Ballet With The Bad Boy

Chapter 29

"What can I get for you hun?" The smiley waitress looked at me as Leo was still glancing through the menu. I had already made up my mind, my eyes instantly spying the English breakfast option. It had been so long since I'd had one and and just the thought made my mouth water.

"The English Breakfast, without tomatoes, and a hot chocolate please." I replied, handing my menu back to her.

"And for you Leo? Wanna change it up from pancakes this time?" She questioned and my suspicions were correct. Leo had definitely been here before.

How many times? Did he always bring his girlfriends here?

I didn't know why I started to put these thoughts in my own head as it made me feel uneasy.

"I think I'll have the same as Eli, but orange juice instead." Leo handed his menu back to the waitress and she jotted down his order. With one final smile, she made her way back over to the counter.

"Been here before then?" I asked, gently pulling the hoodie off as the cafe was toasty warm.

"I've been coming here since I was like 6 or 7. My Uncle runs it, so I always get discount." He winked at the end of his sentence and I rolled my eyes.

"You think he's here?"

"Most probably, he lives in the flat above and he's usually cooking." Leo shrugged his hoodie off too, chucking it over the table to my side of the bench where I had placed my jumper.

"If he knows it's me, he'll definitely make an appearance." He sighed, tying his dirty blond hair up with a hair band on his wrist. I notice it was my hair band that I gave to him at practice the other week.

"Is that a bad thing?" I questioned. By this time, a steaming mug of hot chocolate was placed in front of me, whipped cream and marshmallows coating the top of it.

"Thanks Michelle." Leo gladly took his glass of orange juice, practically downing half the glass with one gulp.

I waited a few minutes before attempting to drink mine. Leo was about to say something to me but my phone ringing from my pocket stopped him in his tracks.

Pulling it out of my pocket, I saw Harvey's name on the screen and I felt a pit form in my stomach. Placing my fingers to my lips, signalling for Leo not to speak, I pressed accept call.

"Hey."

"Where are you?" His voice sounded slightly annoyed, sleepy as well so I was guessing he'd only just woken up.

"I'm just getting some food. I'll be back home in a couple of hours." I replied, glancing to Leo who had moved so he went to hold my free hand that I was resting on the table.

The gesture put a small smile on my face, easing the pit in my stomach slightly.

"Whatever. I've put your key under the doormat." Was all he said before cutting the call.

Wow. Harvey was really punishing me. I held my phone next to my ear for a few moments, my brain trying to reel in the fact that my brother wasn't planning on being nice anytime soon.

"He still punishing you?" Leo asked gently, his thumbs rubbing over my knuckle.

Sighing, I nodded my head and shoved my phone back into my pocket.

"He's never been this mad at me before. Sure, we've had our arguments like any siblings do, but this time I've crossed a line and I don't know if he'll ever truly forgive me for it." The situation was getting to me and I had to blink profusely to remove the tears that had started to form.

"I don't get why this such a major thing to him? Surely he's seen his sister kiss someone before?" Leo asked and I had to laugh a little, shaking my head at him.

"Unfortunately it's not that simple." We parted hands as two plates of steaming hot food were placed in front of us.

"Harvey tells pretty much all of his friends that I'm a 'no go area'. That basically means that none of them are even allowed to think of me in that way. Not only that, but I had told Harvey that we were both done with you. I explained this to you before, so he's taking it out on me for going back on my word."

My explanation made Leo's eyebrows furrow slightly. He took a bite of his food and thought while he chewed.

"So what you're saying is, he's pissed that he kept his part of the deal and you were kissing me?"

I pulled a confused face. Wasn't that basically what I just said?

"What if I got him to like me again?"

I thought for a moment. It won't be easy for Leo to gain Harvey's trust again, but it wasn't completely impossible.

"You can try... But that means we'll have to be very careful with how we see each other." I said with a look of disappointment.

I mean, I was used to hiding my relationships from Harvey, but this time he's going to be watching both of us like a hawk.

Leo nodded, as if accepting the challenge that we faced. The next few weeks were going to be hard. I wanted Harvey to forgive me and I wanted to be with Leo.

Having both happen at the same time felt like an impossible task. I just hoped it all worked.

It felt like we had exhausted the topic so we focused more on eating than talking.

It didn't take long for us to finish our food, which was absolutely divine.

I cleaned up the table when we'd finished, stacking the plates up and making sure the table was neat and tidy for the waitress to clean up.

As I was finishing my hot chocolate, a bellowing voice from behind me made me jump.

"Leo! How's my favourite nephew!" A large man with dark brown hair made his way over to our table. He grabbed a chair from the table next to us and pulled it up so he was sitting in the middle of us.

At first, Leo looked slightly uncomfortable but covered it up with a flash of a smile.

"Hey Uncle Jack," He shook the hand that Jack had offered to him "How's Aunt Caitlin?"

"As good as ever, she's started that new no-carb diet, so you can imagine how well that's going while living above a café!" His cackling laughter hit my ears and made me wince slightly from the volume.

Leo pushed a laugh out too, his eyes flickering from his Uncle to me.

Jack also followed Leo's gaze to me.

"Who this lass then?" He questioned, his eyes practically scanning my every feature.

"Uh, this is Eliana. She's my-" Leo paused for a second, his eyes wondering around for the right word to use.

"Girlfriend." I finished for him, holding my hand out for Jack to shake too. Leo shot me a look that made me regret my words.

Did he not want people knowing that we were together? Or had I jumped the gun by calling myself his girlfriend?

My brain was whirring so much I barely registered Jacks hand in mine.

"Oh blimey! Really Leo! What a catch my boy!" Jack nudged Leo suggestively, laughing loudly again.

Leo forced another smile, nodding his head to his Uncle.

"Right, well, I won't keep you. Got food to cook you know!" Jack jumped up from his seat, placing his hand on Leo's shoulder "You look more like my brother every time I see you. I bet you miss your old man. I know I do."

My eyes widened. Jack was Leo's Dad's brother. Did he not know what he had done?

"Catch you later, kids." He shouted over his shoulder as he walked away.

The most uncomfortable silence fell and I couldn't have felt worse for Leo in that moment.