Chapter 50: My Heart Is Completely Taken

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: My Heart Is Completely Taken

Chloe stared at the ceiling of her dark bedroom.

Audrey’s words kept repeating in her head over and over again.

He is not going to wait in the dark forever. Eventually, someone else is going to turn the light on for him.

Chloe closed her eyes. She felt entirely sick to her stomach. She sat up, pushed the blankets off, and grabbed her leather jacket from the back of the chair. She did not bother checking her makeup. She did not care. She just shoved her feet into her boots and walked out of the apartment.

The campus was quiet. The sun was already dipping below the trees, painting the sky in deep shades of purple and orange.

Chloe walked fast. Her hands were shoved deep into her jacket pockets. She was completely terrified. She was walking toward the athletic stadium without an actual plan. She just knew she had to find Leo before he gave up on her completely.

She reached the massive metal gates of the stadium. The training lights were off. The field looked completely empty.

Chloe walked down the concrete tunnel leading to the pitch.

She stopped walking suddenly. She heard voices.

She pressed her back against the cold concrete wall of the tunnel. She hid perfectly in the shadows. She peeked around the corner.

Leo was sitting on the metal bench near the touchline. He was still wearing his sweaty training gear.

But he was not alone.

Daisy was standing right in front of him. The blonde freshman was holding a small plastic box tied with a red ribbon.

Chloe felt her heart completely drop. Her chest tightened so hard she could barely breathe. She was too late. Audrey was right. Someone else was already turning the light on for him.

"Let me say it first," Daisy said. Her voice carried clearly across the quiet, empty grass. "Please."

Chloe gripped the edge of the concrete wall. She wanted to turn around and run. She wanted to go back to her room and lock the door. But her feet refused to move.

"I really like you, Leo," Daisy confessed out loud. "I know we just met. I know it sounds crazy. But you are kind, and you are gentle, and you are so handsome. I just wanted to tell you."

Chloe closed her eyes. It was over. Leo was a football player. He was a popular, loud athlete. A sweet, pretty girl was literally handing him cookies and a confession. He was going to smile. He was going to flirt. He was going to say yes.

"Daisy," Leo said softly. "Sit down for a second."

Chloe held her breath.

"You are amazing," Leo told the freshman. His voice was incredibly gentle. "You are sweet, and you are a great photographer. Any guy would be incredibly lucky to date you."

Chloe felt a single, hot tear prick her eyes. She hated crying. She aggressively wiped it away. She prepared herself to walk away.

"But my heart is full, Daisy," Leo admitted quietly.

Chloe froze. She stopped breathing entirely.

"It is completely taken," Leo said. He looked up at the purple sky. He sounded so incredibly sad. "And she kind of broke it a few days ago. I do not have anything left to give anyone else right now."

Daisy wiped her own cheek. "It is the girl in the leather jacket. Isn’t it?"

Leo nodded slowly. "Yeah. It is."

"She is very lucky," Daisy whispered. "Even if she does not know it yet."

Chloe stood in the shadows. Her hands were trembling. Her entire chest felt like it was breaking wide open.

He was not playing a game. He was not trying to trick her. He was sitting on a cold metal bench, rejecting a perfect girl, just because he was stuck on someone who treated him terribly.

Daisy said goodbye. The freshman turned around and walked across the grass. Chloe pulled back deeper into the shadows until Daisy completely disappeared through the opposite gate.

The stadium was silent again.

Leo sat alone on the bench. He stared at the plastic box of cookies in his lap. He looked completely defeated.

Chloe took a very deep, shaky breath. She stepped out of the shadows.

Her boots clicked loudly against the concrete pavement.

Leo looked up instantly.

His dark eyes went completely wide. He froze. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Chloe," Leo breathed. He stood up from the bench so fast the plastic box almost fell off his lap.

Chloe walked across the grass. She did not stop until she was standing exactly three feet away from him. She kept her hands shoved in her jacket pockets because they were shaking too much.

"You should have taken the cookies," Chloe said. Her voice was slightly raspy.

Leo stared at her. His face went pale. He slowly realized what she meant.

"How long have you been standing there?" Leo asked quietly.

"Long enough," Chloe replied.

Leo swallowed hard. He looked down at the grass. The panic was clear on his face. He thought she was going to yell at him again. He thought she was going to call him an idiot.

"I am sorry," Leo mumbled. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I did not know you were there. I was not trying to cause drama. She just surprised me."

"Stop apologizing," Chloe interrupted.

Leo looked back up. He looked completely confused.

Chloe looked at him. She looked at his messy hair, his broad shoulders, and his kind, tired eyes. She dropped her sarcastic mask entirely. She let the thick, protective wall shatter into a million pieces.

"I am an idiot," Chloe stated clearly.

Leo blinked. "What?"

"Audrey told me I was being an idiot," Chloe continued. She took a tiny step closer. "She said I push people away because I am terrified they will leave me eventually. She was right."

Leo stood perfectly still. He did not say a word. He was listening with his entire heart.

"I saw you in the coffee shop today," Chloe said softly. She looked down at his cleats. "I saw her smiling at you. I completely panicked. I yelled at you because it was easier to be angry than to admit I was terrified of losing you."

Leo stepped forward. He closed the gap between them.

"Chloe," Leo whispered. "Look at me."

Chloe slowly lifted her head.

"You did not lose me," Leo said. His voice was steady and incredibly sincere. "I told you. My heart is completely taken."

Chloe felt a new wave of tears burn her eyes. She let out a wet, shaky laugh.

"I am the worst person you could possibly like," Chloe warned him. "I am mean. I am stubborn. I steal your clothes. I will definitely complain about your video games."

Leo smiled. A slow, brilliant, completely overjoyed smile spread across his face. The sad, defeated look vanished instantly.

"I think you are exactly the person I like," Leo said smoothly.

Chloe sniffled. She pulled her hands out of her pockets. She reached out and grabbed the collar of his sweaty training shirt. She pulled him slightly down to her level.

"If you ever give my hoodies to another girl," Chloe threatened softly, "I will personally throw you into the lake."

Leo laughed out loud. It was a loud, happy sound that echoed through the empty stadium.

"Understood," Leo beamed.

He wrapped his massive arms securely around her waist. He did not hesitate. He leaned down and kissed her.

Chloe kissed him back. She let go of his collar and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. The fear and the panic completely melted away. She finally felt entirely safe.

Back at the apartment, Audrey was sitting at the kitchen table. She was staring at her phone, waiting for any kind of update.

Her screen suddenly lit up.

It was a text from Chloe.

Chloe: You were right. Do not ever tell anyone I said that.

Audrey smiled instantly. She let out a huge sigh of relief. She quickly typed a reply.

Audrey: My lips are sealed. Tell Leo I said hello.

Another message popped up a few seconds later.

Chloe: He says hi. And he is currently eating Daisy’s cookies. The boy has absolutely no shame.

Audrey laughed out loud in the quiet kitchen. She shook her head and set her phone down. They had actually figured it out.

Her phone buzzed one more time.

It was a text from Mason.

Mason: I survived the humidity. Call me.

Audrey picked her phone right back up. She hit the call button and walked toward her bedroom, feeling incredibly happy for her friends, and incredibly excited to hear the voice on the other end of the line.