Chapter 41

Leonardo soon finished his cigarette on the empty street. Inside the car, Samantha sat in the passenger seat, the soft hum of the engine filling the silence. The air conditioning was still running, but she barely noticed it. She had no idea what to say or do, so she just sat there, waiting. After tossing the cigarette into a nearby trash bin, Leonardo lingered for a moment, letting the scent fade from his clothes before getting back into the driver's seat. "Sorry." Samantha's head snapped up in surprise. She'd expected him to be angry or frustrated. But she hadn't expected him to apologize. "I-It's okay." The car fell silent again. Leonardo didn't say anything else as he drove her back home. When they finally reached her apartment complex, Samantha pushed open the door, hesitating for a second, unsure of how to ease the awkwardness. "Thank you," she said, defaulting to politeness. "Hold on." Samantha turned to look at Leonardo. His dark eyes were fixed on her, and the mole