"We've already kissed, anyway." (11)

"It was... delicious." I said as soon as I finished eating the last bite of our dinner.

"Exactly what I needed." Bella agreed.

She took the menu back in her hand and flipped it to the last page.

"Would you like some dessert?" She asked as she stared focusedly at the menu.

I touched my stomach, letting out a sigh.

"I am pretty full, actually..."

"No probs, we'll eat one in a half." She confidently stated.

Bella showed me the menu and we decided to take a chocolate soufflè with vanilla ice cream.

"You can't finish a dinner without a little dessert." She said, serious.

Her long fingers with a bordeaux nail polish rose gracefully into the air.

I laughed, raising an eyebrow: "Didn't know that..."

Bella winked in my direction: "Now you do."

My phone lit up and I quickly read the preview of the text.

"They got dessert, too..." I announced.

"Let me see..." She said.

Joe had sent me a photo of three small cream puffs each placed on a casket with some little gold leaf.

It looked like something sophisticated...

Bella suddenly burst out laughing.

I looked at that photo, then I looked at her and I involuntarily burst out laughing too.

"Why are we even laughing for?" I asked her but I didn't stop laughing.

"I don't know," Bella was crying with laughter now.

She has a beautiful contagious laugh, that kind of laugh that fills the room with happiness.

"Oh shit... would you look at that photo?! That's ridiculous!" She exclaimed with an amused smile.

"That's very sophisticated..." I commented.

"That's very funny..." She teased.

Bella was making fun of them, by now.

And she had a point, by the way...

We couldn't stop laughing until the waiter brought us our dessert.

And that was nice.

I picked up the spoon in my head.

"Wait." Bella said, touching my arm

and becoming serious again.

"If you want to take a picture..."

I smiled: "I'll do it... but I'll it keep it for myself."

Bella smiled in satisfaction: "I think you are starting to learn, girl..."

I divided the sufflè and a cascade of hot chocolate came out of it.

I brought the spoon to my lips but I stopped awkwardy.

"May I? It's not that..."

Bella smiled, understanding what I meant: "No, it's okay. We've already kissed, anyway."

And she made a gesture with her hand as if to tell me to go ahead.

I can't believe she actually said those words... and how I remained deeply mesmerized by them.

Bella lowered her eyes towards that souffle.

I could swear she had a slight smirk on her lips, even though she tried to remain serious.

A strange silence had fallen between us as we began to eat.

Our sighs intertwined, and whenever I brought the spoon to my lips, she stared somehow mesmerized at me.

Her eyes were so hypnotic that I,  helplessly began to stare mesmerized at her and her way of licking out the chocolate of her spoon.

In that moment I made a strange thought: if that soufflè was a seven- layer cake I would have eaten it all... along with her.

What kind of mess thought was this?

I interrupted that contact first.

"It was good, by the way..." I whispered awkwardly as I stared on a wall behind her.

Bella winked at me: "Told you."

We got up from the table to return to the resort

As I looked up there was still that half-moon on the sky.

As we walked our arms slowly touched each other again.

"I'm so tired." I said, letting out a sigh, thinking about that long day.

"It's okay, it's been a busy day." She responded.

"Don't you feel that too? I mean... we kinda experienced the same thing." I said shyly, turning to look at her.

What I was trying to tell her was... if she was feeling betrayed like I felt.

I mean... her boyfriend, Leo, did not tell her either about his plan, just like Joe did with me.

Bella raised an eyebrow: "Not exactly, Ellie. I was tired before... I'm just trying to enjoy this opportunity, now." She simply responded.

I wasn't sure how to interpret her answer.

"Although... I am very conscious that they have been lying to us. Behind our backs." She affirmed coldly.

Her eyes were more thoughtful.

I sighed.

I didn't want to remember that.

We entered the elevator and looked at each other in the mirror.

My lipstick had almost completely faded;

The one on Bella's lips, which was a darker shade, was still holding up strong.

Bella turned around when the elevator arrived on her floor.

"Anyway..." She started.

"I didn't tell you you looked very good tonight." She whispered as she stared at the hallway in front of her.

I blushed, smiling.

"Thank you, so do you."

Bella stepped out and I stopped the doors of the elevator that were about to close with my hand.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I asked.

I was feeling like a teenage girl.

And that was a silly question.

Bella smiled: "Sure." She said, not quite turning around yet.

"Tomorrow morning in the hall? To have breakfast." She continued.

I nodded my head.

"Good night, Bella." I whispered.

"Good night, Ellie." She smiled.

I reached my floor and opened the door of my room

My face was smiling for no reason.

I turned on the lights and threw myself back on the bed, while I slowly took off my shoes.

I spread my arms and legs widely on those fresh, clean sheets and I sighed.

~

I was exhausted, yet my eyes were still wide open staring at the ceiling of my room.

In the bed I was still feeling tremendously lonely.

I kept thinking about the conversation between Bella and I, that night, and how strange it was that she kept sensing my emotions.

And how sweetly and carefully she said certain words to me.

That made me think that I was right, maybe, that she has a fragile side, even though she always seems so composed.

I picked up the phone and I opened instagram.

I typed Leo's name and scrolled through his gallery looking for a picture of him and Bella together.

I finally I found one, dating back one year ago.

Fortunately, Bella was tagged on it.

It was a photo of them in a pub: Leo was holding a drink in his hand and the other one was on Bella's waist.

I wonder if she misses her boyfriend, too.

She didn't said it, though.

I clicked on Bella's account.

I discovered her last name: Long, Bella Long.

In her instagram account she has fifteen photos.

I saw the one from her graduation, she was wearing a fiery red taileur that looked particularly good on her.

Other photos with her friends, one with Leo.

Photos of sunsets, books, music, sea, and from various trips.

A photo of her last birthday, March 29.

Bella was blowing out the candles of a white cake with the number 24 on it.

Oh, yeah, she told me she was twenty-four years old.

I noticed that she had no pictures of her family, no siblings, no parents.

Then I remembered that she mentioned something about her parents...

What was it?

Oh... that they did not transmitted her certain kinds of marriage values.

I wonder why.

Then something happened...

I received a notification on my phone.

There's no way...

SHE HAD JUST FOLLOWED ME ON INSTAGRAM.

Bella had just followed me on instagram.

I kept looking at that notification and I let out a laugh.

I couldn't believe that... I mean ... we just had the same idea?

But at least she had the courage to follow me...

I waited a bit... because it would have been too suspicious, and then I followed her too.

I realized that it was almost midnight... and I decided it was enough for my night- curiosity thing.

Or whatever it was.

I closed instagram and set the alarm clock for tomorrow morning.

I sank my face into the pillow again, turning to my left, where I usually saw Joe's profile or back.

But I keep thinking about her, I don't know why.

As I looked at the room's large windows overlooking the sea, my eyes closed slowly.