A Beautiful Mess

PART 55: Together and Apart

Part LV: Together and Apart

She was smiling as she went inside the room. Chad was with her to see her off for her first class. She kissed him on his cheeks as he said goodbye to go on his own.

"I heard the news!" Kirby screamed with delight as soon as she stepped in.

She laughed. "How did you know?"

"Oh c'mon, Chad was so happy that for the first time, he said something in public about his personal life," Liz said. She immediately opened her phone app and showed it to her.

Raffy took it and saw a picture of her and Chad at the seashore when she and Chad were locked in an embrace. He had it captioned 'I love everything about you. Thank you for making me the happiest man.' She smiled and returned Liz's phone.

"Will you still deny it?" Allie asked her.

Raffy just shook her head. "I had a great weekend. The word superb will not even suffice."

"It shows," Kirby said. "It masks the pain really well."

Her face went straight. "I guess we're too happy right now for someone who will no longer be around to ruin it."

"Are you sure with what you are doing?"

"Guys, you were all pushing me to go out with Chad. Now that we are together, you're asking me if I am sure with what I am doing?" she told them.

"We like Chad. We don't have anything against him. We just want to make sure that you're not using him for a rebound relationship," Allie reminded her.

"I'm not using him to move on," she said, her face serious. "Chad did all that he can for me and I saw what he did, what he can, and what he will. It's not hard to love someone like him."

"We know. But we just don't know if it's easy to love him that fast without residuals from the last," Kirby said.

Raffy didn't say anything.

         

*       

              

"I got you something."

Raffy looked at him. They were already parked outside her home. "Alright. What is it? But I want to warn you."

"Warn with what?"

"Don't spoil me too much," she laughed.

"I'm sorry but I don't think I can give you that," he smiled and handed her a puzzle piece.

She looked at it. It was just a piece of cardboard cut into pieces. The piece that she was holding was the edge of the puzzle and it was just plain black.

"I'll give you one daily until you get to complete the puzzle," he said.

"How many are these?" she asked and twisted it on her fingers.

"Twenty... Thirty. See for yourself," he said. "C'mon. Get inside your house now and get a good rest, okay?"

"Fine," she said. "Thanks for sending me home."

"Of course. I love you," he said and gave her a quick kiss on her cheeks.

She just smiled at him and got out of his car. The next days that passed, Chad continued giving her a piece of the puzzle. Chad gave her one which was inscribed with white ink with some words but didn't have a complete meaning. She already got seven pieces and was staring at it when her phone rang.