The rest of the world doesn't exist (22)

As I was drying my hair, I decided to text Joe back.

At least I had to, not that I really cared.

I just needed to keep our conversation alive and shift it to him, so as not to raise any suspicion.

Act normal...

This made me feel like a huge... liar

but I decided to throw that thought away.

I let my hair going wavy.

I put on my usual makeup: just little bit if mascara, blush, a kinda nude lipstick.

In the mirror I noticed how my olive skin was starting to get more and more tanned now.

My phone made a notification sound in that moment, so I immediately think it was Joe again.

But then I read the text...

>

A smile returned to shine on my face.

I don't know how she has the capability to do that.

I texted her back:

>

My heart filled with joy.

I couldn't stop thinking about looking into her eyes again and how my skin shivers everytime she touches me.

It makes me feel... good and I can't hide it from myself anymore.

I chose a light blue ruffled dress,

mid-calf length, then add some silver earrings and a heart-shaped necklace.

The one Mom had given me.

I grabbed my purse, left the room and waited for the elevator on my floor.

Every minute was eternal...

If I had to wait one more second I would have taken the stairs but then I heard that the elevator was about to reach my floor.

I looked up and I was mesmerized...

Bella was there, in front of me.

"Perfect timing..." She whispered, smiling spontaneously.

Her hands behind her back.

Her smile left me breathless and the rest of it too...

She was wearing a beautiful lilac dress.

It fitted at her natural waist and she was wearing it gracefully.

It has a sweetheart neckline that made the shape of her breast looks good...

She was wearing golden jewels.

"Hi..." I whispered blissfully.

"Hi..." She offered me her hand, which I immediately entwined with mine,

like two strings finally reunited.

Bella smiled as she pressed the button, then lowered her gaze:

"I don't know why, but I didn't want to wait a minute more."

I blushed.

"Well... I was getting nervous and I was about to take the stairs..." I confessed.

She looked at me surprised, her lips had parted slightly in a sweet smile: "So you would have walked four floors..."

I would have walked a lot of stairs just to decrese the distance between us.

I still can't believe it...

Leaning to the elevator, our arms gently brushed against each other.

That close, but not too close, contact made me feel a strange shiver down my spine.

"You're beautiful..." I whispered, lowering my gaze.

"You beat me here... because I was thinking the same, Ellie." She said back.

Her sweet tone of voice...

We stared at each other as we were smiling, then shyly looked away and gradually this scene repeated itself.

I was going crazy, blushing like a child.

"Wait a moment..." I stopped in the center of the room when we arrived to the floor.

We never let go of that eye and physical contact.

"You still haven't told me about that idea..." I laughed.

"It's in that direction..." She smirked pointing her finger toward the exit door.

~

There was an half moon in the sky and a graceful air was sofly touching our hair.

Her soft straight hair fell gently over her neck.

"So..." I laughed realizing I didn't know which way to go.

"You really want to know... fine..." She raised an eyebrow in a surrender tone.

"If I'm not wrong..." A satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"Yesterday you say that you'd like to go to Mcdonald's..."

"Uhm...yes..." I nodded in confusion.

"I had probably mentioned it..."

Bella laughed.

"Did you really find a Mcdonald's on this island...?" I asked in amazement.

She giggled: "Right outside that gate there's an uber waiting for us, five minutes and we'll be there..."

I was speechless, amazed that someone was really doing that for me.

I was not really used to it.

Bella looked at me worriedly: "I mean, if you want that, of course. Otherwise we can..."

I promptly blocked her by resting a hand on her arm.

"No. That's perfect." I smiled.

I caressed her arm:"It's what I needed. Thank you."

"I'm glad to hear that..." She replied softly.

I stared in amazement at her profile: her rosy cheeks, her candid skin, her long eyelash, hee usual lipstick in a shade of a matte red that matched the color of her hair.

Bella swallowed, the look on her face growing deeper in intensity:

"Can I take your hand?" She whispered.

The vulnerability in her voice.

"Yes." I responded desperately by taking her hand, then I squeezed it tightly:

"I'm sorry - I didn't mean to..."

I think she had noticed my weird behavior on that.

Bella warmly intertwined her fingers with my hand: "I know. You don't need to apologize, Ellie... just tell how you feel..."

I swallowed.

"I don't know..."

Too many thoughts and not knowing how to express them.

She squeezed my hand to warm me up and that made me feel better.

"I just feel... a little overwhelmed..." I whispered.

I had come to terms with the need to say those words.

