Page 69 of Wrapped in Red

Chapter Twenty-One

Ezra

Leo sat on the bathroomcounter and kicked his feet happily against the drawer below him as he watched me. We had gone shopping earlier to find the perfect makeup, the nail polish he already had, and I let him pick out a few things of mine to wear. He beamed happily at me when I tipped his face up to get a better angle to start applying the concealer.

“Your cheekbones are amazing. It’s kind of unfair,” I murmured. “Also, your skin? I would have killed to have skin this smooth at your age.”

His blue eyes sparkled as I took a step back. “You’re just saying that.”

“I am not.” I scoffed and turned his head to get a better angle. “You hardly even need makeup. You could get away with eyeliner and mascara. Something to make these eyes of yours pop. You lucked out, kiddo.”

Leo blushed. “Really? I mean, you think boys will like me?”

Ah, there it was. “You like boys?” I asked casually as I smiled at him. “I mean, you don’t have to put a label on yourself, but I knew I was gay when I was around your age.”

“I had a girlfriend last year.” Leo chewed on his lip, and I was thankful he hadn’t pushed the lipstick thing. “She was, I don’t know, nice and all, but didn’t really do it for me. I mean, she liked dressing me up in her clothes.”

My brows shot up. “How did that make you feel?” I dug around in the makeup bag we purchased to find the blush before I decided he didn’t need it. I grabbed the eyeliner instead.

“Uh, pretty?” A pink flush appeared over his neck. “I think that’s when I realized I wasn’t straight.”

I giggled softly. “Pretty, huh? Did you tell her that? Open your eyes real wide for me.”

“No,” Leo murmured as he let me slide the eyeliner around his right eye. “I think she was into the whole dating a driver thing. There are a lot of those girls around here.” He blinked when I took a step back. “Thank you, by the way.”

I smiled. “For?”

“All of this, taking me out and helping me.”

“You’re more than welcome.”

Leo looked like he wanted to say more, but when he didn’t, I took the chance to work the liner around his left eye.

“I’m going to mess this up when I do it myself,” he finally muttered.

“It takes time. I gave you those tutorials. They’ll help,” I assured him.

He sighed softly. “Yeah.”

“Hey.” I patted his shoulder. “I didn’t learn overnight. Looking this good takes practice,” I teased, and when he broke out into a smile before he giggled, I felt better. “You can call or text me any time.”

He kicked his feet again, which I hoped meant he wasn’t worried. “Thanks, but I know you’ll be busy.”

“Yeah, but you’re forgetting I’ll be with Carson, so we’ll be near one another.” I pointed the liner at him. Leo looked like I told him he just won the lottery. “This is the worst part.” I grabbed the mascara and was more than surprised at how easily he let me apply it. “You’re beautiful.”

He ducked his head. “Not as beautiful as you. Besides, I’m sure Andy won’t even notice me.”

“I’m sorry, who?” I gasped in mocked horror. “Who is this Andy person you failed to mention to me until just this moment?”

Leo turned about fifty shades of red. “No one,” he mumbled.