Checkmate | JB

VI.

Six.

✘

↠ November 14: Evening ↞

"Oh, my!" Bella entered my kitchen with a wide smile on her face. I had called her immediately after my therapy session. I called her to tell her that we could no longer be seeing each other and that we simply had to wait but before I even had the chance to utter those words, she had swept me off my feet again by her presence. "Who knew you could cook?"

I could feel a shade of pink enter my cheeks which was ridiculous to me. Without reasons, I was blushing like crazy around her. She could say the smallest thing in the world and I would still blush. I felt like a baby.

"Want to taste?" I smirked, trying to hide the fact that I was affected by her words. She nodded with a huge grin and bent over the kitchen island so I could feed her with the spoon, it made me think of all those romantic movies. Usually, things like that would make me cringe but there was something so different with Bella.

"That's amazing, Justin!" She squealed and quickly rushed over to my side of the island before she threw her arms around my torso, hugging me from behind. I liked the feeling of her arms around my body. "Where did you learn that?"

"Cooking?"

"Well, yes that too but I meant the actual dish." I couldn't help but notice the little dimples she got whenever she smiled. She had two types of smiles, one that meant she was genuinely happy and the second that was her polite smile. She had the first one on her face currently and it made me feel special, knowing I'm the reason behind it.

I shrugged, "I think my mother taught me."

"Your mother's place must be the best restaurant in the world then," The way she whispered that into my ear got me feeling some type of way and I immediately thought about what Kristen and I talked about. The sexual tension build-up. I'm not sure she could feel it but I surely did and for each second that passed, I was having trouble in my mind to remind myself not to touch her in that way.

It was only a few more months.

During my therapy session earlier this morning, it was easy to convince myself that I didn't need her. It was the thought of just having someone that made me happy, not especially Bella. Although, that changed the moment she stepped into my house. I invited her here to talk but we ended up doing a lot of other things, talking excluded.

I wasn't in love yet. But I wasn't ready to let go of her just yet either. Perhaps it was the way I had been checking her out for so long at that bar, I had been imagining what my life would be like with her and I don't think I was ready to let go of that fantasy yet. I had her now, it's all I've been wanting for months. That delicate bartender, at my place. I had come a long way now and I was not ready to stop, it was too soon.

It took me a few seconds to process that I had yet to answer her, somewhat, question. I wasn't sure how to tell her that it's been a while since I interacted with my mother. In no way did I want to come off as rude or heartless, including a mother in your life made you automatically look like a better person. I couldn't possibly tell her that it was practically my fault that I didn't talk to her, that often, anymore. I had to be wise with my words if I wanted this between us to go well.

"My mother is a great cook," I nodded, "Unfortunately, I don't go there often."

I was expecting further questions, I thought she would be curious on why but she nodded and let it go as if it actually didn't matter. For some reason, I could feel a huge relief on my shoulders. Usually, women would ask about things like that but I assume she knew the unwritten boundaries between us. I would never ask her about personal stuff that seemed to be a weight for her and she clearly wouldn't do that to me either. I've said it many times before but Bella is really one of a kind, she understands me though we barely just met. I wonder how she does it.