Perfume

Chapter Thirteen - Called

~     bella     ~

Linden set the phone down on his bedside table and turned toward me. Of all the things I expected to see on his face - disdain toward me  being aming the top five - the look of love, accompanied with twinkling blue eyes and a smiling mouth, was not one of them. 

     "I'm sorry, Linden." If it weren't for me, if I hadn't been there, Mandy would never have known about us, would never have been hurt. "I'm sorry."

     He sat down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders, and kissed my cheek. "Hey, don't be. You didn't do anything wrong."

     "I was here. And Mandy saw us. And she thought - "

     He put his index finger on my mouth to shut me up. "Hush. She saw us, so what? You're my girlfriend, it's none of her business what we do." 

     Girlfriend. It was the first time he had ever used such word to describe me. And it was true, I was his girlfriend. That was what we were and there was no reason to be ashamed. Mandy had seen what she had, it didn't matter. She could misinterpret it all she wanted. Yet still...

     "I just made things worse," I said. "You were just beginning to stitch up your friendship. And I ruined everything. I'm sorry, Linden."

     He tightened his arms around me; not in painful way. On the contrary, it was soft, and warm, and the smell of his body made it all that more pleasant. I let my head rest against him, closing my eyes, taking a whiff of his perfume. 

     I feel his hands weaving through my hair gently. "She was bound to know, anyway. And it's not like our relationship's secret or anything." He laughed, his jaw bobbing against my head. "I mean, my mom knows now. You should've seen her face."

     And I just couldn't help but laugh. It was always like that with Linden. He made me happy like I hadn't been in years. He made me smile, he made me laugh, despite of how terrible the circumstances; despite of all the bad things that were occuring; still Linden managed to make me giggle at the silliest things.

     He had that effect on me. 

It was quite an awkward morning.

     We got dressed and as I was leaving, Linden's mother asked me to stay for breakfast. And I did, of course. I could not turn down her invitation. That wasn't polite. 

     So we sat around the dining room table, the clink and clank of the utensils hitting the plates as each of us cut our respective pancake was the only sound present. Both Linden's mom and dad shot me furtive looks. His mom's were questioning and stern, while his father's were amused. And then there was Linden, with his smile, with his twinkling grey eyes. 

     I went home around eleven. Linden walked me home and he kissed me just before I walked into the lobby. His kiss was lingering and soft; soft like a rose petal. Ours lips parted and I went inside. 

     Up stairs, in our apartment, Clara was sitting on the couch on her duck pijamas. She watched some morning show about celebrity gossip, her green eyes fixed on the screen. However, her face turned toward me as I shut the door behind me.

     "Where have you beeeeen?" she asked. 

     "With Linden," I said reluctantly, heading for the couch. 

     She moved to the side, making space for me as I sat down. "Sooooo...did you use protection?"

     I shut my eyes and shook my head. "Clara, just stop it already."

     "I'm, like, your parent, Bells. I should know about this stuff." She gasped, putting one hand over her mouth. "My goodness, I don't think we've ever had The Talk."