Note: I rather used Past Tense here even though it's from the writer point of view!

A MATTER OF HEARTS

Ch 1

Here I was watching yet another wonderful sunset in Sicily, Italy. The sun set without no avail everyday on the same time, but unfortunately my heart still felt the same emptiness without compassion anymore to anything or anyone.

Today was no different from the other day I still worked in the same restaurant at the same time 1-6p, many people think that working as a waitress is a boring job but for me it is not it is a good and decent job which doesn't require much of thinking and the tips sometime is not bad especially when the tourist season comes. This coming week was my 23rd birthday, another birthday again to spend in loneliness. However I was also feeling thankful to God since I could live another year without being hurt and living well here. The same feeling that I always had every time my birthday was near.

There he was sitting with his girlfriend, I saw him coming almost every day with his girlfriend in the restaurant that I worked for 3 whole months at lunch time yet I never had a chance to serve him since it was not on my service area but today was different since Isabella was sick so I had to cover up for her service area. Was I complaining? Of course not because I could serve this good looking guy. This tall handsome guy had tanned skin with dark brown hair cut short on his neck, his wide broad shoulders showing his muscles, his arms were not so big but looked muscular shown from his loose short sleeves white shirt, his eyes color were dark brown and he had lines on his face showing his mature 30th something age. While I gave them the menu I was careful as usual not to make skin contact with my customers and asked them whether I should leave or wait for them while they were reading the menu, the woman said "stay" so I stood in front of the couple waiting to take their order.

"Do you have anything special for lunch today?" The beautiful brunette with blond highlight and pony tailed hair wore lovely blue short knee dress asked me while reading the menu.

"Yes, chef Enrique's lunch for today are Sicilian olives serves chilled as the appetizer, chicken risotto with pesto and crush garlic cooked with cream sauce and fettuccine geraldo which prawn and chicken tenderloins cooked with garlic, tomato, and shallot in avocado infused with white wine cream as the main course and tiramisu for the dessert."

"That sounds nice Bruce what do you think?" The woman looked to the handsome man whom I assumed as her boyfriend since no wedding rings on their fingers yet.

Bruce looked up to me and smiled. "Ok we want that, and a glass of mineral water for me please." While gave back the menu to me.

The brunette looked at me not smiling and gave me back the menu. "Yes and I want a medium bottle of sparkling water."

I repeated the order then I went inside the counter to input the order and since the restaurant was not having many patrons I could observe the couple longer than I usually did. They talked and smiled to each other, they kissed and laughed together. I saw Bruce's hand held her hand, 'what a happy couple' I sighed and his name sounded good too 'Bruce'.

I served them the drink first then the food and didn't pay quite attention to them anymore since more customers came for the lunch. When the couple asked for the bill I went to them and gave them the bill apparently Bruce was a generous fellow he gave me EUR 100 for tip it's big if you considered the price of the meal, but then I noticed a key I thought that he left his key so I was going to return it. I was trying to catch up with them but before that I told Alberto to cover my service area so my manager knew why I left.

Finally I was able to catch up with them, they were on the road walking side by side heading to the harbor just near the restaurant. I was stopping them by standing in front of the couple and handing the key to him.

"Excuse me sir I think this is your key."

I showed him the key while trying to manage my short breath after running. Bruce recognized his key and smiling to me made my heart fluttered then he took the key from my hand. On that instant moment when his skin touch mine I felt an electric shock through my whole body and just like watching a video, images starting to flow into my mind. Scenes of Bruce who was wearing a bat costume, of him losing his parents when he was a child, of him losing his will to live after he lost the woman that he loved and living exiled after he fell from high floor of a construction site, of him talking with an old guy while his face looked sad and lonely, of the bat costume guy who fought with many bad guys helping the cops, of him changing to batman costume then he went to fight with funny looking guy who looked like a clown who had wider lips than a normal person whom I recognized immediately as the joker since the news of his evilness was spread worldwide on that time, of him flew from the helicopter opposite the city to the sea. It made me realized, the news that I had read about Gotham city own hero "The Batman" this guy who was in front of me was the batman. I instantly took my hand out of his hand and the key fell I looked at him feeling scared of what I have seen and lost my breath knowing his true self without him being realized it just like sucking me out to see other people's past and sometimes I will need few seconds to adjust back to the present time and not zoning out from memories of other people' life. Bruce surprised with the sudden pull of my hand and looked at me questioningly, I guessed he saw frightened on my eyes and felt confused.

