I step out of my apartment, freshly showered with unwrinkled clothes.I think I look more confident than I feel but I have to do this. No matter how much I want to lock myself in my bedroom and pretend I don't have any worries and don't have two men in the opposite apartment not getting along because of me.

I freeze in front of the door, fighting myself from turning around. Just as I raise my hand to knock on the door it flies open and I tumble into the threshold right into somebody's arms. "Kyahh!"

Thud.

I slam on top of my unsuspecting new pillow, hitting the floor with a thump. Gasping, I roll away before looking up at Leonard who is glaring at me with annoyance. He wheezes as if a bag of sand landed on him. How insulting! I resist the urge to slap him. Instead, I stand up and brush off my white capris with a sharp glare.

"What are you doing here?" Leonard's tone is snippy and guarded.

"I came to talk." I brush past him into the living room, eyes darting to different corners of the apartment to catch sight of Sheldon. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't bunkered down in his room under a blanket right about now.

He must have heard me come inside. If he really wants to see me he'll come out of his hermit shell.

Leonard shuffles in behind me and sits down across from me on the sofa. He eyes me with disdain as if I were the one cheating me instead of it being the other way around. The irony.

I keep my eyes on the wall beside his right ear, mentally counting the seconds for Sheldon to appear across the hall. When he doesn't, I frown, kneading a nearby pillow in my hands, becoming acutely aware how much alone I am with Leonard right about now. The awkward vibes just spiked a little higher. I clear my throat, finally sliding my gaze over my ex boyfriend. His glare hasn't softened in the last few minutes.

"If you're wondering where Sheldon is; he's locked himself in his room and can't hear a thing with his blaring headphones. Such odd behavior if you ask me. What did you do to him?"

"I—" I throw the pillow at Leonard, "did nothing to Sheldon! What makes you think I did something?" If looks could kill…

"There's no other explanation for it." Leonard says so matter-of-factly it takes everything in me not to throw something a little harder than a pillow at him. "Talk goes around, Penny. You're not as innocent as you want us all to believe."

I gape at him. Anything I had else to say fled with those venomous accusing words.

A nearby door slams and both of us turn to stare. Sheldon stands there with a worried and unsettled expression. He's heard Leonard talk down at me. I don't expect him to take up for me. He never stays around when there's a fight but there's a part of me that longs for him too. After all, he kissed me. This whole situation is his fault. He came to me. So I wonder if he'll be a man and take up for me? I catch his gaze for a few seconds.

I expect him to shy away from my gaze but he doesn't, not at first. His expression is apologetic. When he looks away, he levels an icy glare on Leonard.

Leonard stares at him in discomfort. I have to admit, Sheldon's angry look is a little scary. I'm glad I'm not on the wrong end of it but unfortunately Leonard is.

I step away as Sheldon takes a few steps toward his best friend and my ex boyfriend. "Don't talk down to Penny, Leonard. I tolerate many things because of you but never that."

"This has nothing to do with you." Leonard brushes off his words, turning back toward me or trying too. I've stepped several steps away from him while he wasn't looking. Finally he finds me situated on the opposite side of him and Sheldon.

"I have everything to do with this pickle." Sheldon drags his focus back, and Leonard looks back at him in bewilderment.

"Say what?"

Sheldon crosses his arms, and I turn my face to keep from giggling. Their faces are... priceless.

"I said, Penny did nothing to me. It's what I did to Penny." Sheldon's cheeks turned an unbecoming shade of red. Is he going to clam up now?

I cross my fingers behind my back.

"What did you do to her?" Leonard asks in a wary tone. He looks between Sheldon and I. Suspicion brimming in eyes.

And then to my utter disappointment, Sheldon becomes tongue-tied. Eyes widening under both of our stares. Oh Sheldon, I had such faith in you. Tssk. Any minute the turtle would return to his shell. My knight in shining armor no more. It looks like I'll have to take it from here.

I clear my throat, turning toward Leonard. Sheldon is about to go on flight. I take a step toward him, close enough to grab his arm to keep him from bolting. He gives a little gasp of outrage when he can't escape. Nabbed him.

"Sheldon kissed me." I watch Leonard's priceless expression. He steps away in shock. He gives a tinylaugh. "There must be some mistake.." A chuckle, "That would never happen. Him?" There goes the full belly laugh. Such self denial at its best. One would think he cared about me.

I stare at him, waiting for him to quit laughing. My stares turns into a full-blown glare. "I really don't know why you're laughing."

Deadly silence follows, suffocating the already awkward air.

"You're serious?" Leonard's gape is aimed toward Sheldon. Unable to run away, Sheldon has no choice but to respond.

"Affirmative." He locks Leonard into a stare. I feel like I'm trapped between a cat fight. You know how some cats do this weird sideways dance. That's Sheldon. Leonard is the one with his paw raised; head reared back. Oh boy… Can I like, take a raincheck? I really don't want a front-row seat —

"Penny?" Leonard asks. I feel like a child being scolded.

I jerk. "Mmm. Yes?" My hand slips from Sheldon's arm but he doesn't make any signs of running.

"How could you do such a thing?" his tone is condescending and I stare at him, my annoyance flaring like an oncoming firework. Did he really just ask me that? After he — the one on the boat with a bunch of girls—cheated on me. Of all the —

"You don't get to talk to me like that, Leonard." I poke him in the chest, trying to force him a few steps back. It's not working.

"You—" his oncoming sentence shuts off as an arm comes between us. Sheldon steps in the middle, forcing Leonard away from me.

"Argument concluded. You cheated. Penny was falling apart because of your cheating. It forced me to glue her back together. You—" This time, Sheldon jabs Leonard in the chest. "-said you wanted to break up so here we are." The turtle has turned into a lion.

I force my mouth closed when I realize I'm slack jawed.

"Hey buddy." Leonard soothes.

"Don't you hey buddy me, Leonard." Sheldon rebukes. "You abandoned her."

"Yes, but that doesn't give cause to kiss someone." Leonard is right but I'm not about to agree. I have an inkling I already know.

Sheldon twitches and I'm sure he will clam back up but bless him. He levels his gaze on Leonard's shocked face. "I have feelings for Penny."

"What?!" Leonard all but sputters. He drags his shocked eyes to gape at me and then back. "You don't even know what feelings are."

Sheldon could be dense at times and was not the most expressional person but deeming him as someone without feelings was downright cruel and not to mention rude.

"I admit it took a lot of self diagnosis and even Amy's but I finally figured out that I have a strong attraction toward Penny. Some might call it love or a strong liking." He meets my eyes, and I stare back in amazement.

Leonard shakes his head. "No. I can't do this anymore. Ugh. I need some air." He pushes past us and slams the apartment door, leaving Sheldon and I in complete silence.

I look back to Sheldon and smile. "You're in love with me are you?" I move closer, and he takes a step back like a cornered rabbit. Looks like he's converted back to his regular self. But to be honest I wouldn't like him any other way.

Sheldon doesn't answer my bold question, watching me step closer. I expected him to duck under my arm and hightail it back to his room but he stays put, waiting for me to finish what I have to say.

I give a little laugh at the absurdity of the last two days. "As crazy as it sounds, Sheldon. I have feelings for you too."

The next chapter will be the last. :)