La Luna - His Time || Bruno Madrigal Fanfic || Book Two

After The Storm - Benji's POV (Bonus Chapter)

Benji's POV

If this is what love does to you, I don't know if I can manage ever falling in love. I watched as Isabela wiped at her tears on the bed. It hurt to see her like this. It hurt just as much to see Luna suffering. Bruno would never leave her and she knows that but the way she misses him still broke her. Isa sniffled across from me, wrapping the blankets around herself. This isn't Isa. Not the Isabela we know.. She is fierce. Maybe she hid her emotions too well and now faced with the possibility of losing Arthuro again, it might have stirred up too much.

"Hey Isa... Can I sit?" I threw myself next to her, making her bounce. She didn't even crack a smile. Harsh.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, "Wanna hear a funny story about Arthuro?" She smiled, nodding her head. Okay, that's progress.

"Hmmm... How funny? Like embarrass him for life funny or just mildly ha ha funny?", I wiggled my brows. Another smile, score.

"Give me your best." Her eyes dried as she looked up at me.

"Ohhh you want, will ruin him for life, telling your future children embarrassing funny. That's next level Isa. I don't think he'll forgive me." She laughed. At least she still knows how to.

"Oh come on. Please.", she poked my side. I dug through my memories, trying to find the perfect one for her. It's gotta make her laugh. But also he can't hate me forever either.

"Okay. Fine. But don't judge us. Pinky swear?" She locked her pinky in mine, looking happy. It's working, I squealed to myself. Arthuro is gonna owe me big time.

"So... you know those fishermen's nets yeah..." She nodded while listening.

"Well one of our friends back in Barichara, his family were fishermen so they always had tons of stuff laying around. And well.. we got bored one day." Oh man, this is top level cringe, I thought to myself, saying a small prayer.

"Our friend's Abuela made all the nets heself, for different kinds of catches. Some were longer or wider but there were some that were super tightly knitted together. She said it was for catching small crabs."

"We came up with this game.", I grinned remembering how much fun we had back then.

"You put a ball inside the end of the net and slipped the open end over your head. These things were sooooo tight! You really had to pull to get them off." She giggled, probably imagining us struggling with the nets over our faces.

"Anyway... The rules were, you had to swing the net and use the ball to knock over pineapples. The first to knock over three won."

"What??", she shouted, laughing harder. It does sound ridiculous but yeah, it was fun.

"So it's me against Arthuro and we're whipping these nets around in circles trying to bat the pineapples. You can't see anything Isa! I swear!", I was chuckling with her.

"When suddenly our friend's Abuela screams out and yanks the nets off our heads faster than you could blink. God it hurt so bad...", I shuttered, making her roll over with laughter.

"Our friend's Abuela was holding her eye, looking like she was going to murder us on the spot.", I seriously had thought we were going to get forty lashes from her.

"Arthuro had hit her in the eye with his ball!", I wheezed out, laughing at the memory. Isabela looked like she had forgotten her sadness for a moment so I continued.

"You said you wouldn't judge us...", I eyed her as she grinned.

"His punishment was that he had to wear the nets over his legs and walk through town. All the chicas whistled and hollered at him." Isa was rolling on the bed, laughing. It truly was a funny sight, Arthuro's thin legs in those nets as Abuela forced him down the streets.

"We all know Arto is effortlessly handsome.." I added extra flair to mock her. "But yeah... that was punishment for a lifetime for him.", I grinned at her. She was glowing like she used to.

Arthuro and her are a good match, even with how opposite they are. They balanced each other. Arto often needed a push, out of his shell and Isabela found her calm center around him.

She turned over the letter she had gotten from him, looking at the words. I don't think she showed anyone his letter. Not even Julieta or Luna. Well maybe Luna...

"Benji, could you....", she seemed unsure. "Could you play this for me?" She handed me her letter. On the back of it were notes and words to a song he had written. I knew this song. I was with him when he wrote it for her. Of course I never knew why but he also wrote a lot of songs for her. We both spent most of our time together coming up with new songs so it wasn't out of the ordinary.

I froze, seeing his message at the very top.

'In case I don't get to tell you, just know... I love you. I have loved you for so long. I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to tell you before now. But I promise, I'll tell you every day once I'm back.'

Ever the romantic, I smiled at his words. They'd be back.

"Sure Isa. I'll play it for you..", I dashed out and grabbed my guitar. Bruno's and mine.. My heart hurt just thinking that.

I read his notes and started playing his song to her, singing his words... They were meant for her.

"And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.

And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.

Get over your hill and see what you find there,

With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair."

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Notes:

Give me fishnet stocking Arthuro any day for giggles

Song:

After The Storm by Mumford and Sons