NOTE: I REVISED BEFORE YOU GO, SO THERE WILL BE SOME MISINFORMATION IN THIS ONE REGARDING LEON & ELIZA'S RELATIONSHIP. I WILL FIX IT SOON, THOUGH!
* I would HIGHLY recommend reading BEFORE YOU GO and THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR before you read this novel...
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Leo
The past couple of weeks have been strange. People walk up to me on a regular basis, evidently trying to get closer to Aria by asking me how we met and then continuing on the conversation until they're comfortable enough to ask me for an autograph. I politely decline each time, saying it's not within my jurisdiction to decide if Aria wants to sign autographs; that they will have to ask her themselves. It works...most of the time. If a little kid approaches me, eyes wide with fascination, and asks me if I think Aria could sign a hockey stick for them, I sometimes crack. There's just something about little kids meeting their idols that hits me in a soft spot.
This new reputation I have is difficult to balance. On one hand, I enjoy that people refer to us as a couple and are interested in our well-being, wishing us nothing but the best. On the other hand, Aria and I can barely go anywhere together anymore. The fact that Aria Madden, the daughter of the one and only Luke Madden, has a boyfriend is something the media has apparently been waiting for. Out of pure curiosity, I succumbed to the modern world and created a subtle Twitter account just to see what was going on. As it turns out, Aria and I were...trending in Canada the other day. Whatever the hell that means.
I love Aria so much I can't express it in words or actions. I never thought I'd say this, and I feel selfish even thinking it, but I'm glad she nearly hit me with the vehicle. If she hadn't, I don't think we would have had the connection we do.
That being said, as much as I love her, I don't particularly love the fact that even when I'm not with Aria, I can barely get any privacy out in public. I tried to go to the local bookstore the other day, and I was bombarded with questions and people asking me if I could take a selfie with them. It's also making completing the bucket list a lot harder than need be. At the rate we're going, there's no way Aria and I are going to be able to finish this before summer ends. Which is something I need to finish. It's the main reason why I came here. If I don't get it done, then I don't fulfil one of my main purposes.
As I stare out at the pasture before me, bathed in the golden light of the dusky sunset, I run my hand through my hair. I've been wanting to tell Aria about the issues I'm having with this, about how badly it's affecting my anxiety, but she's so happy I can't bring myself to do so. Things have been going perfect for her. She's become a little more familiar with her captaincy, the majority of the knowledge coming from her dad, and her training sessions have really picked up. It subtracts from our time together, but I don't mind. I knew what I was signing up for when I committed to this relationship. There's nothing I want more than for Aria to be happy.
"You know, your dad always used to get that look on his face when he was lost in deep thought."
I tear my gaze away from the view ahead of me and glance over my shoulder. Kit is approaching me, two frosted glasses in his hands. The liquid is amber-coloured and I can hear the sound of ice cubes clinking against the glass.
