An Unexpected Conversation.

[Leo Shephard]

Leo Shephard didn't quite know what he was doing here in Takarokaro Park. Life hadn't been all that great for him. He was single, he didn't have many friends nowadays, and his life was just pretty darn dull at the moment. He kicked the football that he had with him, towards a nearby tree, which it re-bounded-off and Leo then caught-it back-into his hands, before spinning the ball on his middle-finger.

'I need to get a life.' Leo thought-to himself as he began to do some kick-ups with the ball. He had debated whether he should just go and get himself drunk in The Medley and pick-up some random-girl whilst he was there, but he just had no energy nor motivation to do that sort-of thing these-days.....Getting frustrated with himself, Leo pelted the ball as hard as he could away from him. He soon regretted that decision. "ARGH!" He groaned-allowed before chasing after the football at a fast-pace. He finally caught-up with it, and tried-not-to look to out-of-place in this different-section-of the park, standing-up with the ball now in his hands before running his spare-hand through his hair as he tried-to act all cool before leaning-against a nearby tree-trunk and sighing-to himself. What had his life come-to recently?!

 

[Chloe Livingstone]

Chloe Livingstone had been spending a lot of time in New Zealand lately which was unusual for her. She typically avoided it because of an ex-boyfriend that cheated on her, but that seemed stupid. She wasn't in love with him or anything. In fact, Chloe had been out with many, many men since Leo Shephard. Besides, New Zealand was a beautiful country. She shouldn't be avoiding the area that she had grown to love just because of a guy. Her father had a hotel in the area where she was staying. In a few days time, there was a runway show nearby that she had been asked to model in. Chloe had been feeling nostalgic, so she had come down a week early.

Despite the fact that it was fall in New Zealand, today wasn't particularly cold. With the show coming up, the beautiful brunette decided to go for a run in the nearby park. Chloe was just rounding a corner when a man darted in front of her, chasing a ball. The man stopped, leaning against the tree. Chloe's bright blue eyes quickly recognized the person in front of her. His familiar posture was a dead give away before she even looked at his face. Leo. Chloe's heart gave a pain. This was the man that cheated on her. She sighed, not really wanting to speak to him, but knowing that a conversation was unavoidable unless she wanted to give the impression that she was avoiding him which she most certainly was not. She slowed down. "Hey, Leo." she said with a cool detachment in her voice. "What are you doing here alone?" Chloe asked.

 

[Leo Shephard]

Leo almost wanted the ground to swallow him whole when he heard a familiar voice come from nearby to where he stood. It was that of his ex-girlfriend's, Chloe Livingstone's voice. The last time Leo had seen her was when she had discovered that he had stupidly cheated-on her. It had only been a stupid one-off mistake, but that had been enough to tear the once solid couple apart, and it had taken Leo a good-long-while to get-over Chloe after-that.

Leo looked-at Chloe and gave her a small-smile. "Chloe! How weird, seeing you here?!" He told-her with a slight-chuckle. "I've just come-out for a kick-about and some fresh-air." He informed his ex-lover truthfully, his mind suddenly flashing-back-to all over those memorable times that they had once shared together, and how they were all now tainted by the one fatally stupid mistake that he had then gone and made after all of those memories.....Things were never going-to be the same-again. And Leo knew that all too well. "Anyway, how have you been doing?! Life's been treating ya well I should hope?!" Leo asked with a friendly-voice, despite the slight-awkwardness of this situation, Leo was a friendly-guy, and he had absolutely no-reason to be off with Chloe. He even would have understood if she'd have had a right go at him for what he had once-done to her. But it seemed that-that was well and truly in the past-now, which Leo was relieved about.

 

[Chloe Livingstone]

Chloe bit her lip slightly, a nervous gesture. It surprised her how relaxed he seemed to be around her despite the fact that he had broken her heart. Chloe was not the type of girl you cheated on. She was beautiful and successful with what she did. In fact, before Leo, she hadn't been the type to even date steady. Leo had shown her another side to a relationship that did revolve around sex. She had loved him. Even now, her heart felt a pang of longing. After all, it was the physical side that had first attracted her to him. Leo was a handsome man, and it was hard for mind and body to forget how familiar she had once been with him.

"Yeah, I have a show in a few days. Hence, the reason I am running." Chloe responded with a shrug. It shouldn't matter to him where she was to him anymore. She brushed back her hair from her face. It drove her crazy that he was being so nice to her. "I'm good. I've been busy working and traveling." she said, leaving out the parties and late nights she had in between jobs. Chloe was not the type of girl to sit at home and pine over a lost love. "What about you? You're well?" she asked trying to conceal her concern for him in her voice. She didn't want him to know that despite everything, she still cared. Not when she had every right to hate him. Chloe had hated Leo at first for what he had done, but time had evaporated the hate and just left her with a sadness.

 

[Leo Shephard]

Leo shifted his feet as Chloe spoke to him. He didn't want to feel awkward around-her, but he did. He thought he had moved-on from her when they had split-up, which had admittedly been his own-fault, but he obviously hadn't done. He still felt something for her, his heart still skipped-a-beat from just looking-at her, and that just had to mean-something. It just had too.

"Oh well that's great. I'm glad that you're doing-okay....." He trailed-off with a sweet-smile shot-in her direction. "I hope that the show goes well." He added-on with a friendly-voice, hoping that he didn't sound too overly-keen, he didn't want her to think that he was coming-onto her or anything, because he wasn't. He really wasn't. But that didn't necessarily mean that he wasn't tempted-too, but Leo Shephard had more of a warm-heart than that these-days.....

"I'm okay I guess....." Leo told-her truthfully. He wasn't going-to lie-to her. The last-time he had lied-to her had caused their break-up, so he was never going-to do that again....."I'm not really up to much at the moment if I'm honest, but hey, things could be worse couldn't they?!" Leo said with a small-smile as he spun the ball on his middle-finger once-again for a couple-of seconds before catching-it back-into his hands again. Leo couldn't ignore the silent feelings that were currently running through his whole-mind and body, feelings of love.....feelings of guilt.....He could feel his face gradually reddening as he looked-at her pretty-features. "I'm So Sorry Chloe....." He found-himself blurting-out. "For Everything....." He trailed-off. 'Damn, what did ya go and bring that up for Leo?!' He silently cursed-himself within his thoughts.

 

[Chloe Livingstone]

Chloe bit down on her bottom lip as Leo said he hoped her show went well. She briefly considered inviting him, to be polite, but decided against it. It would probably just put them both in an uncomfortable position. He could refuse which would only hurt even if she pretended that it didn't. Leo was the only one who could tug on her heartstrings like that.

The brunette shifted her weight uncomfortably as the conversation went from hearing about Leo's life to an apology for what he had done to her. She met his eyes hesitantly. Chloe could see that he was sincere about his apology, but he had been sincere before and she had still walked out the door. Chloe shook her head at him. "Just don't, okay? I don't want to hear that you are sorry, or that you made a mistake. We all have choices in life. I can hear the guilt, but there's no point. You made your choices, and I made mine. I chose my career over love, and you chose to find love elsewhere." she said without anger in her voice. Chloe had felt hurt for a long time now, but she had let go of all of that. She didn't know if she would find love somewhere else or not, but she had made her peace with that.