Bella stopped from walking and looked into my eyes:

"It's okay, Ellie. I mean... this is something really unexpected... from both of us."

She took both of my hands and spoke gently:

"But listen... beyond all of this... you have to do what makes you feel good, what makes you feel happy. It only matters your happiness."

"I'm really happy, right now, Bella, believe me. I don't think I've ever felt this way..." I smiled shyly at her.

I finally had the courage to say those words out loud.

"And I hope you are feeling it too..." I whispered.

The vulnerability in my voice.

Bella gently caressed my back as a genuine smile appeared on her face:

"When I'm with you I feel like I'm dreaming, Ellie. I have never felt so good than that."

My cheeks suddenly blushed.

I approached her face, leaning my hands in her back and squeezed my body to hers.

My heart was going wild for my audacity.

But oh... how I needed that touch.

Bella smiled wistfully running her finger trough my cheeck.

"But If I could take these fears away, I would." She whispered.

Tears formed in the corner of my eyes.

"You're already doing so much, Bella..." I pointed out, sighing.

"Not enough..." She whispered as the tips of our noses brushed against each other.

Her hand slipped over the hollow of my cheek, our breaths intertwining gracefully.

"Yes, you do." I said marking my words.

Our trembling lips pressed against each other in a desired kiss.

Then it grew in intensity as the tips of our tongues gently touched in a tender desire.

She gently squeezed my hip, as our lips tasted each other.

Bella sighed wistfully:

"I hate to say this... but the uber is waiting for us..."

"You're right..." I pouted at her, but burst into a smile.

I walked away, but for some reason, she pressed our body again, and with her finger she raised my chin so that our eyes could look at each other.

We kissed again, as if the desire had grown stronger.

It was an unexpected explosion of euphoria.

I looked into her eyes, it took me a few moments to talk again.

"What was that?" I asked her not hiding my pleasant embarrassment.

She smirked: "I just wanted to make sure this is not really a dream."

Then she sighed, hiding a smirk: "We really have to go, now..."

That blew me away.

~

As Bella said, a car was waiting for us, outside the resort.

We sat in the back seat, we held hands as we were watching the view through the car's windows.

I leaned my head on her shoulder.

It seemed to me that everything now was different, better, sweeter and more authentic... even the view from the car.

People were walking quietly down the street, dancing, singing, hugging, loving each other.

We got out of the car.

Bella rubbed a hand on my back.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

"I like these people energy... and I'm starting to like this place." I smiled.

"I like it too..." She smiled back.

I took her hand as we started to walk toward the McDonald's.

"I don't know about you, Ellie, but I am starving..." She said seriously.

"I would never have said it..." I laughed.

Bella raised an eyebrow sarcastically and curled her lips to keep herself from laughing.

"What did you say?" She asked me, putting her arms folded.

I could clearly feel that she was about to burst out laughing, so I understood there was nothing to worry about.

"You heard what I said..." I played along with her, but I couldn't hide a satisfied smirk.

Bella raised and eyebrow in the calmest way, but a moment later she gently wrapped her arms around my chest and began to tickle me.

"Noooo!" I exclaimed.

I couldn't stop laughing.

"Take it back Ellie!" She exclaimed, giggling.

Her hands over my hips.

I laughed with until my eyes watered.

"OKEY! OKEY! BELLA, I GOT THE LESSON!" I laughed out loud as I tried in vain to break free.

That was one of the funniest and most lighthearted moments I had had in months or... years.

Bella stopped, hugged me from behind and kissed my shoulder as a sign of peace.

"Good girl... next time you won't make fun of me again..."

"Oh, my, god..." I couldn't stop laughing though she had stopped that tickle-fight.

Bella raised an eyebrow, smirking: "I can see Ellie... that you are a little ticklish."

I coughed nervously: "I hope this will not be use against me..."

"We'll see..." She shrugged, amused.

I asked her for some explanations about it, but she raised her hands in the air, pretending to be innocent about it.

I recomposed myself though some uncontrollable giggles were coming out of my mouth.

Then I looked around as I noticed that no one seemed to care about me laughing like a child in the middle of the street.

My heart filled with happiness like it was no longer used to be.

"Since you had your fun over me, Bella..." I said, keeping my self from laughing.

"Mmh, quite..." She winked at me.

"Let's go..." I added, surrending in a laugh because she was giggling.

I wrapped my arm around her and rested my head on her shoulder as we began to walk.

In that moment I had a strange yet beautiful feeling that the rest of the world doesn't exist now if she was with me.