As they stopped for another light, Aud turned and kissed Leo. “Yes, we’re all still here. I’ve been afraid you might decide the world around me was a little more than you wanted to deal with.”
“No.” Leo kissed his cheek as they started forward again. “I had time to think about that too.” He took a long deep breath, trying to steady himself to say what he wanted to say. “Aud, you’re the most awesome guy I’ve ever gone out with. You’re sexy—God, you’re so sexy—you’re smart and creative. I think it would take more than just a deranged stalker with a knife in my gut to keep me away from you. I love you.”
Aud put his arm around Leo’s shoulder and hugged him tight. He swallowed hard. “I love you too. You’re cute, quirky, and so different from the superficial guys I’ve dated in the past. You’re down to earth and real.” When they stopped for another light, he kissed Leo.
The kiss sent a wave of heat through Leo. It was hotter than even their kisses during sex. Somehow, kissing after we both confessed our love is so much more intense than it had been before. I think it’s because he means it. I was never sure before if a guy really meant it when he said he loved me or if he was just saying it to try and make me happy and get what he could out of me. With Aud, it’s real. He’s real. His love is real.
They pulled up beside Leo’s apartment, right behind Julie’s and Felix’s cars. His own car was there, and Leo figured someone had retrieved it from the Walmart parking lot.
Aud got out and dashed around to open Leo’s door, offering him a hand to stand. “I’ll grab the bags too. If your mother catches you carrying anything, she’ll probably come unglued on me.”
Leo laughed as he spotted his folks coming toward them from the front of the house. There weren’t any more parking places along the side. “You’re probably right. They like you, so we don’t want to tarnish your image with them yet.”
“Right.” Aud opened the back door and pulled out the plastic bag and the gym bag. “I guess I should get the gate for you too?”
Leo shot him a sideways glance. “I don’t think you need to do that.”
“I didn’t have any trouble keeping up,” Leo’s father announced as his parents reached the gate the same time Leo and Aud did. “Thank you, Aud, for making that easy for me. But getting over here again, I think I could’ve found it if we’d gotten lost.”
“I still don’t understand why you don’t go for a newer apartment,” Leo’s mother said. “This place almost looks run-down.”
“It has character,” Leo said, stepping onto the porch. “I like its character. Those new apartments all look the same.”
“I’m just saying,” his mother continued.
“I know.” Leo opened the door.
“You’re home!” Julie shouted.
Several other people shouted, “Welcome home, Leo!”
Leo paused in the doorway. For a moment the urge to dash back out onto the porch was strong. Then Aud pushed him across the threshold.
Inside the apartment several banners were strung around that said “Welcome home!” and “Get well soon!” and “We love you, Leo!” A couple of people he and Felix worked with were there, as was Heather.
Turning around, Leo looked at Aud. “Did you know about this?”
“Yeah. I stopped by here and helped string up some of the banners and stuff before I headed for the hospital. I figured the doctor would be slow in getting to you and there’d be time. Everyone’s just happy you survived.” He hugged Leo, but it was a light, careful hug, like he was afraid to hurt him.
“Thanks, folks.” Leo turned back to the people who were standing there staring at him.
Sofi hopped onto the back of the couch and came over to head-butt him in the elbow. He reached down and scratched her head. “Did you miss me, Sofi?”
She purred softly, let him pet her for a minute, then hopped down.
Julie waited until he was done greeting the cat before she came up and hugged him. It was more throwing her arms around him and patting his back. “I’m glad you made it out of there alive.”
“I am too.”
“Hey, Leo, we got you a cake,” Joe, one of the guys from work, called from the table, where a simple sheet cake with purple icing declared “Welcome Home, Leo!”
The cake and everything brought a wide smile to Leo’s face. It was good to know he had friends who cared about him and wanted him to be okay. “Thanks, guys. This is really awesome.”
“So stop talking and get to eating,” Joe complained. “Some of us have been waiting way too long for the cake.”
Marsha, another of his coworkers, punched Joe in the shoulder. “Joe, we’ve only been here a couple of minutes. We had to wait until work was over. So be quiet about the wait.”
Joe looked down at the table. “Hey, he didn’t know how long we’d been here. For all he knew we’ve been here all day waiting on him.”
“And we’d do it all day if it meant we’d know he was safe and sound,” said Marsha.
Joe didn’t reply; he simply sulked a bit.