Bed of Roses
Jeri's POV
Something was afoot. Takato was becoming colder towards me by the day. He almost never talked to me. And that was if talking counted as saying less than ten consecutive words to me. Whenever he saw me, he would try to escape from me and run away and whenever I got hold of him, he would come up with an excuse to run away.
It had been going on like this for three months already…
What worried me was that he had fallen in love with someone else and that he didn't want to see me anymore…
I lay down on my bed, wishing that the phone next to me would just ring and I would be able just to hear his sweet voice filled with his love again…
I felt like crying at that moment, he was the only one who had cared for me like that, and he was now ignoring me. It felt as if my world has just become darker without his light in my life.
Just then, as if he had read my mind, the phone rang.
I ran over to it and picked it up. I took a deep breath before answering it.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Jeri?" It was Takato.
I calmed myself down, I was supposed to be angry at him for not talking to me for so long. "What?"
"Um…Do you…"he sounded uncertain from this side of the phone. "Jeri, have you eaten yet?"
I glanced at my clock, it read eight thirty p.m. I had been so worked up worrying about him that I had forgotten to eat dinner. I immediately felt hungry at that thought.
"No, I haven't…" I replied.
"Do you uh…do you want to go out for dinner?" He asked.
"Um…" I was uncertain. Should I give him the benefit of the doubt and go with him so that he can explain himself, or should I continue being hard on him and decline his offer.
At last I made up my mind. "Ok, sure."
I could almost hear him sigh through the phone. "Ok. I'll come to pick you up in about fifteen minutes. We'll just be eating something casual, ok?"
I agreed and put down the receiver and went to get dressed.
Fifteen minutes later, I met him outside my house in a green dress, my hair let down. He was dressed casually, with a T-shirt and jeans.
He got out of his car and came up to greet me. I returned his greeting and got into his car.
Moments later, we were sitting in a middle-classed French restaurant, his "casual" dining.
"I thought you said casual!" I hissed at him in a hushed voice.
"I did." He replied.
I decided to let the topic drop and we placed our orders.
We waited in silence for our food. He didn't say a thing about why he was so cold towards me these few days. I was fuming.
I decided to break the silence.
"Takato Matsuki. I'm certain you brought me out here for more than just dinner so spill the beans already."
He sighed. "Jeri, you're wondering about me, aren't you? About why I've been so cold towards you recently."
I remained silent and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
He sighed again. "Jeri, be patient, please? I'll explain things soon enough."
How soon? How long was he going to make me wait like this?
As our food arrived, I began to start hating him. Hating the way he played around with me like this. The way he would make me wait for him…
I jabbed at my food without much enthusiasm.
We finished our meal relatively quickly and nothing was explained through the meal. Just as I had guessed…
Then, instead of driving me home, he drove to the park and pulled up there.
"What are we doing here?" I demanded.
He simply smiled and shook his head, like a child hiding a secret.
He asked for me to close my eyes and follow him.
I doubted him slightly but did as he requested.
He held on to my hand and guided me through the park. Eventually we came to a stairs, he told me it was there. I felt for it with my foot and found it.
He guided me up the stairs, step by step. I started to wonder what all the secrecy was about…
When we had reached the top of the stairs, he let go of my hand amd asked me to open my eyes.
I opened them and recognized where we were. It was Guilmon's old hideout, but now inside, was a bed of red roses. Standing amidst them was Takato, smiling at me.
"Wha…How?" I asked him.
"It took me a while to grow them for you, Jeri."
His words brought tears to my eyes. So this was why he was so secretive. He simply didn't want me to find out about this.
I looked up at him, tears in my eyes.
He noticed my tears and came forward, concern emitting from his eyes. "Are you ok, Jeri?"
I nodded my head and replied, "Yeah, it's just that this is so thoughtful of you…" I buried my face in his chest and cried. Partly of guilt that I had mistaken his actions and also partly because I was so touched by his gestures. A bed of red roses, that meant that he really loved me…
He pulled me into the field of roses and pushed me away. He looked into my eyes and said to me, "Jeri, I love you."
I loved him too, but I didn't say it. Instead, I kissed him. I think he got the message anyway.
So we stood there kissing, amongst a bed of roses…
