That girl is a real crowd pleaser.
Small world, all her friends know me.
Young boy livin' like an old geezer.
Release the cash, watch it fall slowly.
***

This one is dedicated to to FactsDeclined and ImBooksNerdy
for being standing by me and this book from the very beginning and checking in on me always.

I appreciate you both so much more than you even know
                              ***

Dana Harris' POV

"Dana, did you hack the school system?" Leonardo asks me.

I stop walking and he looks at me expectantly.

His green- blue eyes are filled with curiosity but hidden behind his thickly framed black glasses.

"What, you thought it was a magic trick, golden boy?" I ask with a small smirk, shifting myself out of the little trance I was in.

His toffee coloured skin reddens with embarrassment at my remark and he stuffs his hands into the pockets of his oversized jacket, smiling sheepishly.

To say that I was physically attracted to this boy would be an understatement!

He is so adorable with his cute nervous smile and his huge glasses.
His curly hair pokes put from underneath his beanie and falls on his face a little.

And speaking of his face, it looks like it has most likely been carved by a higher being, his lips full and pink and his eyes wide and alert. He clearly works out, making sure that his body is clearly toned and sculpted perfectly.

And his voice....
It's so deep and masculine but soft enough to catch you of guard completely.
The way my name rolls off his lips with his adorable mixture of an accent it sounds...African, but mixed with something else.

Ugh.

But I don't need to be doing anything stupid.

I need information from him and nothing more.

If I ever fall into a relationship with him the whole game would change and I would have to dig deeper.

That would make it harder to rip the bandaid off.

"And the letter?" He asks.

How did you read it without being caught?" He asks, as we all sit inside his car.

"You ever get letters home?" I ask.

Ruben, his cousin gives me a confused look.

"What's that got to do with a school system and you reading a teacher's notes?" He asks bluntly.

"Ruben, I think she's trying to explain that" Leonardo chuckles.

Ruben rolls his eyes.

"Continue" He says.

"Well, where do those letters come from in the school?" I ask.

"Admin?" Leonardo says, still not catching on.

"With envelopes identical to that one!" Ruben exclaims putting the final piece in place.

Leonardo looks impressed.

"What about the school system?" He asks, making a turn in the road.

"Eh, the principal needed a better system anyway" I say waving my hand dismissively.

The boys glance at each other then back at me.

Ruben starts to speak, but then is cut off by the sound of his phone ringing.

"Si..."

"..."

"Ahora? Que?" (What? Now?)

"..."

"sí, mamá, estaré de vuelta en diez" (yes, mum, I'll be back in ten)

"..."

"te amo más" (love you more)

"..."

"Hasta luego" (see you later).

"What is it?" Leonardo asks him.

"I need to be home in the next ten minutes" Ruben says.

He quickly glances at me.

"For... Work tonight. I have a deadline to complete" Ruben tells him.

They are hiding something.

Leonardo stops at the side of the road and lets Ruben get out of the car.

"Be safe primo" Leonardo says.

"Always, hermano" Ruben responds touching fists with him.

Ruben walks off, watching the traffic as he crosses the road and then disappearing from view.

Leonardo watches his every move and then starts driving again, when he looses sight of Ruben.

He turns to me.

"Want me to drop you home?" He asks me.

"Or, we could chill together for a while?" I suggest.

His face reddens slightly again and I giggle.

"Are you always this nervous around women?" I tease.

"No!" He scoffs incredulously.

I giggle again.

He mutters something under his breath and then starts to drive.

I look in the glove compartment and see an aux chord.

I plug it into my phone and then the car's sound system and I start to play some music.

Sing and rap along to the music and I catch Leonardo laughing and then doing the same, but under his breath.

He drives for a bit and then stops the car.

He gets out and I do the same.
"We're here" he informs me.

I look at the house.

Woah!

It's huge!

I think I hear him say something, but I am too busy staring at the house.

He grabs my hand and then pulls me along.

I feel myself blushing a little at the contact.

He turns his key in the door and walks inside, with me still in tow.