I tried to breathe normally but my heart beat fast, I have to act casual I thought so I hurried took the key from the ground put it on his hand tried carefully not to touch him. I said "sorry" before they could talk to me again I turned and left the couple running as fast as I could. After I felt that I was quite far from them I found an empty alley got in there and slumped on the street tried to catch my breath slowly while closed my face with my two hands. After what seemed like 15 minutes I managed to calm down my nerve then I returned to the restaurant just like nothing happen resuming my work again.

"Anna!" Isabella called me she looked worry, it had been a week after I knew that the handsome guy or Bruce was a batman.

I smiled looking into her direction. "Yes Isabella?"

"What's wrong with you?" She asked with heavy Italian accent.

"I'm good." I looked at her with a genuine smile.

"No Anna, I know you look different. I though that you have a crush to the handsome regular who often come for lunch with his girlfriend." I shot him a questioning glare but she continued talking.

"He is not marry yet since no wedding band on their fingers," I nodded and listened to her, "but suddenly you change your shift with Candelaria and worked at night and seldom talk to anyone and all of us are worry about you."

I was touched by her attention but I couldn't tell her about my actual reasons. "I'm fine I don't think he is the right guy for me so I feel broken heart and it's better for me to avoid them rather than seeing them together." I lied.

Isabella looked at me with concern but before she could say anything I told her that I have to go home soon since I want to meet my landlord to pay my rent which is due this month, she didn't look quite believe it but she let me go and said. "Ok then contact me if you need someone to talk to or just drop by to my place anytime you need."

"Si thanks Isabella." I hugged her short then left.

On my way back home I took the long route than the usual to looking at the sea view. I was enjoying my time just being here, being alone, being nobody, being just me. I stopped walking when I saw Bruce walking alone in front of me he was just a short distance before me. He looked at me and gave me a short smile. I smiled awkwardly to him and just passed him but he blocked my way, I didn't dare to look at him so I stepped back.

"Are you ok?" He asked concern showed in his voice.

I looked at him just seconds then my eyes fell to the ground again.

"Yes sir."

"You don't look fine."

I looked at him. "Maybe it's because I am very tired." I tried to sound casual while smiling awkwardly to him.

He looked at me and I felt that I shouldn't be afraid of him since he was a hero he won't be hurting me. Then there was the sound of a car horn behind us and he grabbed my bare shoulders so quick took me by surprise to his side protected me from the car which passing suddenly on fast speed. I felt sudden warmth surrounding me of his hands hugging me and felt his direct body heat was in contact with mine through our skin contact then he looked at me again checking me if I was ok. More images came to my mind I tried to suppress the feeling of receiving his memories.

"Thank you can you move your hands now." My voice was a bit trembling but I looked at him straight.

He let go of me. I smiled awkwardly again to him then after walking few steps away from him I turned to look at him still staring at me with curiosity.

"You are a good person you know that and thank you for saving me, I'm glad you are happy now with your life."

With that I turned walking away from him not to turn back again. I knew for sure this man was suffered of what he had to do before but I also knew that his time with his girlfriend slowly healed his heart and made him happy since their happy images was surfaced when we were touching.

