treacherous || Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 18: Treacherous

Spring came around, and it always rendered me speechless how Leo and I only got stronger as time passed. Even though we weren't quite as inseparable, our bond was constantly becoming more secure. I just lied on my bed one lazy afternoon, petting Michelle as she laid her head on my lap. Leo was spending the Saturday with his mom, while I just relaxed at home. Just then my phone started ringing, and even after all these months, my heart leaped when I figured it was Leo. I went ahead and answered it, Michelle perking up from the sudden noise.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Avery?" My blood ran cold when I recognized the voice of my father. I literally hadn't heard or seen him since the day my parents announced their divorce.

"What do you want?" My voice sounded frail as I struggled to be tough.

He sighed before saying, "Look, I'm sorry things ended the way they did. I should never of just left you like that, Avery. It was a battle your mother and I were going through, and I should have at least said goodbye before taking off. You mean so much to me. You're my little girl. I just felt trapped. Your mother and I hadn't been getting along well for months, and I just needed to get away from everything-"

"You already were away from everything. You were never home," I interrupted.

"I know it seemed that way, but the issue with your mother was constantly on my mind."

"You could have tried harder. You could have had counseling," I argued, my voice still remaining calm despite how upset I was.

"I know, but your mother and I just knew we had changed too much to even try at that point. I'm sorry, Avery. I really never meant to hurt you."

"If you really cared then you would be here, not talking to me over the phone," I snapped.

"Look outside out front," he kindly ordered. I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion, wrestling Michelle away from where she had started chewing on the phone cord, before carrying her upstairs with me.

When I peeked out our front, tall windows, sure enough my father was standing there, his large, black cellphone in hand. I hesitated before stepping outside, internally shaking since I was scared to face him again. When I looked up at the gentle eyes of my father though I lost it, wrapping my arms around him as I sobbed. He carefully stroked the back of my hair before kissing the top of my head softly, us just staying like that for a bit. Once I pulled away, he led me to the house and somehow we were able to partially mend the damage that had been done. I could never stop loving my dad, no matter how much of a jerk he had been, grateful that he was finally acting like his old self again.

I had never been more proud when I attended the art show for students at our school, Leo winning a prize for the best drawings.

"You have to promise you won't look," he spoke near my ear, a smile obvious in his voice.

"I promise," I agreed, my own lips curved upwards as he walked with his hands covering my eyes from behind. Eventually we quit moving, and I was able to see his project that had won the award. I gasped when my vision was filled with black and white images of me, all perfectly sketched and crafted.

"Oh, Leo...," I trailed off, tears coating my eyes as I gingerly stepped forward to examine a few.

"I told you you were my muse," he reminded me, since he had briefly mentioned it once. I struggled to tear away from the masterpieces, not even caring that everyone would see my freckles in them. Leo had helped me to love myself more and care less what other people thought. My social anxiety had even improved due to him.