Meet You There

Meet You There - Chapter 45

   "Oh, well.. that sucks."

   "No, it's great, for me," Bennett laughed. "I'm not totally alone here."

   I didn't know what to say, so I asked, "Want to get lunch?"

   He smiled big. "Yes."

   We ate at the Java Hut, coffee and bagels, and it reminded me of that first day that I really talked to Bennett. He was outside the cafe, holding out a coffee for me. And how we were there, together for real, but yet it felt like time was fleeting.

   Maribella texted me at 3P.M., saying that she was almost off work and asked me to meet her outside Anita's. Bennett and I were back at the apartment, cuddling on the couch and talking. I knew I had to leave to go and see Maribella, but I didn't exactly want to. I didn't want to lose her, though. She had been a good friend, practically from my first day at school. And she had just been dumped.

   "I have to go meet Maribella," I told Bennett, pulling his arm off of me.

   "Nooo. Stay," he cooed, nuzzling his face into me.

   "I won't be long. I feel bad that I wasn't here when she came over to vent yesterday," I explained, sitting up again.

   He looked worried, just for a split second. "She was fine."

   "I know. But I'd want to vent to her if you'd just broken up with me," I said, smiling at him, but he didn't return the smile. "Just watch a movie... I'll be back in an hour."

   "Okay," he finally said, then pulled me in for a kiss before letting me go.

   Maribella was standing outside Anita's, leaning against the building, when I walked up. She smiled, which made me feel better right away. I had been actually worried about her. I stopped in front of her.

   "Hey."

   "Hi," she said, her voice quiet.

   "Do you want to get coffee?" I asked, motioning at the Java Hut across the street. I had been a few hours since I was there with Bennett.

   "Um, sure," she answered.

   We walked beside each other as we crossed over and headed in. We waited in line together, not really talking, then each got a coffee and found a table in the front. Once we were sitting, I could tell she was holding something bad.

   "Maribella, I'm really sorry about Ryland. And for kind of disappearing over the last couple of weeks..." I began.

  "Stop," she said right away, and I noticed tears in her eyes.

   "Oh, sorry," I said again, looking at her carefully.

   "No, stop saying you're sorry," she told me, then took in a deep breath. "I wasn't going to tell you this. And then I was just going to text you -"

   "What?"

   She covered her face with her hands. "I thought I should tell you in person, but, now -"

   "Maribella, what is it?" I asked her.

   Finally, she looked at me. Her eyes were red. Her cheeks were wet. I wanted to hug her and make her feel better, but then she spoke.

   "I kissed Bennett."

   "What?" The words didn't make sense.

   "Yesterday. In his bedroom."

   I shoved my chair back, so I wasn't so close to her. My only thought was to get away.

   "You kissed him?" I asked, though repeating it out loud sounded so wrong.

   "I'm so sorry. It was so stupid -"

   "Maribella, you kissed my boyfriend?" I asked her, hoping that I had it all wrong.

   "He was being so sweet, and I was crying... I shouldn't have gone there, but -"

   "Did he kiss you back?" I wanted to know.

   "No. I mean... no, it was just me." She looked down at the table. "I was going to leave because I felt really dumb, but then you were there..."

   "It was right before I got there?" I snapped, now standing.

   She nodded, looking up at me. I just stared at her, trying to figure this out. But there was no explanation that was okay. Not for this. We were both frozen in time, both of us knowing what this meant. She knew what had happened to be in San Diego. But she still let this happen to us.

   I shook my head at her, after a minute of silence. "Don't call or text me again, okay?"

   I didn't wait for her to answer, I was already going out the door.