Bleeding Roses--part 4

Friday came. I dressed nervously, as Kali read a magazine boredly. I glanced over at her for approval. “Well?”
She looked up, tossing the magazine aside. “Oh, no, no, no.” She said, coming over and messing my hair up. “Much better, but don’t forget the eyeliner.”
“Thanks.” I said, taking her hands. She looked at me like I was crazy. “For helping me. You’re the best roommate ever.”
“Are you high?” She snorted, laughing.
“Not yet.” I grinned, stepping outside. “I’ll see you later.” I closed the door behind me, walking outside with a spring in my step. I was acting so normal…I sighed. This was not right.
“Rei?” A hopeful voice was calling my name. I sped up, knowing it wasn’t Bella. I heard some sobbing but ignored it. “Fine! F you, asswhole!” I almost turned, but the thought of Bella standing there, thinking I had ditched her made me speed up even more. After what seemed like ten years, I finally got down into the village. I saw her, standing there, so beautiful. An older, tipsy looking guy was sneering in her face, holding her arm. She looked scared and disgusted; I stormed over, tapped the guy on the shoulder.
“Get off of my girlfriend, ass.” I punched him, hard. His nose snapped, spurting blood all over his shirt. He crumpled to the ground; Bella tapped me on the shoulder.
“Girlfriend?” She asked, smirking.
“It sounded better that, ‘girl I screwed under the bleachers’.” I said.
“True.” She bent down. She looked like she covered the guy with his jacket. She stood straight, and put her hand in her pocket. I offered my arm, which she took with a smile. “So, where are we going?”
“The restaurant down the road.” I pointed with my other hand.
“I love that place!” She smiled, walking closer to me. Once we got there, I held the door open for her; she rewarded me with a smile; I held her chair out for her and pushed her in; when I sat down her foot rubbed against mine. Once we where both situated, I looked over at her, studying her face and clothes. She wore a flowing blue top that matched her eyes perfectly. Her crimson hair hung down to her lower back; I could just imagine that same hair fanned out over my pillow, her body pressed against mine. “What are you getting?” She asked me, looking up from the menu.
“Erm.” I had been to busy looking at her to decide. I glanced down at the menu before saying the one thing that popped out on top of the page. “Steak. What about you?”
“Tortelleni with rose sauce.”
“Rose sauce?” Shit. That reminded me, I wanted to get her a rose or something. Shit.
“Alfredo sauce with a few drops of regular tomato. It’s a pinkish color.”
“Oh. Sounds great.” I smiled.
“It’s my favorite.” She smiled back. I took note of it. Our waiter came over and took our orders, watching Bella the whole time. My eyes narrowed at him, Bella smiled slyly. Her foot, now bare, danced up my pants leg. I looked over at her, smirking slightly.
“Yes?”
“Tell me about yourself.” Her foot rested above my boot as we talked. I mentally took notes of every detail she told me: Her adopted sister, Corrine, her parents, Kate and Pierce, her years in Italy, her summers in New York City…her favorite color was azure, her favorite song was ‘She’s a Rebel’ by Green Day. I told her about my childhood, my parents, my life. Our dinners came. We ate, talking now about teachers, like Fern.
“He’s such an idiot! He made me room with a girl. A crazy vampire mass murderer.” I sighed, pretending the bit of steak I had just forked was him.
“You’re living with a girl?” She arched her eyebrow.
“We’re just friends. It’d never work out.” I shook my head. She relaxed.
“Try this.” She speared a piece of tortellini and held it to me. I leaned across the table and she fed it to me, smiling slightly. Her foot stroked my leg. “Any good?”
“Brilliant.” I whispered, talking about her and her foot and her eyes and the food all at the same time.
“Rei?” She murmured after a few minutes. We both finished, placing our forks and knives on our plates as a sign we were ready. “Where are we going now?”
“Honestly, I didn’t think we’d make it this far.” I murmured, looking down.
“Why not?” She asked, looking at me.
“Because you’re way too good for me.” The words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them. She blushed brightly.
“So, where are we going?”
“Um-“ She reached across the table and took my hand.
“We can go anywhere you want, just promise me one thing.”
“Anything.” I said quickly.
“No sex on benches, under the bleachers, in alleyways, or anything sleazy, okay?”
“No sex. Got it.” I repeated.
“Oh, we can have sex.” She smiled mischievously. “Just in a bed.”
“Oh.” I smiled at her as our waiter came back. I paid the bill and we walked out. It was night, now, and the wind blew a strand of red hair into Bella’s face. I reached over and tucked it behind her ear. She slipped her hand into mine and turned to face me.
“I’m happy you decided to come to the café, Rei.”
“I had to.” I answered softly.
“I almost didn’t write you.” She looked down. “I wanted to forget you, but I couldn’t.” She turned away from me. I heard her crying. “I’m such a slut.”
“You’re not.” I turned her around and put my arms around her. She leaned her head on my shoulder and cried softly.
“I am.”
“Bella, if you were a slut you wouldn’t be here with me right now.” I placed my fingers under her chin and gently forced her to look me in the eye. “You’re not a slut.”
“Oh, Rei.” She leaned her head back on my shoulder. Her crying ceased soon after; I held her and closed my eyes. “Rei?” She asked about ten minutes later.
“Yes, Bella?”
“Can we get that bed now?”
“Right away.” I started to lead her back to the castle, but she stopped walking. “Something wrong?”
“What’s your room number? I’ll meet you there. I need to do something first.”
“666.” I told her. She smiled.
“I’ll meet you there in 15 minutes, okay?”
“Sounds good.” I kissed her hand before I let her go. I started heading back to my room, feeling different. I wasn’t cocky, I wasn’t needy, and I wasn’t horny. Maybe Kali was right. Maybe I was falling in love with Bella. I knocked on the door when I got there.
“Come in.” Kali’s voice was a little giggly. I opened the door to find her and a handsome, dark-haired boy I assumed to be Heath cuddling on her bed. I hated to break them up, but this was important. “Heath, that’s Rei, my roommate.” Heath frowned slightly.
“We’re just friends.” I assured him. “She’s too much for me to handle.” He smiled.
“So, what do you need?” She asked me. Her face fell. “What happened with Bella?”
“She’s coming here. She’ll be here really soon.” I looked at them both, begging, pleading. Kali patted Heath’s thigh; he smirked slightly.
“Let’s go to your room.” She told him mysteriously. He glanced over at me, smirking slightly; I smirked back. “Good luck.” Kali murmured on her way past me.
“Thanks.” I whispered, going around the room and straightening things. A few minutes later I heard a knock on the door. I straightened the cymbal on my drum set. “Come in!” I stood straight as the door opened