8. Devil In A Designer Suit

Leon Camdon is the devil in a designer suit.

Dressed like he's going to dinner at the Met, with his hair swept up into a careless look that screams 'I spent five minutes arranging this, but I want you to think I look effortlessly hot'. Okay, maybe I'm stretching, but he knows what he's doing. I can tell by the smug expression on his face.

That's until his eyes land upon Holland, slowly dragging towards me. And then his face becomes stone. Impassive and unbreakable. The man looks like he wants to kill someone. He looks like he wants to kill me.

"Why is your brother here?" I question, not letting my eyes leave Leon, too scared that I'll blink and he'll be behind me with a knife at my throat.

"No clue." I can hear the sincere confusion dripping from Holland's voice.

To my misfortune, instead of heading in the opposite direction and avoiding us at all costs, Leon begins making his way towards our table. I quickly and shamelessly turn my head back around to Holland, pretending I was never looking in his direction in the first place.

Not to my surprise, Holland gives his brother the dirtiest look, which in a way I'm grateful for. Because only God knows how bad I want to get back at Leon for his stupid games. He thinks he has the power? Just he wait until I'm fucking his brother in his apartment. We'll see who has the power then.

"I wouldn't have expected to find you two here," Leon almost spits down at us. I don't even give him the respect of looking up at him. And why would I?

"I thought you were going to Chicago for work?" Holland asks.

Huh, looks like I'm not the only one going around telling lies.

"Plans changed."

I can feel the heat of his gaze against my back. It scolds me like a brand, and all I want to do is scurry away until I'm back in the safe confines of my bed.

"And speaking of that, I don't want you bringing... anyone back to the apartment. I have company."

I don't know why, but that of all things has me turning my head up towards him. It's only then that I realise there is a tall blonde standing beside him, dressed in a beautiful red dress, looking like a Hollywood star. How did I not realise he was here with someone? Of course he is, he wouldn't just come here by himself. Idiot.

"Is this your brother?" She asks, hooking her arm around Leon's. The worst part of me recoils at the sight.

"Yes, this is Holland."

"It's nice to meet you." She smiles sweetly in Holland's direction, and he gives a warm smile back. I swear Holland is too good for this world. How in the hell are he and Leon related, let alone brothers.

Her eyes then flick to me. "You must be the girlfr—"

"Friend." Leon says.

I chew the inside of my cheek. I can't believe he is still trying to maintain the delusion that I'm not going out with his brother. I'm literally on a date with him right now. "What?" Leon's date furrows her brows, looking back at him.

I don't give him the chance to say anything before I butt in. "I'm Phoebe, and you must be the girl unfortunate enough to be going out with Leon."

She laughs like I'm joking.

Leon doesn't like that and he tightens his grip around the girl's arm, shooting me a glare. "Lucy dear, we should be getting to our table." She nods like a good little date and Leon tugs her away from us without so much as a goodbye.

"Is he always like that?" I ask.

Holland raises a brow accusingly. "Always like what, an arse?"

"No, I don't mean—" I try to backtrack but he just smiles.

"I'm just joking around, Leon has always been like this, though it has increased quite a bit recently. He must have something going on at work stressing him out or something."

I just nod my head like I agree.

***

Holland and I order our meals, talking about everything from college to our most embarrassing childhood moments. As much as I don't want to, I find myself actually enjoying his company. He knows how to make me laugh and carry a conversation to something else when he senses it's dying.

I hate to admit my shallow impression of him was wrong. Sure, Holland is a sweet teddy bear, but I failed to see why that was actually a bad thing. Maybe it's because I've only ever surrounded myself with toxic men who like to be pricks, or maybe I'm just a shallow person.

"You should've seen the look on my Mum's face when she saw the mess I'd made." Holland says, and I laugh along to the silly childhood memory. Holland is just effortlessly funny, and something about that is appealing to me. I never would've thought I could fall for a guy like him.

My phone buzzes within the depths of my leather jacket and I fumble through the pockets looking for it. I pull it out and look at the screen to see someone is calling me.

"Sorry, is it alright if I take this?" I ask Holland.

"Of course!"

I stand from the table and hurry over to the bathroom where it's more quiet before answering.

"Hello?"

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't hang up on me this time."

I suck in a pained breath, pulling the phone away from my ear, almost instinctively going to hang up. Why does he keep trying to contact me? I should've got a new sim card the first time he was able to reach me. I won't make that mistake again.

"I don't want you to contact me." I grit.

"It's a shame we don't always get what we want." His smooth voice speaks through the phone.

"And what is it you want?"As much as I'd like to act oblivious as to why he keeps trying to reach me, I know he wants something that only I can give him. Otherwise he wouldn't bother. Because it's not like I have much of importance to give, if at all.

"Always straight to the point, Phoebe. Why no 'I miss you' or 'when can I see you again'?"

"Cut the bullshit, you know very well why I'm not greeting you with open arms. So why don't you do exactly that, and get to the point." I spit.

There's a moment of silence on the other end, and I'm scared for a moment that he's going to start yelling obscenities and promises to murder me in my sleep. But he does no such thing. "I do miss you, you know." He says softly.

My heart catches in my throat.

"Yeah well," I take a deep breath. "I can't say the same."

Silence again. And then, "I'm sad to hear that."

Me too. I almost say.

A loud knock on the bathroom door kicks me out of my thoughts. I pull the phone away from my ear and yell, "one moment!"

"Where are you?" He asks curiously.

"None of your business, now what do you want?"

I turn the tap on, pretending to wash my hands.

"Did you take anything from the accident?"

"What? No." I say firmly.

"Don't lie to me." No longer does he speak with the soft caring voice. Back to that callous business tone.

"Why would I lie?" I scoff. "That wouldn't benefit me in any way."

"You don't do anything that doesn't benefit you, so you tell me."

"I can't believe you," I laugh humourlessly. "I barely made it out of that house with my life, I didn't have any time to go digging for hidden treasures. So don't come to me telling me I'm a liar, when I don't remember you ever being there." I can feel tears gathering in the corners of my eyes and I quickly hang up the phone, not wanting to talk with him anymore.

I turn off the tap to the sink and unlock the door, heading back into the bustling restaurant. It's suffocating and I can feel myself at the beginning of a panic attack.

I frantically look for a place that I can escape to before I'm spotted by Holland, but in my blurred and panicked haste, I failed to notice the man standing right before me.

"Bailing on your date so soon?"

###

Unedited

Hey Guys!!!

Leon is such an asshole, and who is this mystery man on the phone?

Random question of the day:

What is your favourite holiday?

Mine is probably christmas, but not the day itself. I just love the lead up and excitement!

Love ya'll!!

-FoggyCloudyWords

xxx