<span style="color: #FF80FF"> <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><div style="text-align: center;">Lea Stevens</div></span></span> </span><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn24/SociallyToxicBeauty/036e0d3a-b28c-47ec-b858-0eaea6c67e4d.jpg">[ img ]</a></div><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #FF80FF"><div style="text-align: center;">"Jazz"</div></span></span></span><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><br/>"I won't leave, Lea. I won't. Never. You are all that counts in my life, all that makes it worth living it. I will not leave you. I will be there for you, whenever you need me." </span><br/><br/>For the first time in a while, Lea believed those words. Her grip loosened on Carlos' arms and she nodded against him, accepting his words as truth. It scared her to do so, but with the feeling of security from being held in his arms, she had a hard time not trusting his words.<br/><br/>She knew that she loved him, had loved him for a long time. She hadn't wanted him to ever see her the way she was now, but it was too late. She had fallen into despair and had been unable to stop her own fall a second time. Being a cop had helped her, had given her a purpose, had let her quietly honor her family and heal. She had been hesitant to accept the love Carlos offered, but she likely would have eventually if things had not turned out so disastrous for her. If she had been stronger when she had killed that boy. If she had never had tasted the relief in those drugs.<br/><br/>There were so many things that could have gone differently if Lea had only been stronger.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF80FF">"I didn't mean to hurt you,"</span>she said unknowingly, her eyes drifting closed as she spoke.<span style="color: #FF80FF">"I didn't mean to hurt anyone..."</span>her voice was trailing off, but somehow she still managed to finish.<span style="color: #FF80FF"> "I was scared of being in love with you. I am...scared because...I love...you,"</span>and with that Lea had fallen into a fevered sleep.