Looks Can Be Deceiving

Chapter Ten

Richard couldn't sleep. Ever since, Stella stayed in his hotel room on the couch he felt dirty for leaving her there while he slept with some girl he had just met. He kept trying to calm himself down and said out loud over and over again 'You did it for her. You did it for her.' It was true, he slept with that girl so that he could get over these feelings he had. He thought if he did he wouldn't harass her as much and she would be happier but he knew it was a twisted way of thinking.

He rolled out of bed and walked out on his balcony at the hotel. They were in Chicago now and all 6 of them were sharing a large suite. Each of them had their own rooms and they had a large balcony they shared. He jumped out of bed wearing his boxers and a large blanket from his bed. He wrapped it around his shoulders and went outside. He settled himself on the small bed outside and looked at the stars for an hour before he heard the door to the balcony opening.

"Oh sorry." Stella was standing there in a pair of shorts and a singlet top. "I didn't realise you were out here."

"It's ok. You can join me." Richard moves over, leaving a small space for her and opens the blanket. "It's cold out." Stella nods and settles in next to him.

"What are you doing out here?" she asks.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"Just couldn't." he didn't want to get into it with her. Not now at 2am. "You?" he asked.

"Same." Truth was, she couldn't sleep in fear that Richard was taking another girl into his room. They sat in silence but Stella could feel Richard starring at her. She turned her head, "What?"

"Nothing." He snaps his head around.

"Thinking of kissing me again?" she asks.

"What?" he stutters out.

"Well, you kissed me at the supermarket and then again when we were having the milkshake. It seems like every time we're alone, you want to kiss me." She jokes.

"Oh yeah? Well how come I didn't kiss you the other night in my apartment." He smirks thinking he won the argument.

"Well I hardly would consider that as us being alone." Her response comes out a little snappier than she intended.

Richard looks down embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry about that." He turns to look to her. "I should have told her to go home and let you have the bed. I was being a dick."

"It's fine. I didn't expect you to do that."

"I know but it was the right thing to do." Richard looks down again and notices a little yellow and red figure poking out of the blanket. "Wait, what's this?" he asks tugging on it. A toy Pooh Bear is in his hands and Richard starts laughing. "Do you sleep with this?"

"Stop laughing!" she pleads. "I've had it since I was a kid."

"Why do you still have it?"

"Because it helps me sleep!"

"Clearly it doesn't. It's almost 3am."

"Ok well most nights it helps." She grumbles pulling it from Richard's grasp. "When it wouldn't help, Chris used to sing to me."

"Did he?"

Stella nods.

"I could."

"You could what?"

"I could sing for you. To help you sleep." Richard offers.

"You don't have to."

"No I want to." Richard interrupts. "Close your eyes and settle in." Stella follows his instructions and before she knows it, he is singing her to sleep. It doesn't take long for Richard to fall asleep. Her sweet sleeping face brings him peace. They lay together, Stella leaning on his shoulder and Richard on her head, sleeping peacefully.