STARING CONTEST
Diane’s P.O.V.
There at the door—holding a bouquet of red roses was an unexpected visitor. My mouth hung with lips slightly parted while looking at Liam’s brother, none other than Leandro.
“L-Leandro?” That was the only thing that came out of my mouth due to the intensity of my shock. Liam and I got paralyzed on the couch as our eyes got widened with alarm, sweat covering my hands.
Liam’s hands were still on my waist. My excitement earlier was suddenly replaced by unforeseen nervousness and fear. Seeing Leandro had streaked terror within me, that I couldn’t think of what to do next. He was the last person I would expect to be here.
But what is he doing here? I creased my forehead.
For two years, I couldn’t remember even a single time that he brought me here. All I knew was the fact that he had eyes and ears everywhere. He surely had asked someone to follow me, or he used to follow me all by himself. That was how clever he was, and I should have known it.
Dread gnawed at my insides because of overthinking. I could have never expected Leandro to be a real stalker, even though I had a hunch for the umpteenth time already.
There were several situations where I felt like someone was watching over me every time I went to school or work and vice versa to get back home. I would not be surprised if that was Leandro.
Barging in here, he wasn’t slumped at all, but I didn’t know why he looked so wasted. He was well-dressed, even wearing a formal tuxedo and black shoes. But his expression was as chaotic as his black hair—that he didn’t even mind combing those strands. I wasn’t even sure if he already took his bath.
He had large black circles underneath his eyes, probably due to lack of sleep. I could see a bandage wrapped all over his right hand, and there was also a cut on the left side of his lips. His facial expression was one of absolute disdain. While looking at us, his eyes were full of contempt.
That was when I glanced at Liam. Did his brother already know about us? Did the two of them fight? Did Liam hit Leandro’s face, causing a scar?
“Leandro, not here. Let’s go home and talk in the house!” Liam was about to stand up, trying to approach his brother when…
“No!” Leandro growled. His loud squeal almost thundered throughout our house. He also contemptuously dropped the bouquet he was holding to the floor like he was having tantrums. “I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me w-what’s going on here and why the fuck you two are kissing? Damn it!”
A bolt of panic hit me, and that made my blood freeze in my veins. I was becoming scared of Leandro’s tone and how he was yelling every word. I could visualize neighbors curiously peeking through the gate after hearing his voice.
My legs felt shaky that I could not take a stand and just remained in my seat. It could not support my body, yet my head was the only thing that was feeling heavy—heavy in terms of what was happening.
He was already far from the kind Leandro when I first met him. The same Leandro who just wanted to have someone to talk to. But his seeking-for-attention attitude already got worse.
Now, he became a complete monster. Even in my dreams, I wouldn’t have expected him to come here and cause trouble like what he was about to do now.
Liam and I ended up staring at each other before I adamantly shook my head. I was silently speaking not to tell Leandro everything, including the real score between us. But who was I lying to? It was too impossible for Leandro to believe it, knowing how he saw us while making out on the couch.
Leandro would be tenacious to believe any lies right now, and I could bet that he wouldn’t just let go of us so easily. I knew that he wouldn’t just let me be happy without doing anything.
“Was it difficult to answer my question, and the two of you just stared the fucking hell towards each other? Now, answer me! What?” Leandro roared again as if in a rush.
Liam took a deep breath before he spoke. “Diane and I were officially together. She already gave her ‘yes’ to me. Now, happy? Can we go home now and not make a scene here?” he said calmly but straight to Leandro’s face.
However, the latter would not easily let go as I already expected. He would not accept everything damn peacefully, and that would make him even more devilish.
“No, Liam! You can go home all by yourself, and I wouldn’t even give a damn. Leave now! I want to talk to Diane. And when I say Diane and I will talk, it’s just the two of us!” Leandro contested as he took a step closer towards us.
On the other hand, Liam used his body to shield me, making me stay at his back. His action was silently assuring me that he would not leave me no matter what.
“No, Leandro! If there’s anything you would like to say to her, tell them in front of me. Don’t be such a stubborn brat here. Grow up, bro! Diane is my girlfriend now and I have every right to speak for her and protect her from now on.” Liam stood up from his seat as he shot back.
It was my first time to see him this impatient and mad. In just a blink of an eye, Liam’s expression became dark and the veins on his neck were all throbbing out.
“When I said leave us alone… I am sure you know what I mean, Liam. Leave. Us. Now.” Leandro grimly didn’t want to surrender while emphasizing the last three words.
“You know that it’s my first time to deny your request, right? Because I’m serious, Leandro! If you were used to always getting things that you want, well this time, it won’t just work out because I won’t let you anymore.” Liam gritted his teeth while on a staring contest with his brother.
Heaving a deep sigh out of despair, I reached for Liam’s hand and affectionately squeezed it. It made him turn his head on me.
“It’s all right, Liam. You can leave us for a moment here. I will just talk to Leandro,” I told him while forcing my lips to paint a thin smile. Hopefully, I could make Leandro realize some sense.
As much as possible, I didn’t want any of them to cause such a scene here. I was the main reason why the two of them were fighting. I was the root cause of everything why they were acting like this. So, I might be the one who could fix this chaos, even though Leandro’s hard-headed attitude seemed to be making everything way too impossible.
“But—” Liam objected. He sat down again and gently cupped my face.
From my peripheral vision, I could sense how Leandro sardonically smirked when I leaned closer to Liam. I kissed the latter tenderly on the right side of his lips as an assurance that I could handle myself and nothing would happen to me.
Leandro threatened me so many times already, but he wasn’t able to do anything beyond stupid. I wanted to believe that there was still something good inside him. I must understand where he was coming from, and it was all because of greed and jealousy.
“You trust me, right?” I lovingly asked Liam while gazing deeply at his set of mesmerizing dark-gray eyes. I didn’t want the two of them to fight just because of me, but it was all happening now.
Today was Liam and I’s official start as a couple, but how could we start with this chaos? Perhaps, it was fate that led Leandro here even though turmoil was building up. It was better to have a formal closure between the two of us, even though it was crystal-clear that there was no such thing as us.
“I always trust you, but at this point, I don’t trust my brother. Listen to me, Diane. I knew him better than what you think of him.” Liam kissed me on the forehead before staring sharply at Leandro like he was about to murder him. The latter did not even stand still.
“Shut up! Haven’t you heard her? Diane had already decided, and she wants you out. Now, leave!” Leandro yelled on top of his lungs.
“Correction, you forgot to add ‘for a moment,’ Leandro. I’ll leave you for a while like what Diane had requested, but don’t you ever dare do something to her. I’m warning you… you had never seen the other side of me, and I’m telling you now that you will not like it,” Liam threatened Leandro before he sauntered outside.
Liam did not close the door, and I knew that he was menacingly peeking over there while Leandro and I were left in the living room. I was confident enough that Liam would be able to protect me from what Leandro could do.
A deafening silence reigned between the two of us before I decided to break it. I didn’t know where this conversation would go or if it would end with Leandro finally giving his consent to Liam and me, but I had to start it.
“Now, talk…” I almost whispered, trying to avert my stares away from him.
Leandro immediately picked up the bouquet on the floor and approached me.