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She clicked on the text thread her mom started early this morning, scrolled up, and handed her phone over. It was easier to show him than try to explain it all.
She watched as Leo calmly scanned the stream of messages. The only indication that he was upset was the tightening of his hand on her phone. His knuckles turned white from the tension. When he was done, he simply handed it back and looked at her. His face was unreadable.
“Are you going to say anything?” she whispered, feeling as if she were on pins and needles.
“They still don’t know we’re dating?” Leo asked, his expression not giving anything he was thinking away.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell them yet.” Jazz winced at how much of a cop out that sounded like. It was the truth, but it still sounded like a shitty excuse. “The last time I saw them was right before the engagement party. I was planning on telling them last Sunday, but they cancelled lunch.”
He rubbed his jaw, the action unable to hide the look of hurt on his face as he looked over at her. “It’s not because you’re ashamed of us, right? Ashamed of me?”
The question was a sharp stab to the heart.
Jazz shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. “No, that’s not it. I promise.”
There was no way in hell she was ashamed of Leo. She couldn’t be. She loved him. The words may not have been said, but it was the truth.
“What are you going to do?”
She frowned, confused by the question. “What do you mean?”
“Are you going on this date?” he asked gruffly, his voice now carrying an edge to it.
“Of course not,” she answered with a snort. She’d never planned on going through with it. She just hadn’t told them that yet.
“Are you going to tell your parents why?”
Jazz winced. “Well, I thought I’d just tell them to cancel and then wait until we scheduled lunch together again to fill them in on everything.”
“When will that be?” Leo stood up and walked to his dresser to grab a pair of his boxer briefs.
“They are out of town next weekend for a conference in Chicago and then they have another golf tournament the following weekend so maybe…in a couple weeks or so?”
Leo walked into the bathroom and dropped his clothes on the counter before turning around again to look at her. The look of disappointment in his eyes was like a physical blow to her chest.
“Leo?”
“Jazz, I—” He stopped and rubbed his hands over his face, the action making him look haggard. “When are you going to finally start standing up for yourself?”
Jazz welcomed the anger that she felt at his words. It helped replace the guilt that she had been feeling when he’d looked at her like she let him down. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means that you’re a fucking adult! Act like it for once and tell your parents what it is that you really want! Hell, my mom is in the goddamned loop, and she lives in fucking Florida!”
She winced, his point hitting hard. She’d actually talked to Janet on the phone a few times.
“She fucking loves the fact that we found each other again. She’s already planning on a visit.” Leo was almost yelling now. “We’re practically living together, and they have no idea you’re even seeing anyone. I don’t get it, Jazz.”
“My parents…” Tears filled her eyes, her throat clogged with emotion.
“This stopped being about your parents a while ago. It’s aboutyouand whatyouwant. Don’t use them as an excuse.” He turned and quietly closed the bathroom door.
Tears slid down her cheeks as she heard the shower start up. Quickly scooting off the bed, she found her overnight bag and pulled on the dress she’d packed. Moving fast, she gathered up the rest of her belongings that she had scattered about, trying to finish before the water turned off in the adjacent room. In a matter of minutes, she was walking out the front door with her bag over her shoulder and tears falling steadily down her face. She needed some time to think.
Leo had been right when he said she needed to stand up for herself when it came to her parents, but he didn’t see how much pressure they put on her. It was not only unending, but also suffocating. When she was a child, she’d quickly learned that going with the flow was much easier than fighting the current. It was how she had stayed afloat. She’d spent years hearing that they only wanted what was best for her. It had been said so frequently that even when Winter had questioned her parents’ actions a few times, Jazz had repeated the mantra.
They only want what’s best for me.
Did she want to follow their career path for her?
