The Girl He Left, The Woman He Met

Leona's POV

"Oh my gosh, you look amazing, Leona!" Alicia chirped, flashing her immaculate dentition at me.

My lips stretched into a shy smile, and I hurried over to the mirror that sat on the wall next to my book shelf. Knowing my best friend, I could look just average, and she'd call me a queen.

My mouth fell open at the sight before me. I was beyond gorgeous, I looked... divine. My thick cherry hair was held in a loose bun, a few strands framing my face in elegant curls.

Alicia had outdone herself this time. I looked natural even though there were obviously touches of makeup on my face. The only dramatic edge was my lips, rivaling the shade of my hair.

The red dress had a low cowl neckline that didn't help to hide the swell of my breasts. The length stopped on my mid-thigh, clinging to my ass.

This was the first frat party I was attending after Alicia had pleaded with me incessantly that I go with her.

It was hard for me to give in at first, but her persistence finally wore me out.

“Thank you, Alicia. You are talented at this,” I commended her.

“Well, if making my best friend in the whole wide world look this stunning is a talent then I agree,” she paused, glancing at her phone screen. “Shit! We are late already. Let’s get going,” she urged me on.

A cab was already waiting for us by the time we came out of the house, and in the next twenty minutes we were at the venue.

Fear sprung in my stomach when we got out of the cab, uncertainty creeping in. I hesitated in taking any further steps.

Alicia noticed my hesitation and fixed me with a hard glare. “Not today, Leona. You are beautiful and everyone is going to see another version of the nerd queen tonight so you’d better get that hot ass moving,”

I tutted my tongue, panicking. “What if I’m over-dressed? I mean, it’s just a common birthday house party. No one is going to give me any attention especially with my brother being there, and you know a lot of people already see me as a snub,”

“Honey, you are nineteen years old. You’re very old enough to take care of yourself. For Christ sake, Leona, this is our first year in college and all you do is read and paint. You don’t even date because to you, there's no difference between the hot guys in this school and the trees in the forest,”

I giggled, the apprehension slowly fading into the darkness. “Thanks, best friend. I definitely needed the tough love tonight,”

With a nod, she grabbed my hand and dragged me into the house.

Dim LED bulbs dazzled in the room, giving it a clubby vibe. Just like Alicia had foreseen, the boys were beginning to stare at me and the girls too. As we meandered through the pack of sweaty bodies, people wanted to do more than stare.

But there was one particular person whose attention I badly craved. He was seated at the far end of the room with two girls slutting over him.

Conrad.

He was the forbidden fruit I should never taste: firstly, because he was a man-whore to the core, secondly because he was my elder brother’s best friend.

Nothing could ever work out between us, yet I dared to wish that it would even if it was as little as glancing at me with some sort of desire. If the universe wanted to make me the happiest woman in the world tonight, he could just give me my first kiss.

“Don’t tell me that you’re going to ignore all the guys that have been staring at you all because of that one?” she nudged at Conrad, the only guy I’d ever crushed on for years.

“Am I?” I asked with a faux pretense. “No darling, you’re seeing it the wrong way. I was just imagining how one man could hook up with several women at the same time. It’s disgusting,” I lied through my teeth, my heart beating fast as I hoped that she wouldn’t see through it.

“Okay then, have some fun. I’m going to get myself busy with those hot boys. I can’t go home without getting a taste of them,” she winked at me.

I chuckled, shaking my head. “We both know what your definition of fun is. Just be careful, please,”

“I will, bitch. Try and have some fun too,” she emphasized on the fun part, patted my shoulder and walked away, leaving me to the wolves I had no intention of entertaining.

The chair my attention was earlier fixed on was now empty with Conrad and the girls gone. I sighed in disappointment, and took a shot from the waiter’s tray. Enjoying the creamy feel of the drink on my tongue and the way it burned down my chest, I took two more shots.

The party was becoming boring without Alicia to tell me what to do and who to talk to. I was a very big novice when it came to parties. The shot kept getting better with each gulp, and indulging myself seemed to be the best way to get through tonight.

Her slender form caught my attention at the other side of the hall, grinding her rear against a random guy. I rolled my eyes and headed toward the bathroom.

A distinct male voice and another feminine voice that I couldn't decipher had me halting my step. I stood behind the door, listening to every word that formed their argument.

Spurred by curiosity, I stretched my neck to take a sneak peak at the people arguing and I was overjoyed when I discovered that it was Conrad and some girl I didn't care to know who she was.

She spoke as though she had so much control over him, her tone reeking of jealousy and anger.

The icing on the cake was when he requested for a break up. She hissed, sending a heavy slap across his face that made him inhale deeply.

I was too slow to recoil to my hiding spot as the girl stomped out of the bathroom after shooting a glare at me. I raised my hands in mock surrender and was about to leave when I heard my name from him.

“What are you doing here, Leona?” he sounded quite pissed.

My throat dried up immediately as I gulped. “I came to ease myself, but I discovered that you were both busy,”

“And you didn't think of leaving immediately?” he grunted, chills circling around my spine at the ruggedness of his voice.

My legs were turning into jelly. How could I have known that eavesdropping on his conversation would finally get me his attention?

“I'm sorry. I'm just going to leave now,” I tried again to scurry away, but his arm suddenly wrapped around my waist made it difficult.

I shivered terribly, my chest tightening in disbelief. My gaze sprinted down his arm which was comfortably wrapped around my body and I bit my lip in delight.

He leaned downward, his lips nibbling on my neck. His breath smelt of alcohol, and going by the way he talked, I could tell that he was just a bottle away from getting drunk.

“Why do you want to leave when you're looking smoking hot?”

My cheeks went up in flames. Did he just call me hot?

“Because I shouldn't be here, and even though my brother doesn't know I'm here, I wouldn't want him to bump into us and cause a scene,”

He snorted, spinning me around to face him. “You don't want to know what your brother is up to right now, trust me,”

“But…” I made a lame attempt at arguing, my heart drumming hard against my ribcage.

“Let's go to my room. I want to show you something,” he whispered

My eyes widened, our eyes boring into each other. Silver gray to blue.

“Okay,”

A dreadful knot tightened in my stomach with each step I took. My anticipation skyrocketed when we got to his door which he unlocked with a card sweeping over the fob.

I was greeted with a magnificent sight of the city in its full glory with lights flashing from the buildings in the busy night.

His floor to ceiling window made it easier for me to drink in the stunning view.

“Goodness, Conrad. The view is amazing. Is this what you get to see every night?”

He glanced at the view and back at me. “Yes, I do. It's my favorite thing about this place and so are you,”

“What are you talking about?” the words fell hastily out of my mouth, my toes curling in excitement.

“You’re a gorgeous lady, Leona. I just hadn't recognized it yet,” he pressed his lips smugly.

The temperature in the room became cooler. He closed the distance between us, gazing at me with unbridled desire. When did he begin to see me as a woman?

Was it because of my dress or the make up that made me look more like a lady in her twenties? I didn't know what it was that attracted him to me, but I'd be damned if I didn't keep it up.

“Thank you,” I said shyly.

“I want to kiss you,” his voice dropped to a dangerously low note, his long fingers wrapping my neck loosely.

An image of my brother frowning at me in disgust flashed in my head but I shoved it aside. Tonight, the universe was granting me my greatest wish, and I'd be stupid to mess it up because of someone who was living his life.

“You can.” I said.

He swallowed, his mouth descending gradually as he took my lips in one desperate swoop.