Chapter 04

—   Ouch! — I yelled as the wood pressed against my foot.

—   More than fuck! — a startled look was the expression displayed by Ian. —   Why did you put the crap in there?

—   Son of a bitch!  — I exclaimed as the blood on my fingers pulsed.

—   Fuck, what did you do?!

Ian looked worried. He was going to bend down to analyze, but remembered that he only wore a towel.

His mouth traced a fine line and, after releasing all the air from his lungs, opened the door more than necessary.

—   Come in, let me see that.

He gave me his hand for me to use as support, and the moment our skins touched, my nakedness so hot in contrast to the coldness of his caused a shock to my spine.

I groaned again, only this time it was for the strange sensation and not for the foot drive.

—   You're crazy! I don't even know why I'm coming in here!

I spoke loudly as soon as I sat down on his couch.

—   Am I crazy? It was you who set foot!

—  Because you were going to close the shit door in my face!—   Again!

I yelled.

—   Wait for me here!

—   Like I can go somewhere!

Caccini mumbled a few inaudible words and left the room angry, only returning when he had a bag of peas in his hands and clothes on his body.

—   That's what I have.

I took his icy sack as soon as it was within my reach and deposited it in the red that formed on his skin.

—   Shit. How will I be able to wear a heel tomorrow? —   I said to myself, ignoring the existence of the asshole.

—   Does it hurt too much?

I rolled my eyes.

—   A door crushing my foot. Yes. Hurts.

—   Because I wanted to.

My mouth opened once more in total shock.

—  Did I want to break my foot, Caccini?—   What a great asshole you are! —   I was in the mood to fly on your neck.

—   What did you think would happen?

His coolness and calmness was starting to irritate me.

—   That would stop you from closing it, that it wouldn't hit so hard! Why did you want to close the door in my face? Again?

—   I thought the conversation was over!

He sat next to me, but unfortunately he was now wearing shorts and a tank top.

—  We haven't seen each other for four years and you thought it was over?—   —   I mumbled annoyed.

I wanted him to be at least a little surprised to see me.

—  What did you want me to think, Backer?—   We've never been friends.

His hands took the pea from mine even with my grumbles. He deposited it in a different way, a position where he touched the right spot. Immediate relief came to me.

That was true. We weren't friends, but I'd thought about him for years.

—   No one ever wanted to be. —   My heart clenched at his statement. That was another truth.

—   Everyone was wondering what had happened to...

He smiled with disgust and sarcasm.

—  You didn't knock on my door at eleven o'clock to tell me that Boston cared about me, Backer. —   their brown sockets seemed to see me naked. —   Why are you here?

—   Apart from the fact that you owe me two apologies? —   I smiled. —   I came to know because you pretended not to know me.

The brunette stretched his legs over the coffee table in front of us.

Only then did I realize that the couch and her were the only furniture in the room.

I was so mesmerized by everything that I forgot to peek into her apartment. I only knew it smelled like mint.

—   I thought you didn't remember me.

I rolled my eyes.

—   Lie.

Ian stared at my bruised foot as he muttered:

—  Your life is a bit busy now, Prom Queen. So many important people in your day made me think I wouldn't even know my name. I'm sorry.

—   Arrá! —   I celebrated. —   An apology!

He smiled for the first time. A sincere smile that made his eyes sparkle. And I was glad to be the reason for that. Not for deep, sentimental reasons, but for realizing that Ian was in a hole that prevented him from displaying happiness. That's what I thought, at least.

In fact, the reasons for disappearing for four years must not have been good.

When the moment of ecstasy passed, I remembered his phrase. Of every detail of it.

Busy life. Important people.

—   So you saw... the posters. —   I sighed, fiddling with the seam of my nightgown.

Nightgown! Holy shit! I was in my donut sweater!

The day couldn't get any worse.

— The posters, the interviews, some parades that went on TV. You really became the Prom Queen. I was surprised. I've always been ironic about it.

That subject made me uncomfortable. Ian was a piece of my past, someone who reminded me of the time when my dreams were still standing. My stomach wrapped up just poking at the subject.

—   I thought I wanted to be a biologist. You've made a very big leap. What happened?

I don't know how he knew that, but it was true. And I hated that damn truth.

—   Life happened to me too. — I handed over the bag of peas. —   In a crazy, unexpected and boring way.

The way Ian looked at me, a mixture of care, nostalgia and calmness, made me shrink.

Maybe he was judging my shirt.

—   Better to leave the ice longer.

—   I have to go. I've been nosy enough for today.

I got up from the couch carefully.

He tried to stop for a second, moving his arm towards me, but he dropped it.

—   Thanks for the conversation. It was good to see you.

I took the first step to see if my foot could hold up.

Worked.

—   That's whole! —   I agreed. —   Not thanks to you, asshole.

Smile.

He kept his eyebrows curved and his lips clenched as I took short steps. When he saw me grimace, he stood up quickly.

—   It's best not to push too hard. Come, I help you.

Despite my assertion about being fine, the brunette made sure I didn't make too much effort.

We reached the door after the thermal sensation of my skin in contact with yours had overtaken the sun.

—   One last question, Ian Babaca Caccini.

Another smile. A weaker but still beautiful one.

—  Are you now my neighbor?— 

He nodded.

—   Great. —   I walked away a little more, ready to cross the hallway. —   I'll come to demand your other apology later...

I didn't wait for an answer, I just walked out of there with a tight heart and a smile on my face.

I was glad to hear that Ian was okay. But I was sad to realize that a lot of it wasn't.

I wish I hadn't become the Prom Queen and that I had been a friend to him.

Maybe he needed to. Maybe it was too late.