Meribella (Dear Mermaid) Chapter 33

BY BLESSING SILVER

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The next day (morning) Bella got up and stretched, she looked at her side and frowned when she didn’t see Maurice on it. She gazed around the room with raised brows and a smile curved on her lips when she saw Maurice lying on a long bed-like couch with a duvet raised up to his neck. Bella rolled the sheets over her and stood up from the bed. She walked over to where Maurice was laying and squat beside him, she placed a hand on her chin and watched him sleep. She wondered if it was her or if Maurice keep getting more handsome daily, his beauty was just incomparable, it was like he was the only guy in the world with such masculine beauty. She smiled as his brows nearly joined then straightened back. She pulled her face an inch closer to his and felt his warm and scented breath all over it, she grinned at the feeling before pulling away and standing up. She gently walked out of his room and moved to the kitchen, she first unpacked the shopping bags content and arranged them In the right places, she set aside some hams, bacons and eggs for breakfast.. After putting stuffs in their places she pulled into an apron and a hairnet and started breakfast preparation.
Bella walked to her room and ran a bath, brushed her teeth before getting ready for work… She brushed her hair backwards and grabbed her work bag before going back to the kitchen, she had breakfast, tore a sheet and scribbled a short note for Maurice before hitting the road to work.
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She got to patty’s and work started with Bella putting in extra effort, it was just two days left to Maurice birthday and a day left for preparation; she had to put in extra efforts.
A text arrived from Raymond and she clicked on it..
📩Morning princesà, Are you working?📩
📩Yes. Don’t even think about coming, I’m really busy📩
📩You really know my thoughts. I don’t think I’ll be okay if I don’t see you for another day. I’m already close📩
📩Obnoxious. Are you trying to get me fired?📩
📩Don’t worry princess. I’ll just see your face and leave📩
She read the text and turned off the phone before slipping it back to her apron pocket and moving to attend to a customer.
Bella collected a tray from Mira with a smile and walked up to the pretty lady and her obvious daughter on a farther table and placed the tray on it, with a smile she took out the dishes and drinks before straightening up. “Enjoy” she smiled and turned to go back behind the counter to satisfy another order..
“Miss,” she turned back to see the lady staring at her “I ordered for beef not chicken” she said and Bella quickly wore an apologetical look as she rushed and took the plate of diced beef away from the table.. “I’m so sorry for the error ma’am, I’ll change this right away,” she gave her a sorry smile “I’m really sorry” she turned and walked away, as she journeyed behind the counter Bella mentally slapped her head at her forgetfulness. She couldn’t believe she had actually forgotten about an order, she had just been too clouded with the thought of Maurice and she on the same bed and well, added more self-favorable scenes to it and no natter how she tried to shake it off, it just kept on appearing and she could my stop the grin that came after that.
She hoped she wouldn’t get fired today, she knew Patty wouldn’t do that but she still doesn’t want to do a bad job today.
She switched the plate of beef with chicken and dropped it on the table, apologizing once more for the inconvenience she walked away.
Bella attended to the next table and more before walking to the counter and grabbing a cup of steaming coffee, from the corner of her eyes she sighted Dad Pablo walked in.. “Don’t worry Mira, I’ll take that one” she told Miranda who nodded and settled back on the small chair she sat on.
Bella walked up to dad Pablo.. “Hi Dad Pablo” she greeted and he turned to her. “Oh hey there Bella” he said.
“Morning coffee I guess?” He asked.
“Yeah. Only that I need it in a takeaway pack. There’s some really important work I have to get over with at the office this morning. I just needed some coffee for a start” he said and Bella smiled.
“I’ll get it right away” with that she walked away and to the coffee machine, grabbing a take out cup she walked to the coffee machine and watched as the dark liquid poured into the cup, she added whipped cream and sealed it up.
“Patty, I’ll be back I’ll just see Pablo to his car” she said to Patty who was stirring a pot of food.
“He’s here?, I didn’t notice. Just don’t stay too long” she said.
“I won’t” she replied and walked away. She got to Dad Pablo and gave him his coffee, he paid and they walked to his car.
“How’s it with you and Maurice?” He asked.
“Getting better I guess. We went shopping yesterday and got customized shirts and couple rings. Take a look at mine” Bella slipped her hand to her pocket and brought out her ring, waving it at Pablo’s face who responded with a twitched brow.
“Wait, Maurice proposed?” He asked, bewildered and Bella shook her head sadly. “He didn’t, we’re not even a thing yet but I think we’re getting there. Getting couple rings and going on a date is a sign” Bella said and he chuckled.
“I already knew Maurice’s not the type that double date. Especially when Diane’s involved–
“Diane?” Bella questioned..
“Yes Diane. Don’t you know about her?” He asked and Bella quickly changed her expression.
“Oh I do,” she lied “I just forget lot of things lately”
Pablo nodded understandingly.
“Well Maurice loves her a lot, I’m sure he’s planning a wedding for them when she returns”
“A wedding?” Bella repeated, trying her best not to scream.
“I know it’s a surprise and I wonder why Maurice haven’t told you about that but I’m sure he has good intentions. Don’t just feel too sad. But if you think Maurice’s actually developing feelings for you then I’m certain he and Diane might’ve ended but he just kept it to himself and——
All other words didn’t register in Bella’s head, she kept trying to catch her breath and fighting the tears that itched her eye-side.
“Bella?” She felt a light then hard tug on her shoulder and mindlessly she turned. “Are you okay? You look far”
“I-I’m good” Bella smiled “D-don’t you think you should hurry up. You said you have lot of works a-at the office” she said and he slowly un-twiched his brows before nodded.
He kissed her forehead and slipped into the driver’s seat of his car.. “Take care” he said to her and drove off.
Bella stood on her spot for a long moment, reminiscing painfully on Pablo’s word ‘Maurice loves her a lot’ the word hit her directly on her heart like an arrow and she felt her heart shattering at the striking pains that followed..
She gulped an imagined lump as she fought the tears, she started walking back to the restaurant..
“Bella,” the sound of Raymond voice reduced her footsteps as she felt him running towards her.. “Hey” he said and she raised her head to look at him, her expression soft and transparent.
“Okay firstly that wasn’t the feisty look I expected” he said before scanning her closely “Are you okay princess?”
Bella pulled her gaze away and tried to walked out but her feet dashed against a small rock in the process, she lost balance and started falling but halfway he caught her. “Did something happen” he asked, look of concern visible in his eyes.
“I-I’m fine” she balanced herself away from his grip.
“You don’t look that way to me” he defended.. Bella blinked and looked at him.
“Since I’m that transparent can we have a drink?” She asked “somewhere else” she added and he nodded, swallowing the urge to ask more.
“There’s a pub across the road”

