to talk to you."
From his back pocket, Leo's phone vibrates. He sees the name on the screen and curses under his breath. Omar and Sir Stefan receive the same, as they both run up the stairs to notify Leo of what seems to be another wave of mayhem.
"Don't tell me it's bad news."
Stefan and Omar both stare at with fallen eyes with their phones bright on their screen. An incoming call comes from Beth, and I answer it.