Perfume

Chapter Fourteen - Told

~     linden     ~

I was home alone, sitting down before my computer, reasearching topics for the article I would have to write once school went back, when the bell rang. Initially I dismissed it, thinking it was perhaps someone selling something or whatever. But then it came again, this time it was continous. Ringringringring. All at once.

     I groaned and stood up. It had better be something good. 

     When I opened the door, a wide-eyed Bella peered at me. Her brows were furrowed and her mouth pursed. But once the door opened her face relaxed and light sparkled from her eyes. She smiled and threw herself into my arms at once. 

     She burried her face in my chest and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight against me, pressing my nose against her hair, letting the smell of her shampoo enter through my nostrils. I didn't know the reason for the sudden embrace, but, hey, I wasn't complaining. 

     We stood like that for a while. Just holding each other, half way inside and half way outside. I heard a few doors open from the apartments around us, but I didn't manage to see anything or anyone. All my eyes saw was the auburn from her hair. 

     After a minute - or maybe an hour, who knows - Bella pulled back and stepped into the apartment, I behind her, closing the door as I went. She went up to my room and sat on my bed, her legs tucked underneath her. I closed the door and went to sit next to her, our thighs touching. 

     "What's wrong, Bells?" I asked her, pushing a strand of her hair back.

     "I was at Nate's house. I went into Venenoso's office. To look for something, anything, that would incriminate him for the fire. That was probably - no, that was a foolish mistake, because he caught me.  I managed to muster some silly excuse about tape, but I know he didn't believe me. And now - now he's hired people to follow me. Nate told me. And when he told me. When he told me, I thought of you, and that perhaps he had hired people to follow you too...or perhaps to do something else...something worse...and I just...got really worried for a minute and I just had to come see if you were okay." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not making sense right now."

     "Wait, people are following you? How many?" I asked, putting one arm around her shoulder.

     "I don't know. I didn't see anyone on the way here - well, I did. Two men. But I don't if it was them or if I was just panicking for nothing. Probably the second one."

     I pulled her closer, her head on my shoulder. "I wish I could say something genius to make you feel better."

     "You don't have to say something genius to make me feel better." She turned her head and kissed my neck. 

     "You know what will make you feel better? Christmas movies, that's what."

     "What, are we going to watch It's a Wonderful Life or some cheesy version of A Christmas Carol?"

     "Nah." I shook my head. "I was thinking more along the lines of...um, something classic...something that just screams Christmas...how about Home Alone...or maybe even Home Alone 2. There is a third one, but it's bull shit. So let's just stick to the first two."

     She leaned her head on my shoulder. "You know, I've never seen either of those."

     "Bella." She sat straight and turned toward me. She quickly took in my wide eyes and gaping mouth, and she frowned a bit, confused. "You have never seen Home Alone? That is not right. That's blasphemy, right there."

     "You're crazy." She laughed. 

     "Bells, I'm being serious."

     She laughed again. "I love you."