Lavender Haze || Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 10: Caramel Popcorn

I paced my apartment as the rain lightly hit the window panes. It had been two weeks since I had seen Leo or heard anything from him. It was pure torture, feeling that I did something wrong and having constant dreams that he came back. I was aware we barely knew each other, but he had always meant a lot to me. I went ahead and climbed up to the loft, wordlessly playing my mandolin as I walked around the room. My songs had become sad and confused, every tune melancholy. I heard a knock from downstairs, which scared me to death. I cautiously went to answer the front door, checking the peephole first. I felt like I had seen a ghost as I pulled it open, a familiar blonde in a raindrop dotted, navy blue hoodie.

"Hey," he spoke first, giving me a lopsided smile.

"Hi. I didn't think I would ever hear from you again," I slightly laughed, but then the sadness settled in.

"I'm sorry. I know I left pretty fast last time."

"Why did you decide to come back? I feel like there was a reason you left in the first place." I tucked my hair behind my ear as I felt the red covering my cheeks.

"It wasn't anything you said or did. It was just me, and it still is me. Wendy, I think that you're amazing, but I'm not looking for a serious relationship."

"What? I never mentioned... I mean..." I could feel myself tripping all over my words, flustered as I let him inside.

"I read your songs, and I'm flattered you think all of that about me, but I wasn't thinking about how it was destiny when we met. I just wanted to get to know you better."

"I'm so embarrassed." I touched my forehead as I shook my head, shutting my eyes. "Leo... I say a lot of things in my songs, and yeah, my mind does automatically go in that direction, but I was also aware nothing was guaranteed yet. My songs are just where I confess everything and say anything I want. I never expected you to even want to be my friend."

"Wendy, you're one of the coolest girls I've ever met. Of course I would want to be your friend. Can we just forget about all those songs? At least when we're together?"

"Yeah, it will be a long time before I publish them anyway. So... What do you want to do now?" I was rocking on my heels as I found every inch of my apartment more interesting.

"I want to take you out to a nice dinner. I just want to go through this with no expectations. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, could we go to that tavern again? I've been craving their food ever since we met, but it just felt wrong to go without you."

"Yeah," he warmly smiled with a faint chuckle.

I just grabbed a jacket, since I knew it wasn't necessary I dressed up, and we were off. We ran through the brief downpour before finding Leo's vehicle.

"You don't have a driver with you today," I asked.

"No, but the media has no idea I came here. I've been laying low lately, and I don't think they suspect us anymore, since it's been so long."

I nodded as he started up the car before we were on the road. I gazed past the windshield wipers as they squeaked whenever they slid across the glass.

"Has Tobey said anything about me," I hesitantly questioned.

"Yeah, he was upset that I stopped seeing you. He already wanted to hang out again the day we left," he softly chuckled.

"And to think, I thought he hated me at first." I felt myself naturally smiling before I leaned my head against the back of my seat. I just studied the blurred scenery out my window, not wanting to be anywhere else in the world right now. "So... Are we just friends now, or just going on casual dates," I checked after nearly five minutes.