47

CHAPTER 47
Leo holds Rachel tightly, trying to convey the depth of his feelings for her with his embrace. He knows that he has to make her understand that the woman in the picture was nothing to him.
“Rachel,” he says, his voice firm and sincere. “I need you to know that I had nothing to do with that woman. She was a whore, trying to make a quick buck by getting close to me.”
Rachel’s eyes widen in surprise, she didn’t expect that. “A whore?” she says, her voice filled with disbelief.
Leo nods, his face etched with sincerity. “Yes, I swear it. I rejected her advances and came straight home to you. I would never do anything to hurt you, you have to believe me.”
Rachel looks at him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of deception, at th4 same same wondering why he suddenly seemed to care.
Rachel looks at Leo, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and hurt. She wants to pull away, to run away from this mess, but as he holds her, she can feel her heart racing and she knows deep down that she’s not ready to let him go.
“Fine,” she says, her voice cold and distant. “But we need to talk. Why did you leave me alone, in a place I don’t know?”
Leo sighs, and runs his hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to wake you,” he says, his voice low and apologetic. “And I had some work to take care of.”
Rachel raises an eyebrow, skeptical. “Work? At that hour?”
“It’s a long story,” Leo says, and he proceeds to tell her about the patronizing woman he met and the paparazzi that followed him. He tells her about how he couldn’t shake off the feeling of discomfort from the previous night’s events and how he ended up sleeping in his car.
Rachel listens carefully, her heart heavy with understanding and sympathy. “I’m sorry,” she says softly. “I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
Leo nods, his voice heavy with emotion. “It’s just that, this fame and fortune, it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes, I just wish for the simple life, you know?”
Rachel was silent, gazing steadily at him.
“I don’t know what to do now that we’re married,” he admits, his voice filled with vulnerability. “I feel like I’m in over my head and I don’t know how to handle it.”
Rachel nods, understanding. “I know what you mean,” she says softly. “I don’t know what I’m doing either. But we can take it one step at a time.”
Leo nods, relieved that he’s not alone in his uncertainty. “Okay,” he says, his voice filled with determination. “What’s the first step?”
Rachel smiles, her eyes filled with warmth and love. “The first step is to spend time together,” she says. “We need to get to know each other again, as husband and wife. And we need to make time for each other, no matter how busy our schedules are.”
Leo nods, agreeing. “I can do that,” he says. “I’ll make sure we have time for each other, no matter what.”
Rachel nods, satisfied. “That’s a good start,” she says.
Rachel gets up from the table and heads to the kitchen to prepare lunch. She starts by heating up some olive oil in a pan, and then proceeds to chop up some onions, garlic, and tomatoes. She adds them to the pan, seasoning them with a pinch of salt and pepper. She then adds some diced chicken and a can of diced tomatoes to the pan, letting it simmer for a few minutes.
While she’s cooking, Leo gets up from the table and joins her in the kitchen, surprising her. “Can I help with anything?” he asks.
Rachel looks at him, surprised but pleased. “Sure,” she says. “You can chop up some lettuce for a salad, if you’d like.”
Leo nods, and starts to chop the lettuce with skill and precision. Rachel watches him for a moment, impressed by his ability to chop so evenly. “You’re a natural in the kitchen,” she says, smiling.
“I used to help my mom in the kitchen a lot when I was younger,” Leo explains. “I picked up a thing or two.”
Rachel nods, understanding. “Well, it’s much appreciated,” she says.
As they sit down to eat, Rachel brings up the idea of setting some ground rules for their marriage. “I think it’s important that we establish some boundaries, so we can have a healthy relationship,” she says.
Leo nods, agreeing. “I think that’s a good idea,” he says. “What kind of boundaries were you thinking?”
Rachel thinks for a moment before speaking. “Well, for one, I think it’s important that we have open and honest communication with each other. And we should make sure to make time for each other, even when things get busy.”
Leo nods, understanding. “I can agree to that,” he says. “What else?”
Rachel smiles “I think it’s also important that we support each other’s goals and dreams, even if they’re different from our own.”
The food is delicious, a comforting blend of flavors, but as they begin to eat, an awkward silence falls over the table. Rachel can’t help but feel like there is nothing left to say, despite the fact that they just agreed on some ground rules for their marriage.
Leo seems to be feeling the same way, as he pushes his food around on his plate, not really eating. Rachel tries to make small talk, asking him about his job, but his answers are short and guarded.
The silence becomes more and more uncomfortable as they continue to eat, the only sound in the room being the clinking of their forks against their plates. Rachel tries to think of something to say, something that would break the silence, but her mind comes up blank.
Leo watches as Rachel turns and walks out of the room, his heart heavy with worry. He shakes his head, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He doesn’t know if they are ready for this kind of commitment.