WHAT IF

Trial (2)

                  The audience clapped endlessly with joy but it's pain and tears I was standing on, forcing a smile, I had to move from the front but raising my ankle was a problem, but how long would this continue?, to cover up the pain and put a smile, I looked at my father whom I was doing all this for, he was happy and proud.  I thought of my mother that I wanted to show that I was worth something.
                "Let's go love." Andrew moved forward getting me. I could barely walk but no one needed to know this.
                "Valerie..." A deep calm voice called from behind us as we were being congratulated by most business men. I turned to see who was calling me,my jaw dropped, I was happy and surprised.
               "Mr Collins." Andrew called.
               "Leon...." I happily called, I didn't have to force my smile to wide and big. Leon laughed.
               "Come on, don't keep it in." he laughed spreading his arms for me.
Without hesitation I rushed to him, he tightly embraced me.
                "I missed you so much love." Leon smiled. I laughed holding him tight as well.
                 "You have no idea how much I missed you." to this statement I could cry, tears were flooding already.
Leon is what I can call the good days of my life, he was home, comfort, he was the light in the darkness, I grew up with him.

                "Ahem." Andrew loudly cleared his throat. We separated moving a step back away from each other.
                 "How do you know each other?"  Andrew asked.
                "He...."
                "It's a lot deeper than you can expect. " Leon interrupted me telling Andrew.
I smiled at his statement and he smiled at me. Andrew seemed so curious but there was another look he was giving me.
                "How long has it been?" Leon asked
                "Eight years." he laughed. I smiled at him, how much he had grown, he is taller than me yet I used to be taller than him, handsome and muscular, very attractive I must say.
                "I brought you something." Leon said.
                "Really?" I was excited.
                "Can I borrow her for just a while?" Leon said to Andrew with a smile.
Before Andrew said a word, Leon held my hand leading the way, I followed a long to see what he had gotten for me after all those years. We reached to the elevator and we got inside, Leon pressed the button to last flow. I kept on looking at him wondering the life he lived.

             "Your husband must be pretty jealous." Leon said. I kept quiet trying to process what he meant by that statement. The Andrew I knew was cold, or maybe jealous for the business men that have what he doesn't have.
              "But you have nothing that Andrew should be jealous about." I said smiling at Leon.
              "Ouchhhh" Leon frowned squeezing his chest area. We both laughed.
              "You seem like you don't know that." Leon said. I was confused to what he meant.
              "Me having a relationship with you, a strong one, and handsome and rich." Leon bragged. I laughed, I knew he was trying to make me smile. The elevator opened and he led the way to his suite, when we got in, I immediately rushed for where to sit, my ankle was killing mi.
            "Are you okay?" He asked.
            "Yes am okay." I lied.
            "Can I have some ice " i asked.
Leon immediately went to the kitchen and got the ice, I removed my heels and gently put the ice on my bruised ankle.

               "Let me help with that." Leon knelt down to my feet. Gently he raised my leg resting it in his raised  knee.
           "How did you get  hurt?" He asked.
            "The heels....." I tried to lie.
For a while apart from Amanda, no one has ever cared for me like this, it was touching, Leon moved up and down getting the medicine to apply on, then the bandage to tie around
           "Thank you." I said once he was done.
           "You should see a doctor." he said sitting across me.
          "I will." I smiled a bit. He then stood up getting something wrapped and handing it to me.
           "Hope you like it." he said. I immediately opened it,
           "Leon....." I was happy to see this.
           "You always wanted one so I got you one" Leon said. I smiled, it was a ship model closed in a glass bottle, I always wanted to have one since I was a child and he got me one.
           "I should get going." I sadly said.
           "Aren't you happy about the gift?" he asked.
           "I am so happy." I smiled joyfully. 
           "But Andrew is probably not functioning without me." I added.
Leon gave me a sad smile, with a short bit of silence
            "Am I too late?" he asked sadly.
            "Valerie, I have worked my black ass hard enough so that I could find you, just hoping I find you." he added sadly.
I remained silent, his words eating me up, how I wish he had come early, how I wish it was back then. I grabbed my heels putting them back on.
            "Thanks for the gift." I smiled standing up to leave.
            "Are you leaving because you don't want to be here or you're leaving because it has to do with Andrew?" Leon asked, his voice deep, his look was in the middle of anger and jealous. How I wish I could tell him it has nothing to do with Andrew but it's Andrew.