She got into his car when he opened the door and kept her gaze to the road as he drove, she felt his hungered curiosity gaze on her and blinked back the stored tears that were beginning to itch her eyes. He parked the car after some moments of driving and they got down, he led her into the bar and to the pub and as they sat, he ordered a less alcoholic drink and poured into two glasses. He dropped it and studied Bella.
“You won’t share what’s making you this way?” He asked. She glanced at him, blinked and grabbed her glass, she stared at it for a moment before pulling into and gulping down the liquid, putting down the glass with a little dexterity. She sighed when she felt a little sting in her throat.
She started pouring another glass and dropped it when it was filled, she took it and studied for a long moment “Do I look dumb?” She asked Raymond, her gaze at the wine glass. “Is it stupid to love someone who’s taken?” She asked again and sighed then chuckled hysterically. She gulped down the wine then filled her cup with another.
“All these time it was just him, I couldn’t ask or wish for more I only wanted him to love me, to see me everyday and look at me with eyes filled with love,” she sniffed and a tear dropped. “Am I being ungrateful?” She paused, gulped in her juice and refilled it. “I mean Maurice have been really nice to me, I don’t think I’ll be here if he wasn’t in my life; he helped me and gave me a home. He was patient and caring but I still wanted more.. I needed him and loved him to the core and that love blinded me, it prevented me from seeing that I was in love with a taken man,” she chuckled and gulped her drink then sighed “I don’t know if he kept it away from me to fool me or to prevent me from getting hurt but since it was me who told him about my feelings; I think I deserved a chance to know about her,” she sniffed. “Getting to find out this way feels like I’ve been really dumb all along. Maybe if I hadn’t loved him so much I’d have noticed that there was someone else in the picture but this dumb stupid girl,” Bella pointed to herself “couldn’t even feel it Even though the reality was right before her, she couldn’t accept it”. She said, smiled sadly and started filling another glass.. She stopped and took it but he held her hands before collecting the glass from her.
“You’re like this because of Maurice?” He asked and she looked at him, her gaze was so soft and calling, he felt like reaching out to her and comforting her. He wished he could get a hold of Maurice and teach him a bit of how he felt when a woman he loves get hurt. “You’re drowning yourself in alcohol because of him while he’s out there loving someone else” he asked.
“That’s the only thing a dumb girl has to do”
Raymond ruffled his hair.
“Bella,” she struggled to get the glass from him “You really think alcohol can take away that pain?”
“You really think Maurice deserve even a drop of your tear” he said and Bella soft sobs rented the air. “Fuck!” He slammed the table with his fist. “I really wish I could see this guy” he said. Bella sniffed, her shoulders fell and rise as she cried while Raymond gently took the glass from her grip before pulling closer to her. Her heart was in so much pain.. On a second thought Bella didn’t think she deserved an explanation to Maurice personal life but on the first she had told him about her feelings, he could’ve just told her he didn’t love her or that he was getting married to someone else.. She still had a right to know and that would’ve happened since if she hadn’t been blinded by love.
But still she wasn’t sure she’d be better if Maurice had told her sooner, she was sure she wouldn’t get out of the pain and right now she couldn’t point out who to hate..Maurice or herself. She knew she couldn’t hate Maurice.
Her phone started ringing and as she looked down at it amidst the tears that formed a mist around her sight , Raymond wrapped his arm around her, resting her head on his chest while she cried. He ran a palm on her back. “Let it out. Just let all those feelings out.” He whispered to her. She hiccupped, sniffed and cried..while he watched her, feeling his own heart hurting at her tears.
She looked really fragile and heartbroken and he wished he could get the one that’s making her that way.
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T.B.C