Chapter Thirteen
Lula Lopez
Having lived in the big city for so long, I forgot how to stop and enjoy nature. It was from one meeting to the next. I am grateful to this trip for helping me remember who I was.
The half-moon hung majestically in the night sky, being a total badass up there. The breeze after the heavy rain of that evening-was more chilly than before, but not too chilly that I’d wear a cardigan.
As I was busy admiring the cheesy goodness of the moon, a ruffle of leaves behind me grabbed my attention. I turned and saw Rosa in her nightdress. She came to stand beside me, also admiring nature.
“I can’t believe you get to wake up to this view every day.” I blurted.
She giggled, “I know right, it’s heaven on earth for me. Hope you’re enjoying your stay”. She lowered her voice, “As you know, I’m not very hospitable.”
“Oh please, this is the most hospitable anyone has been since I began this trip.” I laughed.
We stayed silent a little more before she started again. “I know Javier told you some things about me”
“No, we don’t talk about you.” I corrected.
“You don’t have to say all that, I know he said I was mean to him. But believe me, I thought I was doing the right thing. Growing up, my parents only showed me, tough love, I thought this was the best way to encourage him to do better. I should have known when I went too far.”
“I’m not the one you should be explaining all this to, Rosa.”
“I know, but there is no point. You are his new girlfriend now-”
I cut her short. “What? No, of course not, Javier and I have nothing in common. He’s just a travel companion, I assure you of that.” I don’t know why my heart pricked me when I said that to her. Maybe I was trying to avoid hurting her feelings, but how would Javier think when he hears this?
Her sad expression switched to something different; is that a smirk I see on her face?
“What’s so funny ?” I asked her.
“Oh, nothing. She answered almost immediately, she placed her hand on my shoulder. “Have a great night, Lula. You can move on with him, I’ve got a new man by my side.” After saying this, she went inside the house.
I too walked into the house and went up to my room, but something was different with me; The thought of Javier filled my mind. Maybe I needed to hear that Rosa’s feeling wasn’t gonna be hurt. My body craved his touch. If only he would make tonight our lucky night, I’ll be so happy.
I followed my tempting desire and headed for his room. I walked over to his bed and sat beside him, rubbing my finger on his face. The small beard on his face from not shaving formed a few stubbles.
But just as it started, he deflated my bubble by pushing me away yet again. I was upset by his hot and cold attitude, one minute, he was into it, the next minute, he wasn’t. My eyes were burning with tears, I couldn’t understand how his rejection made me feel this way. Even when Carlos cheated on me with my best friend, it didn’t hurt this much.
I blurted out before I could restrain myself: “If you have moved on from Rosa, then why are you rejecting me?!”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
His eyes shot open and he frowned at me. “Go to sleep, Lula.” His voice was firm but gentle.
I straddled his waist. “I want to know, please.”
He accessed my face, and his eyes softened on seeing me closely. “Okay. Lula, I love you.”
What? Does he love You , how did he fall in love with me? I was lost for words, “You do?”
“Hmm” He nodded, “You mean more to me than just a one-night stand, and I don’t wanna get caught in that cycle. I loved Rosa, and the fact is, my heart is trying to forget her as well. It takes time. I think we both need to heal completely.”
His words caused a ruckus in my chest. His feelings struck me as sincere and honest. His kind eyes told the same story that his lips expressed. These past few hours have brought out the best and the worst of us, but through it all, he had expressed his love for me even in his ex-girlfriend’s house.
His fingers pressed my skin in the most pleasant of ways, sending electrical currents through my body, down to my core. I don’t know what I feel for him, lust or love, but it would be nice to explore. But knowing that he loves me, I can’t give him mixed signals or mess with his heart. I may never forgive myself.
I pressed my lips against his forehead and watched as his eyes fluttered shut. His fingers slid up my back as I pressed my nose against his. His orbs showed emotions I had not seen in a long time. The vulnerability in his actions and the way he touched my body- If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that I was in love with him. To be honest, I didn’t know any better, and maybe I never truly understand love from the beginning.
Right in front of me is a man who is ready to show me what I had been missing, but something was holding me back. Javier is right, we both need time to heal from our pasts.
***
I felt some kind of heat on my face, it forced me to open my droopy eyes. The first thing I saw was Javier’s chin, I must have fallen asleep in his arms. I squinted when I caught sight of the sunlight entering through the window, the heat from the sun was on both our faces. Javier was snoring lightly as his chest heaved up and down. It felt good to be in his arms, having him wrap them around me like this. When did things get heated between us?
I gently pulled out of his arms, earning a groan from him but he did not wake up. I rolled to the other side of the bed to check my phone.
“That fucking bastard!!!” I exclaimed when I saw Carlos’s news in the tabloids.
He had just announced his relationship with Celia to the entire world!