Page 39 of Scoring with my Bestie's Ex

I drop him off and go to my place, but I keep thinking about Bella.

She says that I don’t really know who she is right now.

She doesn’t know who she is.

Is this space necessary for that to happen, though?

I assumed it was, at least from her perspective. It’s why I’ve been keeping my distance.

But it is still an assumption.

I check the time. She should be off work by this time, so I grab my phone and call her.

It rings a few times before she answers. “Hey, Aaron.”

She sounds pleased to hear from me, so that’s a good sign.

“Hi. How’s it going? You done with work for today?”

Bella laughs. “Oh, I’m not going to be done for the next month or so. But I’m at a point I need to take a break. How was practice?”

“It was fine.” It’s easy to keep talking about these inconsequential things, but I did reach out for a reason. “Hey, would you like to meet up somewhere? I wanted to talk to you about the charity dance and your show and stuff.”

There’s a moment of silence. “Uh, well…”

“I could meet you at a park or something,” I suggest. “You said you needed a break. Maybe a walk?”

“Well… you know what? Yeah. Getting outside does sound nice.”

She gives me the address of a nice little park near her building. We agree to meet there in half an hour.

We meet at the appointed time. She’s already waiting for me at a picnic table.

As I walk up to her, the sunlight gleams gold off her hair.

My heart skips a beat. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

Maybe space is needed after all.

She greets me with a smile. Dark smudges circle her eyes, but they’re still bright.

To my surprise, she gives me a quick hug. “Thanks for calling. I just realized I haven’t been outside in like, a week.”

We fall in step together, following the park’s winding path. There are plenty of trees to give us shade, which is welcome on this sweltering day.

“So, I know your show is the same night as the charity dance,” I say. “I just wanted to make sure you know that I won’t hold it against you if you can’t come.”

Bella gives me a small smile but this time, it seems distant. “I’d like to make it work, but I’m not sure.”

“You need to do what’s best for you,” I tell her.

“I also need to make sure not to be selfish.”

I shake my head, reaching for her hand. “It’s not selfish to prioritize such a huge event in your life. You’ve already helped me with this dance. You can’t help others swim if you’re drowning.”

The feeling of her hand in mine is nice.

Too nice.

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