Chapter Sixty Six

Bella's POV

"We're headed  for the shopping mall. Are you coming?" Mackenzie trilled as she popped her head into the room.

"Yeah, okay." I said sleepily and stood up from the bed, stretching and rubbing my eyes with the back of my palm, at the same time letting out a loud yawn filled with a whole lot of bad morning breath.

I stood up and smiled happily, finally accepting the fact that I was out of jail.

I hurriedly got into the shower and had a long one. I put on the beautiful denim dress Mackenzie left on my bed with some flats. I shook out my hair and made a simple bun and headed out.

"Good morning, Bella! Caden here is making breakfast. He insisted on impressing - " Mackenzie started as I walked to the dining, craving good food.

"Shut the trap, girl!" he yelled, walking out of the kitchen with a funny looking apron hung on his neck, and a bulb of onion and a knife in his hands.

I laughed." Okay, What are you wearing?"

"I know right. I did tell  him how hilarious he looks but then, he went on with this shit! He looks like a rotten tomato in that thing," Mackenzie spat and laughed loudly.

"Laugh all you want, ladies but let my food speak for itself!" he yelled and stomped into the kitchen with his eyes getting the taste of some onions.

I rolled my eyes and sat on the table just beside Mackenzie.

"Not bad. A little bit too spicy and eggs are actually supposed to be fried. You serve them almost raw and the toasts aren't even done and your coffee has just too much coffee!" Mackenzie complained.

"Plus the bread is horrible!! Did you - " I joined her.

"Okay, okay, okay! I get it! We'll just order something to eat.  Pizza,preferably," he scoffed and returned his horrible food to the kitchen.

It was good he got a hang of what I've been preaching.

Mackenzie and I headed to the living room and slumped on the couch, watching the Kardashian show. Caden joined us shortly after, getting the horrible apron off his neck.

"Let's watch K drama!" Caden yelled and Mackenzie and I turned to him, wild eyed and completely shocked at his statement.

K what now?

After much arguing, we settled for football.

All of a sudden, Mackenzie rose up from the sofa and stood in front of the TV, turning to both of us with puzzled looks on both our faces.

"We're supposed to watch the TV, not your body," Caden pointed out and she ignored him.

"I think he's right!" I joined him, barely seeing the match going on.

"So, I think you two have a couple of things to talk about," she started and returned to her couch, tugging the pillow to her chest.

What did she think she was doing?

"So, Caden - would you like to get the honors of telling us some thing's we would really want to know? Especially one's related to Bella here?" she asked and he fidgeted as he knitted his brows and his cheeks suddenly turned pink.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mackenzie," he said coldly and I could already see how tensed he was.

"Oh, really? Okay, Bella what about you?" she asked interestedly, her hand stroking her chin and she turned to me.

I could feel a line of sweat run down my head already.

God, that was so awkward.....

"Nothing," I shrugged offhandedly and fiddled with a bracelet on my wrist.

"Ugh!" she groaned. "You two  are so immature," she whined smugly.

"Yeah, right!" Caden sighed and death glared.

"Okay, I'm gonna say what everyone's dying to hear. Caden - " she finally blurted out.

The doorbell rang and immediately he ran out with full speed to get it. I got him, though.

"This pizza is so delicious!" Mackenzie exclaimed as she took bites upon bites of the pizza.

"I agree!" I nodded with a smile.

"So, Kenzie - " Caden started.

"Yeah?" she asked, not turning her gaze from the pizza in her hand.

"Aren't you gonna miss your flight?"

"Shit! I totally forgot!" she exclaimed and dumped the pizza on the floor, running upstairs.

I let out a little chuckle on her frazzled look and felt a familiar gaze on my face.

Caden!

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"Okay, I guess this is goodbye?" Mackenzie asked as we finally got her boxes out and into the airport.

"Yeah!" Caden nodded, placing his hands deeply into his pockets with his black tinted glasses making him look hypnotic. Really hypnotic.....

"I'm gonna miss you guys so much," she smiled warmly with her midnight black eyes wandering into our faces and her eyes watering.

"I will miss you so much," Caden maintained and got her in for a warm hug.

"Fake Mercedes......" she trailed off in a trilling tone that broke into a contagious chuckle as I couldn't help but laugh too.

"I knew I hated you - - well, because I was obsessed with prince charming here. Note the past tense," she winked. "But I think I'm over it now and I'm just up for my career. But now, I guess I know you better and I prefer the real you to that fake you that hated me as much as I hate her," she rolled her eyes with an enchanting look.

"Its a pleasure to have met you," I said in reply and we launched into a hug.

"You don't want to miss your flight. Skip off!" Caden interrupted the moment.

"Yeah, right - see you guys later," She dashed a gaze with crystal eyes before rolling her bags and fading away with the crowd.

"Let's grab some pizza?" Caden asked as we could no longer see her.

