Hate, actually ✔

Chapter 28

I will love you as misfortune
loves orphans, as fire loves
innocence and as justice loves
to sit back and watch everything
g

o wrong."

- Lemony Snicket

●●●

Last night, Leo gave me a necklace as my birthday present. The pendant is a heart that has 'always in my heart -leo.' engraved on the back of it. I really wasn't planning on crying but there's no present on this earth that I would have loved more.

I am going to wear it for the rest of my life.

Today, there's a lady coming over to teach Kira how to swim. I'm terrified of the idea but Leo insists that it's essential for her to learn as quickly as possible.

He has been in a meeting for about an hour but he'll be back in a few minutes. We're going to have a cute picnic by the pool with Kira and be in the pool with her as well since she's become a little wary of new people. The picnic was my idea, of course.

I'm currently undoing my braids in front of the mirror. I only realize I'm going to swim anyway once I'm done undoing practically all of them.

My hair has grown so much and it looks great when I do braid outs. I've been wearing the same style for three months now (except for when I'm much too lazy). The pastel purple does wonders for my tan complexion, too. Mom and her entire family in Trinidad are quite tan so there wasn't really any way I was going to skip those genes.

I've always wanted to have my own unique aesthetic and Leo says I look like a fairy with the purple hair. I don't hate my nose freckles anymore, either. They kind of complete my 'look'. 

I catch myself smiling in my reflection. Blushing, even. I've been smiling for practically the entire day, it's starting to creep me out. Only Leonardo can have such an effect on me. I wonder if its even healthy to be this charmed by a single human being.

The entire morning, I talked to Myrtle about last night as well.

She asked me why I was so happy and boom- I just couldn't stop talking. Myrtle kept saying that she called it. I wonder how she could have guessed about something I had no idea could possibly happen.

●●●

I help Myrtle and the other house help to lay all the picnic things outside. I'm obsessed with the charcuterie board Myrtle put together.

Leo is upstairs changing. I have not seen him the entire day, we only spoke over text. I'm not going to lie - I'm nervous. About seeing him, I mean. What if he comes here and something clicks in his head that this isn't what he actually wants. I'd have to live with the awful feeling that will follow for the rest of my life.

Melissa, Kira's swimming teacher is already here. She's on the grass with a bunch of toys trying to get Kira to warm up to her. I think it's working.

Just as Myrtle and I finish up with the picnic area, Leo comes outside. I was planning to act nonchalant but it's really, really hard when he's in in a single pair of shorts. His abs are so perfect it's as if they're drawn on.