Love's Requiem

"No, like I told you before it's not you who she doesn't like." He said shutting off the TV.

"Oh good cause I really like her." I sighed in relief.

"It's me she didn't like, we got a divorce."

"I hate her guts, want me to jump her I have my brass knuckles in my suitcase." I told him, making him chuckle.

"That's not necessary Isabella." He told me.

"Are you sure? Cause I'll totally do it."

"I'm sure."

"So what happened?"

"Cheated." He frowned.

"That's it!" I exclaimed , darting upstairs getting my brass knuckles and running back downstairs. "Let's go." I said hyped.

"Isabella," He frowned taking my knucks from me.

"Fine." I mumbled, sitting back down on the couch. "When did this all go down?" I asked.

"Late January."

"Is that why you stopped talking to me?"

"Partly."

"Why did you stop talking to me? I thought I did something wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong, it's just I didn't want to do anything stupid."

"Huh?" I said confused.

"Isabella I-" He started but didn't finish because he collided his lips with mine.

First I was kind of stunned and not really sure what to do, that lasted maybe five seconds until I tangled my fingers through his hair, and got on to his lap kissing back. I'm not really sure of the following chain of events until I was in the attic room with him. Was I about to do something that I could potentially regret in the future? Probably. Did I care? Not at all. The first time Niko handled me like I was made of glass and was so careful it confused me at first. However the second time immediately after, it was like he was trying to relearn my body, just like how I was with him. I woke up the next morning still in Niko's arms. By now I was expecting to feel guilt but I didn't. For the first time in two weeks I felt happy.

"You're going to break his heart again." Jesse told me that afternoon after I had walked Niko to his car.

"Jesse don't." I cut him off.

"I know what went on here last night I'm not an idiot. Fuck Bella, you smell like him." He told me as I sat on the couch with him.

"He wanted to."

"He's married!"

"Divorced actually." I mumbled.

"Say what?"

"She cheated on him, January they divorced."

"Well that kind of changes my whole lecture I had." He frowned.

"Him and I talked about it." I began, "We're not dating, we're not going to fall in love again. We're just going to have fun."

"Can you actually do that and not fall in love with him again? I mean Bella he was your first well pretty much everything."

"I know he was. But I love New York more than anything." I told him with a smile.

"I just hope you know what you're doing." He told me, as we headed out to go shopping.

I saw Niko almost every other day, and sometimes he'd spend the night as well as the few nights where Jesse stayed with Denis I'd spend the night at Niko's. A few days before my birthday Niko, Jesse and I drove down to Zadar for a few days, to visit Luka as well as my Dad's sister.

"Are we there yet?" Jesse whined in the back seat.

"Another hour." I told him while it was my turn to drive.

"You said that an hour ago."

"I didn't think we'd hit more traffic." I yawned.

When we finally arrived in Zadar we stopped first at Luka's where the three of us were going to be staying for the next few days.

"Finally back in Zadar in how long?" Luka laughed hugging me.

"Since I was 4."

"Almost twenty years." Jesse said in disbelief.

After we settled in, Luka and I went for a walk while Jesse and Niko napped.

"It looks so different." I said as we headed in to the city.

"Not by much." He laughed, "You believe they're still looking for land mines?"

"Yeah." I said shivering just at the thought of when I was little.

"It's not like that anymore." He told me as we headed down to the area where we used to live.

"It feels like forever." I whispered as we stopped in front of the two houses that him and I grew up in.

"Twenty years is a long time." He told me as stood there.

"Remember when you and I would hide in the shed over there?"

"And pretend it was our own house?" He laughed.

"We were very imaginative." I chuckled as I hugged him from the side.

"Your hair smells like Niko." He said shooting me a weird look.

"We've been hanging out a lot?"

"That's what you call it in america?" He joked, as I pulled out my camera and took a few pictures before we headed back.

"No in America we have a whole lot of ways to call it." I joked.

"So are you and him?"

"Together? No, just um I don't know what you would call us."

"Typical for you two." He laughed, "You want my opinion, I think you two are meant to be together."

"See that's where I have to disagree." I told him shaking my head.

"Like I said just my opinion."

That evening we showed Jesse around the city and took him to the sea organ which he was in awe at. And afterwards we all went back to Luka's where we made dinner.

"So this is where the little Bella was made." Jesse laughed as we watched the water from Luka's yard.

"This is where I reeked havoc pre bayside." I laughed.

"It's nice here." Jesse told me, as Niko and Luka came out with glasses and a bottle a liquor.