Counterpoints Book 3 Page 15

  She took it out and checked the screen.

  Can’t wait to kiss those red lips. I miss having you by my side. She read the text quickly and couldn’t hold back a smile.

  Christopher Taylor, the famous ‘relationship allergic’ race driver misses me, misses me hanging around him. Isabella could not suppress the happiness, the excitement.

  “When I met you, I knew you were different. You weren’t just another beautiful woman I met at a dinner. Your eyes, your wit… I wanted to know every little thing about you. I wanted to possess every single part of you. I knew I could trust you, that you weren’t after something. You are not just a pretty face. You are real. And I want the real thing. I want you, all of you” Christopher had told her one night, while lying half naked in bed, entangled in a tight embrace.

  “We will probably do something together with the team, after the race on Sunday. You and Giacomo could join us, if you are free” Isabella put the phone back in her bag and looked up at Maria again.

  She was staring, her brows up.

  “We will be free. I want to meet him. And I think Giacomo wants an autograph” Maria grinned and Isabella wrapped an arm around her friend, while they discussed what to try out first: food or rides?

  “Aren’t we too old for rides?” Isabella expressed her doubts, seeing only kids in their teens and a few twenty-year old’s in the queue.

  “Honey, you were born old. Hence, you were never really allowed on the rides” Maria giggled to Isabella’s crossed face. “Of course we can. Who cares, people are going to stare at you anyway, you are Christopher Taylor’s new hot girlfriend. You are famous”

  Wait till the book comes out, the thought crossed Isabella’s mind for a second, but she firmly pushed it away.

  She didn’t care. She told Christopher it didn’t matter and it truly didn’t. It was a storm, they would walk through it and end up where it was sunny again, maybe with a few scars, but side by side nevertheless.

  “Thanks for the ‘hot’ girlfriend but I am hardly the hottest girl he has had his hands on” Isabella made a face and followed Maria in the queue.

  Rides first, food later.

  “You my friend are blind” Maria eyed her from top to bottom and made her point, for how beautiful Isabella looked that night in her light blue summer dress.

  “You my friend are too kind” Isabella said and watched Maria grin.

  “Wait until we start this game and I’ll kick your ass. Not so kind anymore, am I?” Maria pointed to the target shooting trial they were queueing up for and laughed, Isabella’s glare too funny to resist.

  It always ended in a pout and a look from top to toe.

  “I’ll kick yours and you know it. You’ve never won once since we started hanging out together, since like forever”

  “I won that summer we were into heavy metal, remember our matching shirts?” Maria’s eyes went wide, as the memory came back to her.

  Her rebellious era- black lipstick, purple hair and heavy black eyeliner.

  “I remember you cheated” Isabella’s brow went up.

  “You ‘think’ I might have cheated” Maria corrected her and they continued to tease each other, waiting for their turn.

  They were half way through the queue, Salvo and Angela came out of nowhere- laughing hard, Angela leaning into her boyfriend’s shoulder.

  My ex-boyfriend, Isabella reminded herself. And my ex best friend.

  She looked away when it was too late, Salvo and Angela had already seen her and Maria standing there by the ride.

  As if they had belonged to another life, Isabella had forgotten all about them, her thoughts only for Christopher.

  Isabella, Salvo and Angela stared at each other for a few moments- guest star Maria and her best of squints- but there was no smile, no wave. They were frozen in place.

  How many times had they been in that situation, the same situation- the three of them together? Several, only now the roles had been rearranged and they were frozen in time, trying to figure out how to move on from there.

  Inevitably, Isabella’s face softened. There was no reason to make this more uncomfortable than it already was.

  Time to move on.

  “Hi” he said and eyed Maria to the side. “Maria”

  “Salvo” she said and then stared ahead, nudging Isabella to take a step forward in the queue. “Hi” Isabella said back, giving them her best smile.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  Angela’s blue eyes appeared behind his shoulder and maybe Isabella might have imagined it, but she saw the glimpse of a smile on her thin glossy lips.

  Either that or a nervous twitch.

  “I’m good” Isabella kept her voice cool, even though the formality of their conversation was making things worse. Uncomfortable. “And you?”

  “Good. Can we talk?” he asked and tilted his head to the side, suggesting they took their conversation somewhere less public, like the parking lot nearby.

  “I… I don’t…” Isabella indicated Maria, like she was about to say no, but then something in Salvo’s eyes changed her mind. “Okay” she answered and told Maria she was going to be back in time for the ride.

  “I promise, five minutes” Isabella squeezed Maria’s hand and walked down the cobble road, to a quieter corner- far enough from curious eyes- but she was still able to see Maria from there.

  Then, her stare was on Angela again.

  Her friend, or so she had been for as long as she could remember, looked down as soon as she met Isabella’s eyes.

  That counts for something, at least she’s ashamed for sneaking behind my back with my boyfriend, Isabella thought.

  “I don’t want to make a scene” Salvo spoke again and eyed Angela.

  “Nobody is going to make a scene, Salvo” Isabella shook her head and almost rolled her eyes “I’m not that kind of person and you know that” and of course she meant every word and more.

