Page 49 of Jagged Edges

“I love you, too,” he responded, kissing the back of my braids before going silent.

His light snoring lulled me to sleep shortly after he’d fallen.

Twenty-Two

A month had passedand I still hadn’t heard from Melonie. I was growing worried, though Bello tried to keep me comforted. The apartment that she’d found for me, I’d be getting the keys to today and I wanted nothing more than for her to be with me.

Melonie,

I know you probably still hate me right now but today is huge for me. It wouldn’t have been possible without you, but I’m finally getting the keys to the unit that you found for me. I’m meeting the owner at six to pick them up. It would mean the world to me if you were there with me. Maybe we could talk about it… about everything. I’m sorry and I love you.

B

I pressed the blue arrow to send the message before joining Bello in the bedroom to get dressed. He promised he had a surprise for me and I couldn’t wait to see exactly what it was. His surprises were always over the top, which made me actually consider what his gifts would be in the future.

“You look well,” Bello admired from afar.

“Because I am. The man across the room from me keeps me stuffed to the brim with that thing between his legs. How could I not be well?” I bragged, “Besides, I have a feeling that today is the day that my friend will finally talk to me.”

“Let’s not mention the fact that you’re getting your keys,” he reminded me.

“Oh, that, too,” I shrugged.

“What’s that for?” He noticed the lack of enthusiasm in my tone.

“Nothing. I mean… I’m happy to have a place to call home, but I can’t help but feel like this is home, too. Neither of us can honestly sleep without each other, so at this point, I feel like I just signed for a bill that I can’t actually afford.”

“It’s not your bill, baby. It’s mine. I told you I’d handle your monthly expenses and everything else you need. I want you to have a sense of independence, even if it’s from an apartment that you hardly frequent. If it makes you feel any better, we could spend equal amounts of time at both. A place in the hills and a spot in the city. We’d have the best of both worlds.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “I didn’t think of it that way but that's perfect.”

“And, when you need your space, you’ll have somewhere to go without me worrying. If you want to stay here, then I’ll have somewhere to go without you worrying. It’ll all work itself out, love. I promise. You’ve been excited about getting the new place. I think it’s just your anxiety trying to get to you.”

With each passing day, Bello had grown to know me a little better. He understood my struggle with anxiety and knew just how much it affected me. He’d even taken the time to study the condition and found ways to help me keep it at bay. Yoga was one of them. Each Monday and Wednesday night, that’s where I spent my time.

“I won’t let it,” I affirmed, “Am I dressing up or wearing something chill?”

At this point of our relationship, I knew that it was safer to ask. Bello was full of surprises and I’d gotten caught slipping too many times. I can recall us going rock climbing in the hills and I was wearing heels. I was thoroughly embarrassed but should’ve known that he had me covered. Bello had brought along a pair of sneakers and leggings for me without my knowledge. After a quick change in the car, everything was fine.

“Dress however you want, today. It doesn’t matter. Do you.”

I nodded with a smile, knowing exactly what I intended to wear. I’d been doing a bit of online shopping and came across the prettiest dress while on Zara’s website. It had been delivered along with a lot of other stuff this past week.

My wardrobe was taking its shape and I was happy to finally be able to express myself through clothing that I loved. Money was no longer an issue in my life and I loved that for me because it had been for so long. Pinching pennies was now a thing of the past.

Every month, Bello promised to load my account with a substantial amount that would cover my every desire for the month. This month, it was ten thousand dollars. Last month, it was the same. It was more than enough to handle my needs, but I wasn’t complaining. I found myself saving much more than I was spending.

We were dressed and out of the house in no time. Hand-in-hand, we headed toward Bello’s Mercedes. I melted upon contactwith the leather seats. It was November and the cold fronts had been rolling in like clockwork each week. Every day that we made plans to leave, Bello made sure that the concierge started and warmed the car for me.

Inside, I tried closing the shag coat even tighter as if it would keep me warmer. My lips quaked as tears rolled down my cheeks. Summers in Channing was beautiful, but Winter and Fall were brutal. They were cold and lonely in my case, though this year would be much different.

“Here.” Bello hated watching me suffer in the cold. He grabbed my hands and placed them at the brink of the vents and spread them slightly. He then rubbed the back of each to speed up the process and get heat injected through my skin as quickly as possible.

“Thank you, baby.” I appreciated the care he’d been giving me.

Bello reached over and grabbed my seatbelt, securing me in place before pulling off. It didn’t take long for me to figure out our destination. I’d been to the Frank’s residence enough to know every possible route to it in Channing. Out of all the places in the world, I wouldn’t have imagined our day starting off here. With everything going on between Melonie and I, I didn’t understand it, either.

“What are we doing here?” I turned in Bello’s direction and asked him as we pulled onto the street.

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