Taunt

Chapter 27- Taunting Sharings

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"I can't go see him Leo. I can't. I won't. He has no right to ask me to go see him. Not after what he did."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Who are you talking about Amelia?" I asked.

Her lip trmebled as she said the next words, making my heart ache more than it already was.

"Levi, Leo. Levi wants to see me."

It was in that moment I knew. I knew why she was terrified all this time.

All this time, Amelia built a wall around herself. To protect herself from things she couldn't face. From people she couldn't see again.

She refused to face her past.

And it was then I heard the voice in the back of my head, nagging at me to say something to her, anything to let her know she wasn't alone. That she didn't ever, ever, have to go through something alone again. Not this time. Not when I'm here and understand her.

For once, I listened to the voice.

Without thinking twice, I clasped her hand even tighter in mine, and leaned closer towards her. Her frenzied state came to a halt for a moment then, as she turned to me with her bottom lip trembling. My eyes never wavered from hers as I spoke next.

"Amelia, you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, but just know that you deserve answers. I know better than anyone that not getting closure is the worst form of living torture," I said calmly.

And again, Amelia Harrison did something completely out of the ordinary.

Her eyes finally softened, the storm in them simmering down. She turned her hand over, making our palms touch. And then she tightened her fingers around mine in a reassuring squeeze.

I froze under her stare. Her eyes that shone with so much sadness before, were now mixed with an empathetic look, making me forget how to breathe.

Jamal was right.

I think I do need a ventilator.

I finally remembered how to get my lungs to function again and broke her gaze, taking in a deep breath as I did so. I looked down to our joined hands, feeling more calm than I did moments ago and spoke.

"Moonie, I'm supposed to be consoling you right now. Not the other way around-"

"Leo, I know you have something you want to share. Just know that whenever you do, I'll be here listening, okay?" she whispered.

My eyes snapped up to hers in an instant. All the feelings I felt just a few seconds ago, came rushing back in waves, as I stared at Amelia in wonder.

I watched her for the longest time, trying to memorize this moment. She had tears running down her cheeks, her hair was falling around her, some strands sticking to her face, and she was just hit with the newfound information that her brother wanted to meet her. Yet here she was, holding my hand and telling me that it was okay to share my demons with her.

I wonder if she could see in me right now just how much I adored her.

There was no way to explain this burst of feeling I had with her. It was unexplainable, and it was unstoppable.

Before I could blurt out something stupid to her, Amelia cleared her throat and finally broke away from my stare. Her gaze landed on our joined hands and it was then that the storm in her eyes returned.