He lets go of my hand and starts walking.

"You want something to drink?" He asks me.

I close my gaping mouth and shake my head.

He grins.

"What, no sarcasm?" He asks, leading me into the living room.

I roll my eyes.

He sits on the couch and then pats the space next to him.

"Wanna watch some tv?" He asks.

I nod and then sit next to him, grabbing one of the pillows and then holding it in front of me.

He switches on the tv and the noises fill the room.
He gets up to make some popcorn and I watch him as he walks.

The muscles in his back flex slightly as he opens the kitchen door and walks into the kitchen.

Damn is all I can say...

As he disappears, I take the chance to look around.

The walls are decorated intricately with blue and white patterns, several pictures of their family framed in the wall.

His mom...

His sister...

Him and Ruben as well as another boy...

Then my eyes land on him.

Matéo Santiago.

The one who started this mess and the reason I have to clean it all up.

And if it means using his son, that's what it means.

I'm snapped out of my daze, when Leonardo walks in.

He sets a couple of drinks down and then the bowl of popcorn, before flopping down on the couch.

We spend nearly the whole movie talking to each other, instead of actually watching the movie.

It turns out he's half Spanish and half Ghanaian....

Ruben is his cousin on his mom's side and apparently he has about 12 cousins on his dad's side, between his father's siblings.
He tell me about how his mom and dad are the world's mushiest people, despite the fact that they constantly annoy each other.

"So you managed to shoot soda out of your nose?!" I scream, laughing tears streaming down my face.

He nods bashfully.

"I was 10 and I thought I was gonna die!" He says, burying his face in his hands.

"Still..." I say, trying to gain composure again before I immediately burst out laughing again.
"I'm glad you find it funny, little miss 'shit yourself on stage' Hm? he reminds me, using quotation marks with his fingers and grinning.

I gasp, grabbing a pillow and hitting him in the chest with it.

"Ooff!" He groans, from the impact.

I giggle at him and he looks up at me with a pout.

I start to laugh at his cuteness, until I catch a pillow to the face.

He laughs loudly and the war begins.

We hit each other with pillows until I end up on my back, with him straddling me as I laugh and try to block the pillows.

It takes us a few minutes to realise the extremely sexual position that we are in.

He looks down at me, face bright pink from the effort and a little grin on his lips.

I stare into his green- blue eyes, which are partly covered by his once neat, but now disheveled hair and I feel myself getting lost.

He is so good looking.

I should ask him to get off of me.

I can feel his groin extremely close to my hips so I don't move.

I reach up and touch his hair, combing my hands through it.

"You need a haircut" I chuckle.

"Ha! One week and you're already telling me how to style my hair!" He teases.

I want to tell him to stop being so cute, but I don't.

Do I really want this deep down?

He brushes my hair away from my face and smiles, his face getting incredibly close to mine.

Ohhh boy.

My breath hitches and catches in my throat.

"Dana?" He asks.

His voice is very low.

"Hm?" I respond.

"I... I wanna get to know you" he says.

My heart skips.

I don't think I've heard any guy be this sincere over something so little.

I nod.

"Okay" I respond breathlessly.

He smiles and pulls away, leaving me feeling a little bit lost and maybe even a little rejection.

What, did you think he would kiss you?

My sub conscience sneers.

He is way too good for you....
This living room alone is bigger than the entire foster home, why would he go for a low-life piece of....

"Dana?!" Leonardo yells, snapping me out the daze.

"Did you hear me?" He chuckles.

"Are you okay?" He asks concerned, his smile falling and a look of worry replacing it.

I fake the brightest smile that I can and I give it to him.

"I'm fine!" I reassure him as if there is nothing to worry about.

He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes like usual.

"Okay let's get you home" He tells me and I nod.

I breathe out a sigh of relief.

He can't ever know!

Not ever...

——————————————————

Hey guys!

How did you like this one?

Thank you all for the support that you all gave me in the previous chapter, I appreciate you guys so so much and the time will come when I let everyone know how much.

Until next time.

~ Xo