Someone Like You
"Hey Edward."
That was all the sopping wet girl said to the man with the prickly stubble on his face. His scratched behind his ear nervously for a minute, trying to figure out where he knew this chocolate haired woman from.
"Well are you going to invite me in?"
His wife called from the kitchen, asking who was at the door. The girl looked at him expectantly, and as she looked at him with that piercing gaze of hers, he recognized her. He replied to his wife that it was an old friend. The girl stepped inside his house, dripping on his carpet (to which he frowned at) and walked towards where his wife had shouted from.
"Hi. I'm Bella."
His wife smiled at her and introduced herself. He looked at the contrast between his wife's golden locks and her terra-cotta knots, and thought of how the contrast was skin deep between them. His wife offered to make them sandwiches while they caught up in his study. He agreed all the while watching her observe the objects in his kitchen, right from the shiny toaster to his excessive oven, feeling hurt when she wrinkled her nose at the steep priced objects. They set out towards his study, her still looking at his overpriced possessions and him watching her.
"Looks like your dreams came true."
That was the first thing that she said to him when she sat down on his plush, olive couch. He frowned at how abrupt she was being. Of course his dreams came true, that was all he ever wanted in life, he just happened to get more than what he wished for as well. He admitted to her that they had, by working hard.
"And you did it all without me."
He noticed that when she said this, she seemed a bit sad, or maybe it was bitter. He couldn't tell, but he wouldn't be surprised if it was bitter, she probably felt like it was only her that could make him great. Before she had left him, he hadn't done anything without her. He had to get her permission to play piano, to sing, to study in school. If it wasn't okay by her standards, then he wouldn't do it. His mind replayed his teenage years, when he was still her boyfriend, and was altogether dependant on her. He felt so lucky to have caught this angel and been able to hold her down. He thought about how he confided everything in her. His dreams of marrying an honest girl, having three kids, a dog and a white picket fence, being able to play piano and sing for a living, and be comfortable, loving her forever. He told her everything, and she let him, ruthlessly giving nothing in return. Now she turns up on the thresh hold of the home that he shared with his pregnant wife, soaking wet and being bitter about him doing something without her was like being stabbed. He snapped at her that it wasn't hard.
"Nothing was ever hard for you Edward."
This time he was certain that she was sad. Tears had crept into her eyes, making her look up the ceiling, so he wouldn't see them. He looked away from her so she could hide her sadness and embarrassment.
"I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited. But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it."
He told her that she never could stay away from what she wasn't suppose to. He remembered even when they were four and five she had trouble not sticking her hand in the cookie jar. His wife knocked on the door, opening it to reveal a plate full of mayonnaise and cucumber finger sandwiches resting on top of her fat stomach. He thanked his wife and she took it as a hint to leave. She resumed as if he hadn't started talking at all.
"I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded. That for me it isn't over."
He replied that it was over for both of them when she went off with that native guy all those years ago. That he took her skipping town with another man as a hint that they were over. Just because he was wealthy now didn't mean that she had to come crawling back to him. He remembered when it was different and how they were born and raised in a summer haze, back in their home town of Folks. How he was still bound by surprise of their glory days. How they would get up to shenanigans without anyone catching them, being too caught up in their own giddiness to care if they had.
"Sometimes it lasts in love. But sometimes it hurts instead."
You always talk such crap he told her. How can it hurt for me if you're showing up here begging for me back? She stared at him for a long moment, and then stood to take her leave, again dripping on the carpet. Bella, he called for her. Don't leave. I didn't mean it. She carried on to the door, where his wife met them. She thanked Bella for staying, being a very gracious host. When he appeared at the door, she pulled him into a tight hug.
"Don't forget me."
She begged. He replied with the words that she said to him to only moments ago. I'll remember 'Sometimes it lasts in love. But sometimes it hurts instead.' A lone tear trailed down her check, which she quickly swiped at. She leaned up to his ear and whispered into it.
"I'll find someone like you. I wish nothing but the best for you too."
And with that she left, and he never saw her again. Seven years later he saw a wedding announcement while he bounced his three year old daughter on his knee. Bella and Emmett Mc Carty, married after a long six year engagement. Happily honey mooning in Hawaii and more in love than ever. He smiled at that, and then went to take his daughter to fly a kite. He had done this with his other two kids before her, knowing that this was one of the things that she like to do with him when they were younger. He hoped that his kids didn't have to go through the heartbreak that he went through while he was with her, but hoped that they learnt the lesson that he did through it. Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.
Any thoughts on the format of only writting what Bella says. Thoughts on prose as a whole. Thoughts on how to improve. Thoughts on if you liked it or not? I'm thinking of entering it into a writting competition after cleaning it up a bit.
