That Moment

We were spending the next two weeks in Colorado, helping out several local bounty hunters with their fugitives. I was hoping to get a lot of ‘Leland time’ for the executive producer while we were in his hometown, so to speak. I hit the jackpot when he told us all that he was going to visit his mom.

“I’m coming with you.” I inform him, picking up one of the small cameras and following him out the door.

He turns, with a confused look, “Hell no.”

“You don’t have a choice, read your contract.” I say, with an evil smile a I climbed into the car with him. He shakes his head, starts the car and pulls away from the house. We didn’t speak the entire car ride.

He turns to me as we park in his mother’s driveway and says, “You don’t say a word while I’m visiting my mom. You sit there and film whatever it is you need to film and then you leave. I don’t care if you have to wait in the car for two hours.”

Stepping out of the car without so much as word, I follow him into his mother’s home. It was a small, tidy home with a lot of character. Pictures were scattered here and there of her two sons, Leland and Duane Lee. His mother was a petite thing with dark brown hair just like her son. I could see the resemblance and also the closeness between the two of them as they hugged. We exchanged introductions and I set my camera up in the living room while the two of them caught up.

I filmed them interacting for about twenty minutes, before excusing myself to go outside. I wasn’t a heartless bitch, no one wants to visit their mother with an audience. After sitting outside on the small patio for the next hour I hear the door open and look up to see his mother standing over me. “Is everything alright?” I ask curiously, holding up my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, as she sits down beside me.

“Oh, everything is fine honey, he took a phone call and went out back.” she replies, patting me on the arm for good measure. “Listen, I know that Leland has been in a bit of a mood lately...he’s been going through a lot with his Ex, she’s a crazy bitch.”

I snorted. I guess like her son, she too called ‘em like she saw ‘em.

She continues, “He’s really worried that there’s something wrong with him, what with two failed marriages and few bad relationships.”

A sad smile comes over my face, “I can understand that.” I reply, leaning my head back to rest on the chair. I too had several failed relationships and a failed engagement.

She turns to me and says with concern, “I hope that he’s treating you well.”

Before I could reply the door opens and Leland joins us on the patio. “Let’s go Reece.”

We say our goodbye’s, Leland promising to come back for a visit tomorrow.

---------

I had decided before we even got to Colorado that I would sleep on the bus while we were in town, the thought of spending one more night being tortured by Leland was more than I could bare. I settled in around 9:00 that night; I had always been a little old lady when it came to bedtime.

A rattling noise woke me sometime later and I slid my curtain open to see Leland climbing onto the bus. I groaned and swung my legs out of the little bunk bed and pushed the hair out of my face.

“What is it now?” I asked, rubbing my eyes as he dug around his bunk.

He turns toward me, “Just getting something I left. Go back to sleep.”

Standing up, just as he finds what ever it was he was looking for, “You couldn’t wait until the morning to get that?” I ask, pointing to the magazine he held in his hand.

“Why are you such a bitch?” he asks, raising his hands.

Our bodies were pressed together in the cramped hallway, I could feel his body move with each breath he took. We stared each other down, neither of us relenting to the other; moments passed before either of us spoke.

“Why are you an asshole?” I retort.

“Because you make me that way!”

I’m sure my face replied before I could. “What did I ever do to you? We just met a few weeks ago.”

He lets out an exaggerated sigh, “And?”

Shaking my head I say, “Hey, I get it, you’re bitter. You had two failed marriages and now you’re on the outs with your latest girlfriend. Get over it! I broke my engagement off to a man I had been with for four years. We are not our pasts though. Don’t let that shit weigh you down.”

Leland presses his body into mine, coming within inches of my face, “I’m not as heartless as you are Reece.”

“I am not heartless Leland! You don’t even know me.” I tell him, almost wanting to stomp my foot as I said the words.

His hands flew up to grab my face, I flinch thinking he might just hit me but he places them roughly against my cheeks, “I wanna hate you so much.” he states, that fiery passion flickering in his eyes. That same passion I saw when he came to my room that night.

The realization hitting me like a punch to the gut. Why didn’t I see this sooner? “You don’t hate me, you...you like me.” I say, smirking.

Soft lips crash into mine, “Shut up.” he commands with another rough kiss.

“You shut up.” I reply, pushing him off of me and into his bunk bed. He pushes back, I grab his shirt, pulling his body back against mine, I kissed him, hesitantly at first, sucking at his lip. I pulled away, looking at him before placing my lips against his jaw, placing delicate kisses along his jawline. He caught my lips in his, kissing me roughly as he told me over and over how much he hated me.

My fists were clinched in his black t-shirt, almost afraid to let go. I felt his muscles flex as he reached out to grab a handful of my hair, yanking my head backwards. I gasped, as he sucked my earlobe.

“Leland.” I moaned into the dark hallway. I felt his cold fingertips, graze the delicate skin just under my tank top. His knee parted my thighs as he leaned farther into me, kissing me more passionately.

“I hate the way you make me feel.” he says, with a ragged breath. Releasing the grip on my hair, he takes a small step back, leaving me panting, with a turn he disappears.