  There was absolutely no reason to make a scene because first of all, she had found out about her best friend and his ex-boyfriend hooking up a while ago already. So all the anger, all the sadness was gone. It had left Isabella with a void, not necessarily painful in the end, as that experience had taught her a thing or two.

  Nothing was what it looked like, not even the best of friendships, not even the best of men. Salvo had always been perceived as the boy next door, sweet and trustworthy and look what had happened.

  And then there was Christopher in Isabella’s life. The boat had rocked a few times already and It was going to rock some more soon, Isabella knew that but she was aware of what they had.

  We are in love, she had realized a while ago and somehow nothing else seemed to matter. Their differences, the odds against them, the tensions. It was all worth it, it was all temporary, but their connection lasted. Their bond had grown. Their feelings for each other had found a name.

  I am in love for the first time, the time it matters, Isabella realized, looking at Salvo and Angela just then and it didn’t hurt.

  It didn’t hurt seeing them together, hugging and laughing.

  It was something Isabella couldn’t have given Salvo, it was something Salvo couldn’t have given her – the feelings she and Christopher had for each other.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, about us” he looked over to Angela again and as on cue, she moved to the side and finally made her way out behind his shoulder, behind his shadow.

  She stood there next to Isabella, in a short red summer dress, blonde hair down her back, no smile on her face.

  So many times, Isabella had thought what it would have been like, to see them together, as a couple.

  She had thought about it, the first few days after she had found out about them. She had thought of the words to say- how to hurt her, how to make her feel bad- but now Isabella’s mind couldn’t recall a thing.

  “I didn’t know how to tell you” Salvo went on.

  “How about Angela and I are dating?” Isabella raised an eye
brow at him “I had to find out from other people, Salvo. We promised we would always be honest with each other” she added, her face reeked with disappointment.

  “I know” he said and shook his head “that’s why I want to talk to you about it. It’s not true Angela and I were already seeing each other, when you and I were still together”

  Isabella tilted her head to the side and smiled, finding it hard to believe.

  “It’s the truth” Angela spoke for the first time.

  Isabella stared at her for a moment, speechless.

  “Over the past three months you never picked up your phone, not even once. And now you are talking to me and I am supposed to listen to you? I am supposed to believe you?” Isabella retorted, her eyes a little sad, as she spoke.

  It’s not sadness what I am feeling. It’s disappointment.

  She realized it wasn’t about Salvo at all. Deep down she was hurt, but it wasn’t love that had hurt her. Not the end of her relationship with Salvo, but the end of her friendship with Angela.

  “I was avoiding you” Angela said, her voice low.

  “Why?” Isabella pressed on, her heart in her throat, realizing her sixth sense had suggested her the right thing.

  Her best friend had been in fact avoiding her, but it was one thing to assume it was so, and completely another to know it was true.

  “Because I cared for Salvo” Angela said, eyeing her boyfriend to the side. “I’ve liked him since the day we met him in that club. And I hated myself so much for the feelings I had for him. You guys started dating and you and I were friends, more like sisters. I couldn’t back stab you and hurt you like that. But I couldn’t stay near you either, near both of you, without hurting. I didn’t want to make the mistake of choosing love over friendship” Angela paused. “So, I decided I was going to give up both. Salvo and you”

  Isabella stared into her friend’s blue eyes, as the truth settled in, as all the puzzle pieces finally fit together.

  The vague conversations, the missed phone calls, the excuses every time Isabella had tried to set up a night out with Angela. She had been avoiding her because she wanted to stay away from Salvo and not risk making the mistake of hurting Isabella, of damaging their friendship.

  Isabella gaped, her eyes wide.

  Never, during the whole time she had been with Salvo, had she even suspected such a thing. It never crossed her mind, she never had any clues. Nothing. It was brand new information for her and like any new form of information, it shocked her completely. She was silent for a few instants.

  “You never told me this” Isabella shook her head, incredulous.

  “I know” Angela nodded.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Isabella kept looking at her with wide eyes.

  “What was I going to say? You guys were together and you were great. I couldn’t” Angela shook her head, her shoulders up. “But then you decided to leave and Salvo didn’t want to be with you away all the time. I couldn’t stand to see him suffer like that. When you left” Angela winced a little, as she said the words. “I got closer to him but nothing happened before you two were over”

  They had accidently bumped into each other the night Isabella had told Salvo about getting the job in London. Angela explained how Salvo had been in a terrible state- sad for Isabella leaving. She had attempted to lift his spirits, trying to convince him that the long-distance relationship could work, it was just for a year anyway. But Salvo had told her his doubts, how he was sure it wouldn’t work, how it didn’t feel right to keep strings attached with Isabella away all the time.

  “I know what the town is saying, that our relationship started before you and I broke up” Salvo said. “It’s not true”

  Isabella stared at them both, motionless while Maria took a small step forward in the queue.

  “Salvo and I could never do that to you” Angela added looking from Salvo to Isabella again. “I am sorry” she mumbled then “For not telling you before”

  Isabella let out a deep breath and shook her head a little.

