This chapter has not been revised by any beta readers. Please help me improve my English by contacting me if you find any grammar mistakes.

"Joey, I gotta go. International calls are expensive."

"Yeah, I know. But we can use Skype."

"Sure."

"So let yours online. I'll skype you before going to bed."

"What time do you usually go to bed?"

"Around midnight."

"Wow, do you really plan to skype me when it's 5 am in Brazil?"

We laughed.

"Ok, you skype me then." I said.

We said goodbye to each other and hung off. When I turned myself to the door, I saw Marissa's hair quickly disappear as she hid herself.

I went to the door and let it wide open.

"Are you stalking me, little girl?"

"No, I was just passing by when I heard you-"

"What are you hiding from then?"

Marissa opened her mouth to close it shut in silence the second after. She stuttered after taking a deep breath.

"OK, I was spying."

I examined her through narrow eyes, in silence, waiting for her to go on. She knew I hated to be stalked, so she'd better have a nice reason to spy me.

"I wanted to know if you were talking to that girl. You were going out with a girl in New York, weren't you? She's a fan."

"Who told you that?"

"Jamie let it out when we talked on the phone."

"Marissa, this is nothing of your business."

"I know, but-" I could feel she struggling not to confess she was actually very jealous. "You know that if she's not Jew, grandma won't approve it."

My eyes wandered around as I tried to pick the right words. I was pissed, but I didn't want to hurt her. She was part of my family after all.

"Let me explain something to you." I paused to be sure she was paying attention, "If I decide to be in a relationship, engaged or married, it won't make any difference if her beliefs aren't the same as mine or my family's. I'm grown up and I know how to deal with these things. Did you understand?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah-"

"You don't worry about it then, right?"

"Right" she muttered.

"Say it louder, please." I gently demanded.

"Right!" she almost yelled.

"Good." I grinned. "Thank you."

Marissa gave me a cold shoulder and then turned her back to me. I sighed, but I wasn't entirely relieved or convinced; something told me she'd still try to mess something up.

Two months passed in a flash. Bella and I managed to skype everyday despite of the five hours difference between us. We even bought credits, so that we were able to make phone calls through Skype when one of us couldn't be online. I enjoyed to call her when I knew it was midday in Rio and she was taking a break from work to have lunch - and it didn't bother me that it meant that I'd have to wake up earlier and get online at 7 am.

I missed her badly. A ripping sensation ravaged my chest every night when I lied on my bed without the warmth of her body to cuddle with mine. In one of those nights, I decided I'd go to Rio as soon as possible, to see her. I bought my ticket to Brazil the day after I've made that decision.

In two weeks I was boarding a plane and heading to Rio de Janeiro. My phone beeped five minutes before we received the instructions to turn off our electronic devices. It was a text from Bella: "Call me when the plane has landed. I want to meet you in the airport. OMG, I can't wait to be with you again!"

I let a smile out and turned the phone off. When I pushed it inside my backpack, the tip of my fingers touched a small velvety box that kept a very special gift I planned to give her.