Chapter 2: Chapter 2

FRANCESCA

“Business partner?” I question, my eyes narrowing at the Italian man across from me. He’s been nothing but trouble since I met him, flirting, insulting me, and now he’s intruding on my reunion with Leo.

“Chris is the CEO of our New York branch,” Leo clarifies, and Chris—Mr. De Luca—flashes me a smug grin.

“Pleasure to meet you officially, ~Frankie~.” He’s still holding my hand, and he lifts it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against my skin. I can’t help the blush that spreads across my face, but I quickly pull my hand away.

“Likewise, Mr. De Luca,” I reply, forcing a polite smile and snuggling closer to Leo.

Mr. De Luca’s eyes flicker between Leo and me, a look of distaste crossing his face before he smirks again.

“Please, call me Chris.”

“Can we get going now?” Leo asks, taking my hand in his. He’s holding my duffle bag in his other hand, and we all head out of Heathrow Airport and into a waiting limo.

“You’re really pulling out all the stops, QB. I didn’t need the fancy treatment,” I say as the limo starts to move.

“This is how I roll now, Cheer,” Leo replies, a smirk playing on his lips, much like Christian’s.

“So, you’re not the sweet, carefree QB from Jackson anymore, huh?”

“Not exactly.” Leo chuckles. “But I’ll always be that guy with you, Frankie. We’ll always have Mississippi, Cheer.”

Leo and Christian start talking business—meetings, accounts, HR issues—and I tune them out, returning to my book, ~Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets~.

It’s not until Leo’s phone rings and I feel Christian’s gaze on me that I look up again.

“Good book?” Christian asks.

“Yes.”

“Maybe I should read it,” Christian muses, and I’m torn between ignoring him and being shocked that he hasn’t read it already.

“What?”

“I said maybe I should read it.”

“I heard you. How have you not read ~Harry Potter~?”

“Watch who you’re calling a moron, kitten,” Christian growls, his voice low enough that Leo can’t hear.

“But it’s a classic! There’s no excuse for not reading ~Harry Potter~.”

“Now you’ve done it.” Leo laughs as he hangs up his phone. “If there’s one thing Frankie is passionate about, it’s her books, especially ~Harry Potter~. How many times have you read it, Cheer?”

“At least fifty.”

“You should find a better way to spend your time,” Christian comments. “What do you do, anyway?”

“She’s an actress,” Leo says proudly before I can answer, and Christian raises an eyebrow in question.

“~Aspiring~ actress. I mostly write,” I clarify.

“Don’t listen to her! She’s been on Broadway,” Leo insists, and I don’t have the heart to correct him.

Technically, yes, I’ve been ~on~ Broadway. But I’ve never been in a cast. That doesn’t mean I’m not performing; I’m just not performing where Leo thinks I am.

“I’ll have to catch your next play,” Christian says, and from the way he’s looking at me, I know he’s figured me out.

I look away, focusing on the scenery outside. We’re leaving the city center.

“I thought you lived in the city.”

“I do, but I also have a house a bit further out. I thought we’d be more comfortable there for the summer.”

“We?”

“I think he means me,” Christian interjects.

“You’re staying the whole summer?”

“Don’t sound too disappointed,” he mutters.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Leo begins. “Actually, I need to ask you both something.”

“What is it, Leo?” I ask, suddenly anxious.

“Nothing bad, I promise. In fact, it’s great. I want you both to be my best man.”

“Best man?” I frown.

“Well, best woman in your case, but I want you both to stand with me when I get married.”

“Married?” Christian and I echo.

“I’m getting married,” Leo confirms, grinning.

“Since when?” I ask, a bit too bluntly.

“Since I met the girl of my dreams.”

I force myself to keep a straight face, even though I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.

~The girl of his dreams?~ ~Well, shit.~

~How am I supposed to compete with that?~

I bite my tongue to keep from crying. I dig my nails into my palm to distract myself.

Leo starts talking about ~Elizabeth~—or Beth, as he calls her. I manage to nod and smile, even though I’m falling apart inside.

“So, I guess this messes up our pact,” Leo says with a laugh as the limo pulls up to a mansion that’s four times the size of a normal house.

“Pact?” Christian asks.

“When we were seventeen, Francesca and I made a pact. If we weren’t married by the time we were thirty, we’d marry each other.”

~Only two years short...~

Leo gets out of the limo first, and I take a moment to compose myself.

“You love him.”

I glare at Christian.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think I do, kitten. I think you’ve loved him your whole life. I’d bet that at some point, he loved you back, but he was too stupid to do anything about it.”

“Hush,” I mutter, a single tear escaping and trailing down my cheek.

Christian’s thumb gently halts the tear’s journey down my face. I gasp at the unexpected touch.

“He’s not worth your tears, Francesca. You deserve someone who loves you for you, not someone who settles for you because of some silly pact.”

“Wow, thanks. That’s really comforting coming from the guy who thinks I’m a slut.” I roll my eyes and push past him, stepping out of the limo.

I freeze when I spot Leo, locked in a passionate kiss with a sophisticated brunette. Her hair, a rich dark brown, is neatly coiled into a bun atop her head.

She’s dressed in a yellow sundress and a light cardigan, which accentuates her flawless, porcelain English complexion.

The couple finally part, and the brunette, who I assume is Elizabeth, turns to me, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Oh, my goodness!” Her British accent is unmistakable as she speaks. “You must be Francesca! Leo has told me so much about you.”

