oOo
As Bella watched the cab drive away, she could still feel his lips on her cheek. Warm, soft, and a slight tickle of stubble. Even though she was out in the cold again, it seemed to warm her from inside.
Could it be that he had felt it too, this sparkle?
She found him difficult to read.
He was quite a bit older, and he lived in a world very different from hers. Almost always, there was an air of sadness about him. He seemed lonely, and that was a condition she could somehow relate to. She was a bit of a solitary person as well, always with her nose in some book, reading, writing, thinking.
She let herself into her apartment. It was one room, with a window facing the street. Her desk was by the little bay window. Her bed was in the right-hand corner, secluded by a pale blue curtain that Jackie had made. She liked it; it was like her little cave. The other end of the room held a loveseat and coffee table, her TV and bookshelves. There was a kitchenette, and her small bathroom.
Her flat was nothing special, but she liked it, and had been living there for three years.
She hung up her coat and slipped off her shoes.
She was proud of the fact that she could provide for herself. Her parents supported her as much as they could, but they weren't rich, her dad being a social worker, and her mum working part-time as a secretary at St. George's Primary School in Hammersmith.
Bella made herself a cup of tea and settled down in the rocking chair she'd inherited from Grandma Higginbotham when she'd moved into a smaller flat. It was next to her desk and she could look out the window, or work on her laptop. Mostly she sat in it to read, or listen to music.
Today, she just stared into the dark outside, trying to make sense of the raging chaos inside her head. And in her heart.
Bella considered herself a fairly average girl. Her childhood had been happy, she loved her family. There had been problems during puberty, but with time and therapy, she'd grown out of them. Mostly. Eating would always be a laden subject for her, but she was very self-aware, and had been okay for more than five years.
She'd had two serious boyfriends in her life. Before Stefan, there had been Alec, a sweet, understanding boy. They had been together for a year. He was her first kiss, first time, first heartbreak.
Bella sighed and pulled her legs under her body, snuggling into her fuzzy old blanket.
She felt the need to talk to someone, but wasn't sure who fitted her requirements.
Mum? No. Way too chatty, and too much good advice.
Daddy? Hmm, he'd just get worried.
Jackie? Okay, next.
Leah? Normally a good idea, but Leah would probably only tell her to not get herself into something difficult.
Jasper? Nope.
Bella opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. The lights from a passing car reflected on it.
Alice?
She grabbed her phone.
oOo
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