Mysterious

Chapter 31

"Thank you so much for letting stay with y'all for a while, MIs. It means so much. I don't know what I would do without you here...."

"We've always been there for you..." Melissa told her.

"I know. It just means so much..." Arissa responded taking a sip of hot chocolate.

"Are you going to go home?" Melissa asked her.

"Hell no. I have an awesome job. I'm sticking it out. I found a few apartments to look at on Craigslist...do you want to come look at them with me?"

"God yes! You know I love that shit..." Melissa answered.

**

A week later Arissa sat on the wooden floor throwing clothes in the closet. She grabbed a plaid shirt buried in the bottom of box. She balled it up throwing it as far away as possible. "Get out! Get away from me! I hate you. I hate you." "she screamed.

After finishing with that box she moved into the kitchen area. She grabbed some glasses and silverware from the IKEA bag full of cheap items she bought for herself. Next to the bag was a small box. She brought with her a few coffee mugs that reminded her of home and reusable water bottles for the gym. She pulled out the water bottles placing the caps on the counter. A piece of paper fell out of each and every one of the water bottles. She picked them up throwing them in her pile full of trash. "Fuck him and his romantic side. Fuck him."

Her phone buzzed jolting her out of her sorrow. "Shit!" she screamed.

Look outside – unknown number.

"Like hell I'll look outside. I know it's him"

**

Bruno sat in front of her side window through the night.

"Do you belong here?" asked a girl walking down the street.

"Yeah. I do..." he responded.

"Okay...do you need to get into that one right there?" she pointed to her apartment.

"She'll let me in eventually." he smiled at her.

"Alright dude. Just don't turn out to be a stalker or something..." the girl started to walk away.

**

Arissa walked out her door at 7 in the morning. Against the entry way she found Bruno...asleep. He had pieces of white paper off to the side of him. She bent down to read them. In his scribbled handwriting she saw

I love you.

I'm sorry

I should have told you...

I made a mistake

I'm sorry.

She kicked him hard as she stood up with the papers. "Ouch." he whined looking at her.

"What should you have told me, Brunz?" she asked. I thought about this all night. I need to at least give him the benefit of the doubt. He grabbed her hand pulling her toward the ground to listen to her. "Were you here all night?" she asked.

"Yeah, all night. I think I have some mosquito bites..."

"Evil mosquitoes..." she looked at him. He laughed at her comment.

"Ris..." he started. "The text was from Julia. She won So You Think You Can Dance in England...she was going to teach me how to waltz for you..." he looked down waiting to hear her reaction. She grabbed her phone from her purse typing in it. He leaned over to see what she was doing. "You're googling her?"

"Yeah. Why not," she asked.

"There's a picture of her and me..." he pointed to the images that appeared on her search. "Look...it's like any other picture..." she studied the picture seeing him holding on to him, hugging her. She had an enormous smile on her face, but it was more of a Oh my god, he's touching me smile. Arissa knew that smile all too well.

"Waltz?" Arissa asked.

"Hell yeah. It's sexy as shit." he looked at her reaction. She looked at him placing her hand on his cheek.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you..." she told him. She looked down with her hand still on his cheek. He touched her waist trying to find what she was feeling. She put her head on his head looking right in his eyes. "I miss you." she told him.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked her.

"Yes, yes you can." she told him. She closed her eyes waiting for him to kiss her. He kissed her lightly on the lips pulling away.

"I can't live without you..." Bruno said as she opened her eyes.

"Bruno...we can't go back to where we were - even if it was a mistake."

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"It's just too fast...you know I don't do this....I love you. But I need to take baby steps."

"Sweetheart....I wait for you if it takes a lifetime to do..."