Bruce looked at that strange woman feeling bewildered and strange of her last comment before she left. That woman was a petite rather shorter than Selina with a delicate curve her face was a mix beauty of Russian and a bit Asian ancestry, her eyes were blue like sea and for someone who worked at lunch hour her skin were fair with slight tan, she had long black hair which Bruce didn't know because when he found her working serving the table she always rolled her hair up so anyone couldn't notice how long her hair is. He felt curious when he saw her again tonight what happened a week ago he recalled when he suddenly saw the fear from her eyes when he slightly touched her hand. He thought he couldn't see her again after he didn't see her for their lunch visits in the restaurant. He talked about it with Selina because she picked his curiosity but Selina Kyle wasn't care about other woman's feeling. Even tonight when he felt he miss Gotham and Selina didn't say anything because she hate that city leading them to many of another arguments after their 2 years together.

He loved Selina or he thought he was because she understood the feeling of being an outcast and wanted to regain freedom, their souls were two lonely people being together of what they were. Selina could make him feeling love and to be loved but somehow he missed the soft side of woman just like what he had once with Rachel, his another ex-girlfriend whom he loved dearly and taken from him because of his fighting as a batman.

Tonight Bruce went back to their villa to find it empty.

"Selina, Selina, Selina!"

He looked for her at every side in the villa but he couldn't find her everywhere. He searched their closet and found all her clothes still there, he saw the pile of dirty laundry everywhere and put it to the dirty laundry basket. In this situation he missed Alfred the old man who already he regarded as a family, as his companion, and his partner who he can talked to, he gave him advice about his relationships and most importantly he didn't make him feeling empty. He and Selina felt great at first when they were together, their sex was good since Selina like to dominate more while they were having sex and she could play for long night while what he wanted after long sex was rest, when he woke up early in the morning she was still asleep and he usually made breakfast for them he could accept it because he loved her. When she woke up they made love again in the shower leaving their dirty clothes behind then they left to get lunch knew the maid will clean their villa daily. Sometimes Bruce wondered if he wasn't rich will Selina stay together with him or will leave him, he knew from her past that fortune was her driving wheel to live since she grew up in poverty. Once he asked her after they made love about this.

"Why did you choose to go with me at that time?"

Selina was half asleep her back facing his chest answered lazily, "I love you Bruce."

He smiled on her answer and took her closer to his arms a it happened 10 months ago now he wasn't sure of her answer if he asked her again. He found her often disappear at nights this few months and he tried to trust her not following her when she went out at night after she thought he already fall asleep which made him suspicious. Tonight he decided that he will follow her and see his truth he was never a coward and he will not start it now.

When Selina got back to their place he asked her where did she go she kissed him short then walked pass him answered she was walking around the neighborhood and she apologized of her behavior earlier. He forgave her and apologized to her while he embraced her and they went back to make love on their room.

Around 2 am Bruce felt Selina let go of his hands slowly from her body walking from their bed, he pretended to be asleep while he heard sound from their changing room knew she changed her dress then he heard slow footsteps sound until the door click then silent, he woke up and saw from the window she walked outside from their villa. He grabbed his jacket, his wallet, and his phone then he followed her without made sound.

Selina stopped to an alley then Bruce noticed she walked out already dressed as a cat woman, she kept walking until near the biggest house on that area then he watched her turned to the other side of the house. He was still following her but made no move when she entered the house from the back door because she pressed the right pin to the security system from the back door which not surprised him how she got that. He watched from behind and waited for around 30 minutes till he saw her came out with a small size black pouch gripped by her right hand. He followed her then he saw her back to the alley which he assumed to change her clothes, he turned around to take a short cut to their villa and made it on time just before she back to their place. She was entering their villa not suspicious of anything went to the changing room and back to their bad slowly as if nothing happened. She slept not a moment later while Bruce stayed awake realized the woman who slept beside her was not who he think she is.

When he felt she was already deep in her sleep he walked slowly to the changing room searching without make noise of the black pouch, he found it in her hand bag and he searched through the pouch to find a big beautiful yellow diamond as big as an egg . Bruce put the pouch back to her handbag, he knew from this moment that he couldn't live with her anymore all of his suspicions of her involvement in recent burglaries in the city were proven.