Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Feeling guilty, she texted him, cancelling their plans.
Though he was still at the office, he responded right away, asking why she wasn’t coming over as planned.
Not wanting to admit the truth, yet not wanting to lie, she simply told him that she wasn’t in the mood. It was a vague, but honest answer, one that made her mood even worse.
Leo didn’t push for more information, and she was relieved. She was midway through contemplating heating up some leftovers for dinner when a knock sounded on her door.
Cammie looked through the peephole, surprised to see Leo standing in the hall. A glance at the microwave clock told her it was six p.m. so he must have come straight from work.
Opening the door, she frowned when she realized he hadn’t buzzed so she could let him in. “How did you get in the building?” she asked.
“I told you this place isn’t the safest. One of your neighbors just held the door open for me when I walked up behind her.” He brushed against her as he strode into her apartment. “Now, what’s going on? Why did you cancel?”
Before she could answer, his gaze landed on her Christmas tree sitting in front of her living room window. Not that she had much of a view anyway, and she liked the idea of the tree being visible from the street.
His mouth opened wide as he took in the evergreen that was almost as tall as her ceiling. A colorful ornament hung from every branch. Multi-colored lights illuminated the entire living room, and a track circled the base with a battery-powered train.
His gaze continued around the room and she looked at her apartment from his point of view. On the coffee table, she’d set up a glass Christmas village and red ribbons decorated the front of her kitchen cabinets.
“This is… exactly what I expected,” Leo said, before looking back at her with soft eyes. “Full of Christmas cheer, just like you.”
She heard the compliment, saw the warm way his gaze settled on her face. But she wasn’t feeling the moment the way she should.
Closing her apartment door, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other while twisting her fingers together nervously. “Why are you here, Leo?”
His expression turned serious, and he moved closer. “I want to know what’s going on with you. Why did you cancel our date?”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I just… didn’t feel like getting together.”
His gaze narrowed. “Did I do something to upset you?”
She shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
He took one of her hands and ran his thumb over her knuckles while staring into her eyes. “But something or someone did,” he said, surprising her with his ability to see what she was trying to hide. “What was it, sweetheart? Who stole your smile?”
She wasn’t sure about telling him what happened, as if revealing the truth would make her humiliation worse but the concern in his eyes convinced her. Before she knew it, she’d admitted the whole story about the way the boutique owner had treated her.
She’d never seen Leo angry before but as she spoke, his facial features transformed until a muscle ticked in his jaw and his eyes were narrowed slits.
“I can’t believe they treated you that way,” he snarled. “It’s completely unacceptable.”
She nodded. “I agree, but I didn’t exactly stand up for myself, either. I was just so shocked.” She bit down on her lower lip, a mixture of embarrassment and anger rushing through her. At the woman, at herself. All of it.
“That’s not your fault,” he said, as he brushed his knuckle down her cheek. “The owner was dead wrong, and she needs to pay for that.”
Cammie hated the idea of a confrontation. “I don’t know… it’s probably not worth the fight. Maybe we should just forget about it.”
Leo shook his head. “Absolutely not. She’s going to learn that actions have consequences. But don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of everything.”
Cammie wasn’t the type to seek revenge or hold a grudge, but she had to admit it felt good to know he cared enough to fix things for her.
“As for the dress, we’ll go somewhere tomorrow to buy you a gown.”
She didn’t want to bother him with dress shopping. “You don’t have to go with me. I’m sure I can—”
“I’m coming,” he insisted. “I want to make sure you’re treated well.”
Her lips lifted in a smile. It had been a long time since someone had taken care of her. It was before her mom had gotten sick and Cammie had forgotten how good it felt. “Okay,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
After they wrapped up that conversation, Leo spent the rest of the evening at her apartment. He ordered pizza and sat on her living room couch while they ate the pie and watched Christmas movies. He didn’t hold back his criticisms, calling It’s a Wonderful Life a depressing movie and claiming that the Grinch was justified in his actions because the townspeople were annoying as hell, causing her to laugh in good-natured fun.