More Than Neighbors Read Online Free Page B

two of beer. All I remember is that when I woke up in my bed, it felt as if a thousand pins had been stuck into my brain and eyeballs. I’d thrown up on the bathroom floor and on the living-room carpet, and my mother was so furious I thought the vein on her neck would explode. My friend Fiona told me later that I hadn’t stopped hugging people: boys, girls, a bag lady sleeping on the street, who apparently started screaming for the police, a flea-ridden stray dog . . .”
    Seeing the despondent expression on her face, Leopold couldn’t contain himself any longer and burst out laughing. Cat gave him an indignant look. “Sorry, Catalina. Please, go on,” he urged, trying to regain his composure.
    “To cut a long story short, back at high school that Monday, there were two boys and a girl who said that I’d sworn to love them forever.” Leopold began laughing again, and though she was annoyed that he found her woeful tale so funny, she couldn’t help finding him incredibly handsome.
    “Good thing I had the foresight to bring some cans of Coke!” he exclaimed, his laughter tapering off as he asked for another sandwich. “Tell me what happened the second time you got drunk.”
    “I don’t think so. These are very private stories, and I’m not keen to be a joke!” she shot back, frowning.
    “Please, please,” her neighbor begged her, his gray irises flashing with amusement.
    “Fine. But you have to promise you won’t laugh.”
    “Scout’s honor.” He gave the three-finger salute, his expression solemn.
    Catalina looked at him distrustfully, but continued with her story. “The second time I got drunk was about four years ago. It was at another party. I was feeling a bit sad because my boyfriend had just dumped me.”
    “He dumped you ?” he asked, surprised.
    “Yes, he did. I don’t know why you’re so amazed. Although, to be honest, I wasn’t sad that he’d left me. I was mostly upset that, after being together for more than two years, I wasn’t sorry we were going our separate ways. I don’t know if that makes sense . . .”
    “In other words, you weren’t really in love with him, either,” Leo clarified as he took another sandwich.
    “Exactly. But I was furious that I felt like that, because just before dumping me, Jason had accused me of just that, along with being a heartless witch, and I’d denied it, quite put out. It turned out he was right and . . . well, anyway, I felt sad and a bit depressed, and I decided to have a few drinks to cheer myself up. I thought that what happened to me at sixteen wouldn’t necessarily repeat itself.”
    “But it did.”
    “Yes. I didn’t let Fiona tell me everything, but she did reveal that two men had fought over me, and that another guy, who was pretty drunk, had threatened to throw himself off the balcony if I didn’t instantly promise to marry him.” When Leo managed to stop laughing, he realized that Catalina was looking at him crossly.
    “You must’ve been a pretty useless boy scout,” she declared.
    “I must admit, they never accepted me into their ranks, but . . . ,” Leo broke off and examined her near-empty glass warily. With a swift movement, he snatched the glass from her hand, set it aside, and rummaged through the mini-cooler for a can of Coke. “I don’t think you should drink any more.”
    “Don’t worry.” Cat shot him a glare. “I can’t see you losing your head over me.”
    “No, but I don’t like to take unnecessary risks,” he replied, still munching on his sandwich.
    “Well, now you’ve devoured all my sandwiches,” she said. “All I can offer you is a humble chocolate bar for dessert.”
    “Perfect. I love chocolate,” her neighbor assured her.
    “Wow, we’ve finally discovered something we have in common!”

CHAPTER 4
    For a while, they remained anchored in front of the old stone church, the boat gently bobbing as they chatted amicably.
    “Tell me, Leo. Why do you work so much?” Catalina