“That’s funny, because I’ve heard nothing about you,” I reply, glancing at Leo who gives me a sheepish look.

I’m caught off guard when Elizabeth wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a warm hug.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you!” she exclaims mid-hug.

~Great, she’s nice.~

“Uh, you too,” I manage to say once we’ve pulled apart.

“Beth, this is Chris,” Leo introduces, and Christian extends his hand.

“Elizabeth, it’s a pleasure—oomph!” Christian’s greeting is cut short as Elizabeth pulls him into a hug using his extended hand. I can’t help but chuckle at his obvious discomfort.

“Come in, both of you!” Elizabeth invites, and I can’t help but notice the massive diamond ring on her finger as she gestures for us to enter the mansion.

“Oh, my bag!” I halt in the doorway, turning back to the limo.

“I’ve got it, Cheer,” Leo assures me, planting a quick kiss on my cheek before dashing back to the limo.

As I step into the foyer, I see Elizabeth and Christian engaged in conversation with another stunning brunette.

~Do they mass-produce them here or what?~

“I just can’t understand why Leo has been hiding you,” the new woman flutters her eyelashes. “It’s such a shame to keep such a handsome European man all to himself in New York.”

I approach the group, and the woman next to Beth narrows her eyes at me, her lips painted a bold red, pursed in disapproval.

“The servants’ entrance is around the back,” she snaps. “I’m so sorry the staff isn’t better trained, Christian.” Her tone softens as she addresses Christian, resting a hand on his muscular arm.

“Evie! She’s not a servant. This is Frankie Barton, Leo’s best friend since kindergarten. Frankie, this is my sister, Evelyn Walker.”

“Frankie?” Evelyn wrinkles her nose in distaste. “That’s a rather masculine name.”

Evelyn gives me a once-over, and I find myself standing a little taller. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s spoiled brats judging me without knowing a thing about me.

“And you’re rather masculine, but we’re not complaining,” Leo retorts from behind us, causing me to burst into laughter. I laugh even harder when I see Beth trying to suppress a smile.

“How kind of you to bring your ~platinum~ plaything along, Leo,” Evelyn sneers.

“That’s enough, Evelyn,” Leo warns.

“Is it? Have you announced your engagement to the ~bimbo~?”

“We get it, I’m blonde!” I retort, rolling my eyes.

“Yes, actually. I asked Francesca and Chris to be my best man and maid of honor.”

“How…progressive…I’m sure Daddy will be thrilled to foot the bill for that wedding.”

“Well, it’s not like he’ll be paying for yours anytime soon.” Leo smirks, and Evelyn looks ready to explode.

“Leo, please,” Elizabeth intervenes, placing a hand on his chest. “Why don’t you show Christian and Francesca to their rooms?”

Leo grumbles but leads the way up the stairs. Christian and I, unsure of what else to do, follow him. I quicken my pace to catch up to him, and he slows down slightly when he senses me beside him.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Miss Sourpuss?” I ask as we navigate a long hallway.

“She just gets under my skin.”

“That much is clear,” Christian chimes in, joining us on Leo’s other side.

“Beth puts up with her, but she struts around here like she owns the place. It’s my damn house.

“Their father owns several European newspapers, so both girls grew up wealthy. But Beth isn’t materialistic at all; she’s a lawyer, a pretty good one too.

“She’s not afraid to wear an outfit more than once. She gets her hair colored maybe once a year, and if possible, she actually hates shopping.”

“She sounds perfect,” I murmur.

“You two actually have a lot in common,” Leo comments, and my heart sinks.

~Great, I have a lot in common with the woman my love is marrying.~

“And Evelyn?” Christian probes, and I feel a pang of jealousy, but I quickly push it aside.

“Evelyn is the complete opposite. She’s not happy unless she’s spending money. She’s more obsessed with appearing rich than actually being rich.

“I met her first, and she stuck around like a bad smell. She’s hated me ever since I chose Beth over her.

“But enough about the Wicked Witch of Walker. Here are your rooms. You can fight over who gets which view.”

“You pick, Francesca,” Christian offers, surprising me.

I step into the first room and gasp at its size. The entire room is larger than my Brooklyn apartment, though that’s not saying much.

The room is decorated in shades of cream and blush pink. The furniture is lavish and clearly expensive. The centerpiece is a grand four-poster bed.

Tucked away in a corner is a cozy lounge area, complete with bookshelves and a television.

I gravitate towards the bay window, captivated by the view it offers. It overlooks the vast property and a breathtaking rose garden.

“Are you impressed?” Leo materializes behind me.

“Absolutely,” I respond, spinning around to face him with a smile. “This is incredible, Leo. Quite a step up from your old place in Jackson.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve tried to convince Mom and Dad to move. I could easily get them a bigger place.”

“But what would they do with all that extra room? Don’t get me wrong, Leo, this place is stunning, like something out of a dream, but it’s a bit much. No one needs this much space. There’s such a thing as too much luxury.”

I glance past Leo to see Christian looking at me, a genuine smile on his face.

Our eyes meet, and his smile vanishes, replaced by a serious expression.

“I’ll take this room.”

“You don’t want to see the other one?” Christian asks, sounding a bit taken aback.

“No need.” I flash him a smile, but he averts his gaze. He’s such an enigma, constantly fluctuating between warm and cold.