"Yeah okay!" I yelped and got into the front  seat of the car and he pounced on the drivers seat, reversing carefully and driving away.

The car was awfully quiet. I just stared at the scenery outside the windows. The streets were way too busy for just an early morning. Restaurants and shops opened and and employees of the 24/7's arrived for shifts. It was a cold morning and most cars hurried off In speed. Teenagers randomly walking on the road, tugging on cozy hoodies and preventing the chilly weather, and the average person taking cabs or short strolls to work.

I got interrupted from my observation when Caden halted in front of a traffic light that showed red.

It became a lot more awkward.....

"So, what do you plan on doing?" he asked randomly, probably trying to kill the boredom.

"I don't understand," came my reply and I turned my face at him with a puzzle look.

He turned his face at me and stared but I couldn't tell because he still had the sun shades on.

"Are you going to get back?" he asked again with much more directness and I thought for a while.

I never actually thought critically about that....

"I don't know. I'm not sure," I replied with a wince.

"If you ever decide on getting back, will you return?" he asked again but this time, got the shades off and devoured his piercing blue  eyes on me.

I gave a half shrug and stiffened.

Just then, the lights turned green and he got his shades back on, driving off.

'If you ever decide on getting back, will you return?' Why did he ask that? Its not as if my company is of any joy or delight.....

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"I love the coffee here!" Caden remarked as we sat on a table and got the menu.

He wailed his hand for a waiter and one came by with a sticky note and a fancy ball pen.

"A mug of cappuccino and a slice of the diez leches. And - " Caden paused.

"A triple shot espresso and a slice of an apple pie, not too much sugar," I ordered  and returned the menu to the table as the waiter walked away.

"Apple pie? No sugar?" Caden yowled in laughter.

"I don't see what's so funny," I shook my head and curled my lip.

"You see, what's so funny is - apple is like the sweetest most sugary fruit on the planet and saying with no sugar just contrasts its value!" he pointed out and chuckled.

"Still, sugars are added to it," I argued.

"But that's the feel! Its supposed to be like that! Apples are tremendously sweet!" he broadcasted like he knew the history of sugars and apples or sugary apples.

"Talk about a person who eats diez leches for breakfast!" I blurted with a slight smirk.

"How did that come into the conversation? And the diez leches is the sweetest kind of cake. Its insane and heavenly!" he lectured.

"Its not!" I spat, staring at him.

"Is too!" he argued with a chuckle.

"The diez leches is just too creamy and sugary!" I fired me in defense.

"Well - " he rolled his eyes and stroke his chin, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Well, I'm right!" I completed his statement with a shy smile.

"Here!" The waiter brought our order and set it on the table, leaving.

I took a sip of the coffee and tried my best to not sound awkward in any way. A long silence evolved as we just took little bites of the cake and tiny sips of the coffee.

"So, why did you do it?" he finally jolted upright and carefully placed his mug on the table.

"Huh?" I jerked in surprise.

"What made you - how do I put this - how did the whole Mercedes you thing come about?" he asked curiously.

"It was just an accident. A mere coincidence and I guess I was too scared and got carried away with how lucky she was being a star," I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and stared into his piercing blue eyes.

"Well, it was pretty awkward. You seemed really different for a star, though." he chuckled.

"Yeah, I know," I rolled my eyes and giggled.

"But to be honest, I think it was really cute. I mean, I never met someone who didn't fall for  me from first sight!" he rolled his eyes and lingered his finger in 360 on the mouth piece of the mug, staring at it.

"Mackenzie?" I asked and took another bite of the cake.

He smiled naturally before voicing out a reply.

"She was just like the others but there was something different. She stayed," he shrugged,  still staring at the Hazel brown coffee and eye catching piece of cake.

"What others?" I asked.

"You wouldn't really understand. It was complicated," he looked up at me and jerked a little, sitting upright.

"So, why didn't you make a thing with her?" I asked, trying not to sound too pushy.

"It was complicated at the moment, I was so confused and then you arrived!" he blurted.

"Oh, I see," I nodded and scratched an itch on my nose. "So, my arrival was a curse?" I joked.

"No, I didn't mean it that way. Mercedes was a curse but you are just an angel," he muttered the  last words.

"Huh?" I raised a brow.

"Nothing. Let's go?" he asked and took the last gulp of the coffee. I took in the last slice and grabbed the jacket from the seat I placed it on.

He wailed the waiter and dropped the bill on the table. "Let's go," he whispered again and we left the coffee shop.

"Where exactly are we headed?" I asked as I put the seatbelt on and we sat in the car.

"Home, of course," he replied and put the shades on, starting the car and driving off.

Author's Note.

Thank you all so much for reading this chapter. It means a lot to me.

Don't forget to vote and comment down your thoughts.

So, what do you think is gonna happen next? Tell me all about it.

Caden? Bella?..... Is there gonna be a chemistry? Or not........ Let's just leave it there.

Thanks again and stay safe.

Much Love, Pauly Queen.