you're a mystery

"I don't know how you can eat raw salmon straight," Leo wrinkled his nose, observing Annie as she took a bite.

Annie shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not picky. Besides, you said you like sushi."

"I do," Leo retorted, leaning back in his chair. "But raw salmon alone, without anything else... that's a hard pass for me."

Annie chuckled softly. "It's not that bad."

"Or maybe you just have an adventurous palate," Leo grinned.

Annie's lips curved into a matching grin. "Could be."

"I want to unravel the mystery of Annie Halden," Leo leaned forward, resting his chin on folded hands. "You're an enigma."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to know, Leo Smith?"

Leo's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Let's start with your first kiss."

Annie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Alright..." She shifted in her seat, recalling the memory. "I was 14, freshman year. Volunteering at a summer camp for kids. There was another volunteer, same age as me. His name was Frankie Fisker. Terrible kisser."

Leo's amusement danced in his eyes. "Frankie Fisker, a lucky man despite his lack of skills."

Annie rolled her eyes playfully, pushing aside the flutter in her stomach. "Your turn."

Leo chuckled. "Fine. Stacey Turmik when we were 13. We dated for 4 days, kissed at the Valentine's Day dance."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "Four days. Impressive."

Leo scoffed. "Could be a record. I broke up with her because she was annoying. Man, I was a mean kid."

Annie feigned a frown. "You must have shattered her heart."

Leo shrugged. "I didn't know what I was doing. Now, spill. First boyfriend?"

Annie hesitated, feeling the weight of the memory settle on her shoulders. She trusted Leo, but she was wary of the direction their conversation might take.

"Sophomore year, a little over a year ago," she began, her gaze drifting to the empty plates before her. "It lasted six months, almost seven."

Leo nodded, sensing her hesitation but encouraging her to continue.

"Why did it end?" he prompted gently.

Annie paused, biting her lip as she debated how much to reveal. She knew this wasn't a lighthearted topic, but she also wanted Leo to understand.

"He... well, I found out from Jack that it was a bet," Annie admitted, her voice soft but steady. She tried to maintain a neutral expression, masking the turmoil within. "He wagered with some other guys that he could win me over - the shy, quiet, lonely girl. And he did. Jack found out, told me, and then... well, he took matters into his own hands. So did Jay."

As Annie recounted the painful revelation, a storm of conflicting emotions raged beneath her composed exterior. The betrayal cut deep, reopening wounds she had thought long healed. She couldn't help but feel a pang of shame, as if she had been nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game.

Yet, intertwined with the hurt was a flicker of resentment towards herself for allowing her vulnerability to be exploited.

Leo's expression softened with understanding, his gaze unwavering. He could see Annie's vulnerability, but he admired her courage in sharing such a painful experience.

"That must have been incredibly difficult," Leo said quietly, his voice filled with empathy. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Annie wanted to glance away, no longer wanting to have her gaze locked with Leo's. Her cheeks were gone red from embarrassment and she felt utterly pathetic but she kept her gaze locked with his and kept on a strong face, not wanting to be weak.

Leo's eyes went soft. He felt his heart ache for her, feeling terrible that she was used like that because he knew she deserved the world and so much more.

He just wished he could give it to her.

"I'm... so sorry, Annie. You deserve so much more, you have no idea." He let his arms drop so they were resting normally by his sides. His eyebrows were pulled together, "I wish you never had to deal with that. That's terrible. I'm sorry."

Annie shrugged softly, looking down. "It's okay. Don't be sorry. It is what it is, right?" She offered him a half-hearted smile, hoping to keep the mood light.

Leo exhaled, "It's not okay. Nobody should be treated like that, especially not you."

Annie gave him a warm smile as she stirred her straw in her glass of water. "Come on now, don't think you're going to get away with not telling me about your first relationship."

Leo let out a small laugh. "Aside from my four days with Stacey, it was freshman year which a girl named Megan. Only a few months, broke up because... honestly, I don't know why. We just were more like friends, I guess."

"There we go, not so depressing anymore."

Leo offered her a small smile before going serious again, "This guy... he doesn't still go to our school, does he? Please tell me it's not someone I'm friends with or I'm going to punch my own face."

Annie chuckled softly, "No, he doesn't. He transferred after the beating from Jack and Jay."

Leo nodded his head, not saying anything as the dots in his head started to connect.

He now knew exactly who Annie was talking about.

Ryan Thomason.

He was on the football team last year before he transferred schools. Leo didn't know him well but he knew the kid was a prick who was conceited and rode on a high horse.

"What do you want to do after high school?" Annie asked, changing the subject.

Leo tilted his head, "I haven't decided yet but anything to do with science. I'm thinking biochemist, maybe."

Annie smiled softly, "Should have guessed it. What about football?"

Leo blew air out into his cheeks, "I might continue playing in University but not what I want to do full-time. Don't get me wrong, I love it all but it's more of a hobby."

