Waterfall Kisses (The Kisses 9)

“So that's how he became your assistant. I'd always wondered,” I said. Leo frowned. “I mean, he's got strong skills, but there were always better applicants. I can see why you picked him.”

“Thing were good.” Leo shrugged. “And then he came to me a few months ago. He'd gotten back into bad habits.”

“And you helped him again.” I smoothed out the fabric of my shorts with my palms. They were all wrinkled from wearing them all night.

“Yes. I helped him pay off his new debt and get back in the program.” Leo shook his head and sighed. “But I made it very clear that I wasn't happy. The whole point of helping him get this job was to give him a way out. I told him never again. Bailouts are not the answer, even with unlimited money.”

“And now, he's back in debt, but he can't come to you,” I said, putting the pieces together. “Which is why he took the money from the slush fund. He didn't know it was so closely monitored, and he was hoping to just replace it before it was noticed.”

“That's what I think as well,” Leo agreed.

“But what about the blackmail? How would he know about the bet you made in college?” I asked. “How did he know it was something you would be willing to pay to keep quiet?”

“He would know because he was there when I made the bet. I didn't think he saw how much I won, but apparently he did.” Leo's jaw twitched as he tightened it. “He put the pieces together and realized that my 'loan' was that bet. It doesn't take a genius to figure the rest out. Especially how I feel about you.”

“And now you think he's blackmailing you.” I hated the way it sounded. I hated the way it made my stomach knot up. I wished I could just fix all of it and make it so that Leo was perfect again.

But I couldn't. I knew the truth now.

“But how do you know it's him? He could just be a thief, not a blackmailer,” I pressed.

“I had Murdoch check his phone records and follow up.” Leo's eyes caught a predatory gleam. “He didn't cover his tracks very well once Murdoch pushed a few people. It's him.”

I fell back into the seat, numb. How could Toby do this? Leo had done everything he could to help Toby and yet Toby was throwing it back in his face. Blackmail. Theft.

“If you had just told us about the bet five years ago, none of this would have happened,” I blurted out. I was so tired I wasn't censoring my words any more. It wasn't the kindest thing to say, but it was true. “All you had to do was tell us where the loan money really came from, Leo.”

“I'm so sorry, Charlotte.” He took a shaky breath. Defeat hung on his shoulders. “You're absolutely right, though. You have no idea how many times I tried to tell you. How many times I tried to tell Bastian. I told Gabe once when he was drunk, but he didn't believe me.”

“You should have told me,” I replied, my voice heated but the anger was burned out. I had been so worried about him that I wasn't angry anymore.

“You wouldn't have looked at me the same.” Leo turned. “Do you see why I pushed you away for so long? You deserve someone better than me.”

“I don't want anyone else,” I said stubbornly. I stared at the floor for a moment, but needing to put voice to the hurt in my heart. I trusted Leo. Up until today, I didn't know of a single lie he ever told me. But this lie was huge. “But you did lie to me. To my brother and your friend.”

“I hated lying,” Leo confessed, his face falling. “To everyone, but especially you. You'd look at me with so much trust everyday and I knew I was nothing but a liar. It's why I never let myself have you. You deserve someone that doesn't lie. I'd understand if you never wanted to see me again.”

I looked over at him, ready to tell him he was right. But, when I looked at him, I didn't see a man who lied to me.

I saw a man who loved me. Who had tried every day since that day to make it up to all of his friends. A man who helped others. A man with demons but who was determined to fight them. I saw the way he always went above and beyond without being obvious about it. The small things he did to make the world a better place, ever asking for recognition or payment.

He was a good man who made a mistake.

But mostly, I saw love. I saw that he was a human being who loved me. I didn't want to be mad anymore. I had already forgiven him. He wasn't completely off the hook, but if I had made the same mistake, I would hope he would see past it and forgive me. So, I was going to forgive him. He had his heart in the right place, even if he hadn't gone about it in the right way.

He was no longer perfect in my eyes. He was human, and in a way that made him so much better. He was real. We were real. I wasn't perfect, and now neither was he. He had lost his god-like status in my mind, which meant we could have a future together because we were both mere mortals.

“Leo.” I picked up his good hand and held it in mine. I loved the way it felt. The weight of his palm against mine and the rough pads of his fingertips. “It was a mistake a long time ago. Yeah, I'm a little angry, but... I love you. I don't want anyone else. I never have.”

“I don't want there to be any secrets between us,” Leo replied. His eyes were bright with emotion. “I love you. I don't want to keep anything from you ever again.”

“You need to tell Bastian and Gabe. They deserve to know, too.”

“I know. I plan on it.” Fear flickered across his face followed by resolve. “Will you help me?”

“Always,” I promised. I meant it, too.

“Thank you, Charlotte.” He smiled and squeezed my hand. “I love you. So much.”