Chapter 570: Before We Grow Apart! [GT - !]

Leo ignored her and walked toward the couch before settling down.

"Actually, I’ve been getting messages," Mia suddenly hit Leo as she said that.

"What kind of messages?" Leo inquired while he rubbed his shoulder.

"From random people."

"They keep asking me to tell you to join their clubs and stuff whenever I post something!"

Leo’s expression couldn’t help but change as he heard that.

"Are they people you know?"

"No."

"Then block them."

"Yes. Or make your account private if it’s getting annoying."

She nodded as Leo leaned back.

"You don’t have to entertain strangers because they know who I am."

"I know."

Mia smiled faintly before shifting her attention back toward him.

"Actually, you should start picking me up from school sometimes."

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because the time I have left there is running out."

She leaned back into the couch.

"Soon I’ll be done, then college, or law school, or whatever I end up doing. So you should take advantage of it while you can. Be the big brother!"

Leo nodded and then shook his head.

"Then you’ll have to wait until I buy another car."

"What’s wrong with the Golf GTI?" Mia frowned, causing Leo to turn slowly toward her.

"I thought you didn’t like it."

"I never said I didn’t like it."

"You complained about it."

"I was surprised that was what you bought. After all, you’re supposed to keep up appearances as a footballer."

Leo gave her a look and then nudged her arm.

"And you care about that?"

"Not really."

"I just want to show off my brother a few more times before I graduate."

Leo’s expression softened.

"You’re really grown now."

He reached over and ruffled her hair, but Mia immediately tried to push his hand away.

"Stop," she said to get him to halt his intent, but Leo laughed and did it anyway.

"Leo," she said and caught his wrist.

"I’m serious."

He finally let go, though the smile stayed on his face.

Mia fixed her hair and gave him an annoyed look that lasted a second before she fetched her phone.

Before she could do anything, though, Sofia appeared from the kitchen and looked at the three of them sitting comfortably on the couch.

Then at the untouched plates and glasses waiting nearby.

"Why haven’t you set the table?"

"When did you say that?" Leo questioned as Sofia stared at him.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Sofia reached down, picked up a fork and started toward him.

Leo’s eyes widened before he immediately stood up and bolted over the couch.

"Why are you coming at me with that?"

"Because apparently I have to do everything myself."

Vittoria burst out laughing while Mia folded over beside her, laughing even harder as Leo got away.

"Why aren’t you chasing the rest of them?"

"Because you were the one who responded."

Leo tried saying something, but Sofia chased after him, refusing to hear anything that he had to say.

....

The week passed faster than Leo expected, and for the most part, he kept his promise to Mia.

Whenever his recovery schedule allowed it, he picked her up from school, although his choice of transport had become a source of its own amusement.

With his own car still parked at home, Leo had borrowed Carlo’s Aston Martin Vantage, which made the journey considerably less subtle than Mia had probably imagined when she asked.

On one particular afternoon, Mia stood outside the school gates with a group of friends, laughing about something Leo couldn’t hear.

She eventually waved them goodbye and turned toward the car.

The Aston Martin immediately drew a few more looks, but the figure inside had already done the rest.

Mia walked over, opened the passenger door and climbed inside.

Leo glanced at her.

"So?"

She buckled herself in as Leo looked towards her curiously.

"Perfect."

At that, Leo smiled.

"I thought so."

"Although..."

"The autographs could have been a little fewer."

Leo frowned.

Mia looked through the window.

"I counted forty-seven."

Leo’s eyebrows rose.

"Forty-seven?"

"Forty-seven."

She turned toward him.

"And that doesn’t include all the pictures."

"I didn’t know you were counting."

"I had nothing else to do."

Leo started the engine and then looked at her.

"Were you embarrassed?"

"No."

Mia smiled.

"Some of my friends were very impressed, though."

"Your friends?"

"My female classmates especially."

Leo glanced at her.

"Why do I feel like I shouldn’t be hearing this?"

At that, Mia’s smile widened.

"You want me to introduce you to one?"

Leo stared at her for a moment and then laughed.

"Do you want Vittoria to murder you?"

Mia immediately shook her head.

