@ eight @

                           ". . . leo, you're drunk," nicole said flatly, smoking a cigarette as she stood before him. leo stood in front of her; dumbfounded.

                 "babe, i'm sorry," he held her face, only to be greeted by the smoke of his girlfriend's cigarette. she walked away, slamming the door behind her as she fell to her knees; her lips quivering at the acknowledgement that leo had been out with another woman. she tried to hold on, but the doubt rang through her head repeatedly.

                      leo staggered to the couch, passing out in a drunken, sex-scented, stupor. guilt washed over him only when he sobered up. he ran a hand through his hair; sighing as he got off of the sofa and into the bedroom to see nicole sleeping, mascara slightly smeared due to the hurt she'd kept inside.

              he grasped her hand, he squeezed it tightly under his and rubbed her knuckles.

           only to notice that the promise ring he gave her was missing.

            she was shattered; and he was going to do whatever it took to repair her glass-like heart.

{ author's note,

          this was a sad chapter, but i didn't want to have every chapter happy-go-lucky, ye know? enjoy.

         vote and comment, i love you all. thank you for the seventy-five reads in a matter of a couple of days. i'm so happy!
   thank you! only two more chapters to go----then it's the epilogue.

- valerie. }