  “What do you want me to say? I don’t know what to say” she told Angela.

  And I don’t know what to believe, Isabella kept her thoughts to herself and caught sight of Maria, waving at her as she had almost reached the head of the line.

  “Don’t say anything” Angela shook her head a little.

  I don’t want to say anything I’ll regret, Isabella thought, feeling confused.

  Salvo turned to Angela and whispered something, but Isabella wasn’t quite sure she had heard right. It was only when Angela had waved briefly and walked back to the ride, that Isabella understood Salvo wanted to tell her something, something private.

  “I really did love you” he said, turning to Isabella.

  She breathed in deep before she spoke.

  “I loved you, too”

  “Not like I loved you” he shook his head, smiling softly as he did.

  There was no bitterness, no resentment in his voice. It was something Salvo had become aware of, a while ago now, and he had come to terms with it. Isabella had never loved him like he had loved her. She had never really been in love, to the point she couldn’t even imagine her life without him.

  She had cared for him, but being in love was something else- Salvo knew it was something completely different.

  “It’s okay” he went on, nodding. “I know that now. We could never have worked. Not even if you stayed. I think you did the right thing, going away”

  Isabella listened to his every word and pursed her lips, fighting a tear from rolling down her cheeks.

  “I never wanted to hurt you” she said, reaching out for his arm.

  Salvo placed a hand over hers and smiled.

  “I know. I never wanted to hurt you too”

  But we did, we did hurt each other.

  Sometimes, intentions were meaningless. Sometimes, events led you in a direction instead of another. Some things were just meant to be, while some others were meant to cease.

  “I watch you every weekend” Salvo smirked and told Isabella how he hoped to take a glimpse at her during the interviews. “Is it true? About you and Christopher Taylor?”

  “Yes” she nodded, a little self-conscious now.

  “I am really happy for you” he said.

  “Thank you. I am happy for you too. I am” she smiled to that.

  “I’ll let you go now” Salvo said, glancing over to Maria “It was nice to see you”

  “Yeah, you too” Isabella mumbled and her eyes followed him, as he joined Angela and they went through the crowd of people.

  Isabella looked down at her hands while walking up to Maria, puzzled and lost in thought.

  Do we ever truly know the people we live with? Do we ever really share our most intimate thoughts with our friends?

  Isabella wasn’t sure anymore. She had once liked to think that she and Angela could talk and confess just about anything to each other.

  That’s before a man got in our way.

  The thought saddened her, the way they had lost each other and their relationship over a man.

  “Are you okay?” Maria asked, her arm wrapping around Isabella’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, I am good” Isabella smiled warmly at her friend and filled in on her conversation with Salvo and Angela. “Just surprised. How could she keep it to herself for so long? You wouldn’t do that would you? Keep something so important from me”

  “Of course not. I can’t keep things to myself, period. Especially from you” Maria smiled back. “By the way, your mascara is a little smudged” she pointed to her friend’s left eye, right at the outside corner.

  Isabella laughed.

  “I was being serious”

  “I know you were, too serious, in fact I wanted to see you laugh” Maria winked. “I would never lie to you. You know that”

  “I do” Isabella nodded.

  They took another step forward and finally reached the head of the queue.

  Th
e man sitting behind the ticket booth, handed them a plastic gun and told them to wait for their turn in front of a narrow door. Soon it would have been their turn to walk through the route and shoot at as many targets as possible, trying to beat the other player.

  “So, do we believe them? Salvo and Angela?” Maria eyed her to the side, as she adjusted the safety goggle on her eyes.

  “I am not sure what to believe. Does it matter at this point? I lost them both” Isabella glanced her way and saw Maria shrug.

  “You have me and Cristina. Aren’t we enough?” Maria smiled wide.

  “More than enough, I’d say” Isabella giggled, as they took a step forward towards the door.

  “Nice, very nice. I shall remember that once we are in there” Maria pointed to the shooting route.

  They laughed and slowly the conversation went back to normal. They teased each other, as they stepped inside the shooting route and the game begun.

  Every now and then, while shooting at the targets, Salvo and Angela’s words would inevitably come back to Isabella. It felt as though their conversation had been long overdue, like she had waited for so long to hear the truth. Angela, her best friend for as long as she could remember, had been avoiding her, because of Salvo.

  Keeping things inside, not being open about them with the people you love, could ruin everything.

  It had ruined her relationships with Salvo, when they hadn’t been upfront with each other about her job. It had ruined Angela’s and Isabella’s friendship, when Angela hadn’t told her the reason behind her weird, distant behavior.

  One thought haunted her that evening: would things have been different, if they had been more honest, more upfront about their feelings with each other? Would Isabella have saved her friendship- with both Salvo and Angela?

  Chapter 13

  It was so hot, the tarmac was boiling. Isabella could feel the heat coming from the ground and it hit her face every time she walked, head down, from the starting line -where she and Hillary had stood before the race, to take pictures of the cars- to the box.