"No."

She bowed her head slightly.

"I apologise."

Leo laughed.

"And don’t tell Vittoria."

Before he could put the car into gear, a voice came through the car from his phone, which was connected to the speakers.

"Don’t worry, Mia. I only ask for your arms and legs."

Mia’s eyes widened, and immediately, she lunged for the phone and ended the call while Leo burst out laughing.

"You heard that?"

"She heard everything!"

Mia looked horrified.

Leo pulled away from the school, still laughing as Mia stared at him in disbelief.

.....

Eventually, matchday arrived, and for once, Leo would not be walking toward the pitch at the DW Stadium.

Instead, he made his way through the stadium’s corridors with Mia beside him, dressed casually and moving with a slight caution that he still hadn’t quite gotten used to.

His ankle was better, but the club doctors had made their position very clear.

No playing and no convincing anyone that he was fit enough.

So Leo had been given access to one of the more exclusive seating areas for the game, where he could watch without having to mingle with the general crowd.

Mia walked beside him as they passed through the corridor.

"Why isn’t Vittoria coming again?"

"Cramps."

"Oh," Mia said with a hint of realisation and then nodded.

"How about Sofia?" Leo replied.

"She’s busy."

"With what?"

Mia looked at him.

"The wine tasting thing."

"Oh," Leo muttered as they reached the entrance to the seating area, where several people were already settling in.

A lot of them recognised Leo immediately and greeted him as he walked past.

"Good to see you, Leo."

"Hope the ankle’s alright."

"Enjoy the game."

Leo thanked each of them, stopping briefly whenever someone wanted to make small talk before eventually reaching his seat, where Mia had already taken hers beside him.

Leo sat beside her and leaned forward slightly, and from there, the pitch opened up beneath them.

The stands were filling quickly.

Scarves were appearing everywhere, with voices carrying through the stadium as the anticipation continued to build.

Leo watched the players moving through their warm-up.

A roar began somewhere behind them and quickly spread across the stadium, and as it did, Leo leaned forward while his eyes remained fixed on the pitch.

"Come on, guys."

.......................

(Really sorry for repeating the Chapters guys

Leo ignored her and walked toward the couch before settling down.

"Actually, I’ve been getting messages," Mia suddenly hit Leo as she said that.

"What kind of messages?" Leo inquired while he rubbed his shoulder.

"From random people."

"They keep asking me to tell you to join their clubs and stuff whenever I post something!"

Leo’s expression couldn’t help but change as he heard that.

"Are they people you know?"

"No."

"Then block them."

"Yes. Or make your account private if it’s getting annoying."

She nodded as Leo leaned back.

"You don’t have to entertain strangers because they know who I am."

"I know."

Mia smiled faintly before shifting her attention back toward him.

"Actually, you should start picking me up from school sometimes."

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because the time I have left there is running out."

She leaned back into the couch.

"Soon I’ll be done, then college, or law school, or whatever I end up doing. So you should take advantage of it while you can. Be the big brother!"

Leo nodded and then shook his head.

"Then you’ll have to wait until I buy another car."

"What’s wrong with the Golf GTI?" Mia frowned, causing Leo to turn slowly toward her.

"I thought you didn’t like it."

"I never said I didn’t like it."

"You complained about it."

"I was surprised that was what you bought. After all, you’re supposed to keep up appearances as a footballer."

Leo gave her a look and then nudged her arm.

"And you care about that?"

"Not really."

"I just want to show off my brother a few more times before I graduate."

Leo’s expression softened.

"You’re really grown now."

He reached over and ruffled her hair, but Mia immediately tried to push his hand away.

"Stop," she said to get him to halt his intent, but Leo laughed and did it anyway.

"Leo," she said and caught his wrist.

"I’m serious."

He finally let go, though the smile stayed on his face.

Mia fixed her hair and gave him an annoyed look that lasted a second before she fetched her phone.

Before she could do anything, though, Sofia appeared from the kitchen and looked at the three of them sitting comfortably on the couch.

Then at the untouched plates and glasses waiting nearby.

"Why haven’t you set the table?"