Annie nodded in understanding. "I get that."

"What about you? Do you know what you want to do?"

She shrugged a little, puckering out her lips in thought. "I want to work with teenagers. Either a psychiatrist or a social worker, something like that. I want to... help them get through rough things, you know."

Leo smiled at her answer, it being perfect for Annie because he knew she was such a kind-hearted person anyways. "I would have expected a writer or something like that but that sounds nice, sounds like something you'd be good at."

Annie laughed lightly, "Thank you. I love writing but I guess it's more of a hobby too."

Leo smiled, the smile reaching his eyes. "I'm sure you'd be good at whatever you decided to do."

Leo's genuine smile lingered as the conversation continued, and Annie couldn't help but feel more comfortable. The tension that had hung in the air earlier was beginning to ease, replaced by something lighter and more intimate. It was as if, for the first time in a long while, she felt like someone truly saw her—not just as a shy, quiet girl in the library, but as someone with dreams and hopes of her own.

"Thank you," she said softly, her fingers idly toying with the edge of her napkin. "It's nice to hear that from someone."

Leo grinned. "It's not just nice—it's the truth."

Annie bit her lip, trying to suppress the warmth rising in her chest at his compliment. She couldn't deny how easy it felt to talk to him, despite all the overthinking she had done before. "So, biochemist, huh? You're full of surprises, Leo."

Leo chuckled, leaning forward slightly. "What, you thought I was just another dumb jock?" His voice was teasing, but there was a hint of genuine curiosity in his eyes.

Annie tilted her head, her lips curving into a soft smile. "No, not dumb. Just... I guess I never imagined you'd be into something so... well, intellectual."

Leo pretended to be offended, placing a hand over his chest dramatically. "Wow, Annie Halden, I'm wounded. I thought you had me all figured out by now."

Annie giggled, the sound light and musical, and Leo's grin widened in response.

"I'm just saying," she continued, still smiling, "you've got layers."

"And you're just starting to peel them back," Leo quipped, his voice softening as his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than usual. "I could say the same about you."

Annie blinked, her heart skipping a beat. She could feel the shift between them, the way the air grew charged with unspoken tension—something sweet and unfamiliar, yet thrilling all the same.

"You're full of surprises too," Leo added, his voice almost a whisper.

Annie felt her cheeks flush again, her eyes darting away briefly before returning to his. "Maybe," she admitted softly, "but I think you've still got me beat."

Leo chuckled, but there was something more tender in his gaze now. He reached out, lightly brushing the back of his hand against hers on the table. The touch was subtle, almost tentative, but it sent a ripple of warmth through Annie. She didn't pull away—instead, she let her hand linger there, their fingers barely grazing.

"You know," Leo began, his voice gentle, "I'm really glad we started talking. I wasn't sure where it would go, but... I feel like I'm getting to know someone pretty special."

Annie's breath caught in her throat. His words, so simple yet so sincere, tugged at something deep within her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise and gratitude. "You... really think that?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Leo nodded, his gaze never wavering. "I do. I see it in the way you carry yourself, the way you care about the people around you, even if you don't always let them see it."

Annie's heart swelled at his words, her chest tightening with a mixture of emotions—joy, disbelief, and a touch of nervousness. She hadn't expected him to see her this way, to see beyond the quiet exterior she kept so carefully guarded.

"You're kind of amazing, Annie," Leo added softly, his hand finally resting fully over hers. "And I feel lucky to be the one sitting here with you."

For a moment, the world seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of them sitting there in the quiet space between conversation and something more. Annie's heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel the warmth of his hand, solid and reassuring, grounding her in the moment.

"Leo..." she whispered, her eyes searching his for reassurance, for understanding.

Leo smiled gently, his thumb lightly brushing over her knuckles in a soothing gesture. "You don't have to say anything, Annie. I just wanted you to know."

Annie's lips parted, a soft breath escaping as she found herself leaning into the moment, the space between them narrowing. She hadn't expected this, hadn't anticipated feeling so seen, so understood by someone like Leo. It was disarming, yet comforting all at once.

"I'm really glad we're here too," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't think... well, I didn't think you'd want to spend time with someone like me."

Leo frowned, shaking his head. "Don't say that. You're exactly the kind of person I want to be around. You're genuine, Annie. That's hard to come by."

Annie felt a flutter of warmth in her chest, and for the first time, she allowed herself to believe it—to believe that Leo truly saw her, not just as another quiet girl in the background, but as someone worth knowing.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Leo squeezed her hand gently, his gaze steady and warm. "You don't have to thank me. I'm just being honest."

Annie smiled, her heart full. The moment felt like a turning point, a quiet shift in the air that promised something new and wonderful. And as she looked at Leo, his eyes filled with sincerity and affection, she knew she was no longer alone in the shadows—someone had seen her, truly seen her, and it felt like the beginning of something real.