"You can tell me if you are not okay." (10)

I thought that maybe after taking a long bath in that beautiful tub my thoughts had cleared up...

But it wasn't like that.

I was still feeling overwhelmed by them.

I dried my hair, letting them go in their naturally wavy style.

I looked at myself in the mirror and I was looking like I hadn't slept in a week.

I put some concealer under my dark circles, then I added a bit of mascara, and an eye shadow in some nude tones.

I chose a lipstick in a dark pink tone.

There was still half an hour to go and I had to decide what to wear...

After changing two outfits, I finally opted for a sleeveless dress.

The beginning part of the dress was blue and stayed tight, then descended into a wide white skirt with tiny blue flowers printed on it.

It reached just under my knee.

I kept fixing my hair but there was nothing to fix...

I left my room and took the elevator to reach the hall.

I turned around but did not see Bella, so I leaned against the reception counter and took the phone in my hand.

At that moment Joe sent me a photo of him, smiling in front of the mirror.

He was elegantly dressed.

"Ellie." I heard myself calling from behind.

Her voice was such in a calm and quiet tone.

I turned around and Bella was smiling at me.

She was wearing a light purple dress, above her knee.

It is in a soft fabric, tight in her hips emphasizing her gorgeous body.

It has thiny suspenders and a drape over the breast.

If fits her so beautiful... and she is wearing it very elegantly and naturally.

Her long red hair, waved at the ends, were under her bare shoulders.

She has a lipstick in a cherry red shade.

Bella smiled slightly, coming over me: "Here you are..."

The black eyeliner she has suits her almond shaped eyes.

"Shall we go?" She asked me.

I nodded my head.

"I'm starving..." She added.

I laughed a little.

"I hope they don't serve those mini portions of food restaurants usually have..." She rolled her eyes as she spoke.

I laughed: "If it were up to me, we would go to Mcdonald's..."

Bella smiled warmly: "Fine. We can get along."

We turned around, starting to walk without knowing where to go.

"Look..." I said, pointing to a sign with all the restaurant of the hotel.

As we silent looked each one of them, I began to lose hope as each of them had incredibly flashy titles,

but all of a sudden Bella and I spoke at the same.

"Mexican's food!" We exclaimed.

We looked at each other, blushing and bursting out laughing.

~

Along the streets of the resort, everything seemed incredibly peaceful and relaxing.

I looked up and there was a crescent moon illuminating that clear night.

But my mind was not clear at all...

"Have you talk to the boys?" I sighed with my gaze turned toward the sky.

Bella huffed.

I looked at her and I immediately recognized that contrite expression she just didn't want to hide at all.

"Something wrong?" I asked in a low voice.

"I don't feel like thinking about them all the time." She replied.

I was surprised by her outspoken and calm way.

"I want us to have fun." She added in a soft way.

"I'm trying to." I replied, shuddering for some reasons.

Bella looked at me and like the first time we met, her eyes shone with empathy:

"I know. And I know it's not easy." She affirmed.

As we continued to walk our arms leaned progressively closer to each other, until they slighty touched.

Bella suddendly stopped walking and I felt a gasp inside me.

"Start from the fact that you should be fine when he is not around." She stated, dryly.

Her expression was serious and focused.

"I am - fine without him. But this vacation was supposed to be ours." I replied, defensively.

No. I am not. I am not fine.

But that is just one of my unspoken word.

Bella began to walk slowly again.

"Sure." She replied in a criptic, seriouss way.

"But it wasn't your fault." She added.

I closed my eyes and heaved a melancholic sigh to the sky as we slowly kept walking to that restaurant.

~

It was a quiet, relaxing restaurant with soft lights, the tables were round and wooden.

I ordered tacos, Bella got a vegan burger.

Suddenly I was silent again, with a weight in my heart, overwhelmed by my own thoughts.

Bella dropped the menu from her hands, then she looked at me in that careful and worried look, again.

"Sorry, if I am going too far... but how are you feeling?" She asked leaning against the table.

"A lot has happened since this morning, maybe you should let words go... I am listening." She said quietly with a soft smile.

I wasn't used to those words.

I nodded nervously, thinking that maybe that was my chance to finally being able to let myself go...

That she was actually listening...

"Well... I'm not... I just feel..." I tried to speak, but the words were not leaving my mouth.

I felt a crack.

"You can tell me if you are not okay." Bella said to me in such calm way.

"How do you know I'm not okay?" I asked defensively, feeling exposed again.

"Ellie, don't get me wrong, but I can see it in your eyes."

Suddendly I felt flushed and broke out in a cold sweat.

I held the crystal glass in front of me so tightly in my hands that I began shaking it nervously.

Bella's hand slowly approached my arm and gently squeezed my wrist.

That gasp, again...

I suddendly froze, as if I had not expected such a gesture.

As I looked up, Bella smiled at me in an soft way.

Somehow I kept looking at her relaxed and limpid expression and I began to breathe more calmly.

I slowly felt freer to release the glass that I still held tightly in my hand.

Bella's hand still on my wrist.

And I didn't want her to move.

Suddendly our eyes looked at each other as if there were only us in that restaurant.

As if time had stopped.

I don't know how much time passed before I spoke again...

"It is undeniable... that I am still in pain." I whispered.

Bella slowly nodded, encouraging me to keep talking.

"Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by my own emotions." I whispered, finally being able to speak about that part of myself.

It's a new feeling for me, letting myself go like that...

With a stranger, too.

But I feel like... I could trust her.

"This... pressure... makes my mind and body seem unable to find the right balance."

I said those words trembling like if I had buried them long time ago.

Bella kindly squeezed my wrist and nodded:

"I can understand that. Truly... I know these feelings."

She looked into my eyes and sighed:

"It's okay to take time to reflect on your feelings... but don't let others overwhelm you with their negativity."

Her eyes were so expressive and sincere.

Is she talking about Joe?

"You need to be more confidence about yourself. It can be hard... but you have to remember that you can always control your own emotions." Bella affirmed.

That sentence was so beautiful and she said it with such spontaneity that it made me realize that she really meant those words.

That perhaps, she was feeling those things, too...

How strange it was for a person that I hardy know...

The waiter interrupted that moment and brought us our plates.

Bella stepped back, but strangely her hand was still in my wrist, looking at me as if he did not exist.

Once he had left, I looked into her eyes.

"Thank you. For everything you said, Bella, really. I will try to."

My voice wavered.

She smiled: "It's okay. I've just said what I think. I really hope it was helpful."

She blushed a little.

Her smile widened: "Thank you for letting me in, though."

Let her in... was a good choice.

I smiled, almost moved: "Okey, let's let these negativities go away now..."

Bella winked in my direction: "Couldn't say that one better. Let's just eat, shall we?"