"When did you say that?" Leo questioned as Sofia stared at him.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Sofia reached down, picked up a fork and started toward him.

Leo’s eyes widened before he immediately stood up and bolted over the couch.

"Why are you coming at me with that?"

"Because apparently I have to do everything myself."

Vittoria burst out laughing while Mia folded over beside her, laughing even harder as Leo got away.

"Why aren’t you chasing the rest of them?"

"Because you were the one who responded."

Leo tried saying something, but Sofia chased after him, refusing to hear anything that he had to say.

....

The week passed faster than Leo expected, and for the most part, he kept his promise to Mia.

Whenever his recovery schedule allowed it, he picked her up from school, although his choice of transport had become a source of its own amusement.

With his own car still parked at home, Leo had borrowed Carlo’s Aston Martin Vantage, which made the journey considerably less subtle than Mia had probably imagined when she asked.

On one particular afternoon, Mia stood outside the school gates with a group of friends, laughing about something Leo couldn’t hear.

She eventually waved them goodbye and turned toward the car.

The Aston Martin immediately drew a few more looks, but the figure inside had already done the rest.

Mia walked over, opened the passenger door and climbed inside.

Leo glanced at her.

"So?"

She buckled herself in as Leo looked towards her curiously.

"Perfect."

At that, Leo smiled.

"I thought so."

"Although..."

"The autographs could have been a little fewer."

Leo frowned.

Mia looked through the window.

"I counted forty-seven."

Leo’s eyebrows rose.

"Forty-seven?"

"Forty-seven."

She turned toward him.

"And that doesn’t include all the pictures."

"I didn’t know you were counting."

"I had nothing else to do."

Leo started the engine and then looked at her.

"Were you embarrassed?"

"No."

Mia smiled.

"Some of my friends were very impressed, though."

"Your friends?"

"My female classmates especially."

Leo glanced at her.

"Why do I feel like I shouldn’t be hearing this?"

At that, Mia’s smile widened.

"You want me to introduce you to one?"

Leo stared at her for a moment and then laughed.

"Do you want Vittoria to murder you?"

Mia immediately shook her head.

"No."

She bowed her head slightly.

"I apologise."

Leo laughed.

"And don’t tell Vittoria."

Before he could put the car into gear, a voice came through the car from his phone, which was connected to the speakers.

"Don’t worry, Mia. I only ask for your arms and legs."

Mia’s eyes widened, and immediately, she lunged for the phone and ended the call while Leo burst out laughing.

"You heard that?"

"She heard everything!"

Mia looked horrified.

Leo pulled away from the school, still laughing as Mia stared at him in disbelief.

.....

Eventually, matchday arrived, and for once, Leo would not be walking toward the pitch at the DW Stadium.

Instead, he made his way through the stadium’s corridors with Mia beside him, dressed casually and moving with a slight caution that he still hadn’t quite gotten used to.

His ankle was better, but the club doctors had made their position very clear.

No playing and no convincing anyone that he was fit enough.

So Leo had been given access to one of the more exclusive seating areas for the game, where he could watch without having to mingle with the general crowd.

Mia walked beside him as they passed through the corridor.

"Why isn’t Vittoria coming again?"

"Cramps."

"Oh," Mia said with a hint of realisation and then nodded.

"How about Sofia?" Leo replied.

"She’s busy."

"With what?"

Mia looked at him.

"The wine tasting thing."

"Oh," Leo muttered as they reached the entrance to the seating area, where several people were already settling in.

A lot of them recognised Leo immediately and greeted him as he walked past.

"Good to see you, Leo."

"Hope the ankle’s alright."

"Enjoy the game."

Leo thanked each of them, stopping briefly whenever someone wanted to make small talk before eventually reaching his seat, where Mia had already taken hers beside him.

Leo sat beside her and leaned forward slightly, and from there, the pitch opened up beneath them.

The stands were filling quickly.

Scarves were appearing everywhere, with voices carrying through the stadium as the anticipation continued to build.

Leo watched the players moving through their warm-up.

A roar began somewhere behind them and quickly spread across the stadium, and as it did, Leo leaned forward while his eyes remained fixed on the pitch.

"Come on, guys."