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He leans over, “Are you okay being here? I know we talked about it, but I want to make sure you are comfortable. I made sure I could be here today since I knew you were coming.”
I smile and just give him a reassuring nod. “I feel safe because you are here. They put you to work, huh?” I change the subject and grab him by the collar to kiss him.
But then I hear somebody clearing their throat right behind me, and it’s Bella, her lips pressed tightly together.
I back off Alex and he resumes his task, and when I see Bella coming even closer, I start to sweat bullets.
“Hi, Liv,” she says without emotion, arms crossed and holding her recorder in one hand.
“Please don’t pester me today,” I tell her, hiding behind the lens, ruder than I wished to be.
“I’m not going to pester you, Liv,” she says, somber. “I truly just wanted to say hi.”
I take a deep breath and realize that I’m being hostile without reason.
“Hi, Bella…” I say, taking pictures of all the angles of the room. “How are you doing?”
“Good,” she says. “New job isn’t as rewarding, and I need to find a new roommate to afford the rent, but overall things are alright. And you?”
“My life is awesome right now, Bella,” I say, calm, trying not to gloat. “I have a lovely boyfriend and he has an amazing son. My job is very rewarding, and my rent is cheap as hell.”
“Oh,” she wilts in place. “I guess your life is better than mine now, huh?”
I move to another room in the apartment and Bella follows me, like a hungry dog waiting for a bone. If she wants to make amends, I’ll gladly accept them, but I’m not sure I can take the first step yet.
“Shouldn’t you be interviewing people?” I ask, pointing to the recorder.
“I’m just trying to talk to you!” she lashes out, and with reason.
“Um, I’m sorry Bella,” I ask, genuinely feeling guilty. “It’s just that… The way you treated me, I’m still bracing for hostility.”
Bella uncrosses her arms and starts playing with her device, plugging her wireless earbuds into it so she can hear what she has gathered so far.
“I’m tired of hostility, Liv,” she finally says, still acting entranced by the recorder. “I’m still not ready to accept you back as a friend yet, but I feel like I could be.”
I snap one more picture and then turn to her. “The same goes for me, Bella,” and I offer her a shy smile.
She responses with a small smile. “For now, I’m just happy to know how my nephew is going.”
Done with that room, we move to a second where a worker is ripping apart all the carpet from the floor.
“Doesn’t Alex let you know?” I ask her, an eyebrow raised, and pursing my lips.
“He said that I’m not allowed near him while I’m being toxic like this,” Bella says, full of sadness.
“Oh,” now I’m the one taken aback. “He didn’t tell me that.”
“Of course not, he needs to be your ‘cinnamon bun,’ right?” she says, likely having read this nickname I have for him from the messages we exchanged. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. How’s Harlan anyway?”
I smile and oblige to her request. “Doing great at school and great at video games,” I say, “He’s such an adorable little boy…”
“He is,” she smiles, sadly.
With that, she departs from me and goes back to doing her interviews with a pimply boy taking pictures on his phone right behind her.
I take a few more pictures of the apartment and then go back downstairs to try and find Martha. I find her in the building’s lobby, surrounded by people, everybody wanting a little piece of fame through her words.
“Having fun?” I shout to her over the buzz of voices.
