Love's Requiem

“I’m not avoiding you, I’ve just been trying to get to everyone I haven’t seen in a while.”

“So that’s why you’ve been with Frankie and Jesse most of the time, or Niko. So which one are you with now?”

“You’re seriously not doing this.” I told him shaking my head in disbelief. “One, they all are my friends-“

“Which is why you’re going to Russia with Niko right?” He cut me off.

“Why does what I do in my time bother you?”

“Why does Lisa being here bother you? It’s not like it should matter seeing as you and I are over.”

“You really think I care that you might be with someone else? I care that, despite how many times I’ve tried to get to you to tell you I’m sorry, and to tell you how much I love you. And every time you throw it back in my face. I always bit my tongue when it was some one-night stand, but now you come to my home and bring the very disease that destroyed us and think nothing of it shows how you really don’t care how I feel about anything. Not even in a friendship manner, now if you’d excuse me I have to use the bathroom.” I told him, as I walked passed him, in to the bathroom locking the door and trying not to cry.

I sat on the edge of the bathtub holding my head in my hands, not wanting to go back out there and face him. Maybe if I were lucky, no one would really notice I’d gone MIA. A few minutes later I heard clanking on the metal stairs that indicated everyone was heading to the roof.

“For the record I know you’re in there.” I heard Frankie’s voice come through the door. “You really want to welcome the New Year by yourself in the bathroom?”

“My toilette is pretty,” I mumbled walking out of the bathroom.

“I’m sure B,” He chuckled as he put an arm around my shoulders as we went up to the roof.

Jesse and Niko were already pouring the champagne in to the cups for everyone, while Jack was staring at his phone keeping track of the time.

“Five minutes!” Jack announced, as I walked over to Jesse and Niko with Frankie.

Alex seemed occupied making out with Lisa on the side; I guess everything I told him once
again meant nothing.

I helped finish pouring, while Jesse and Frankie began putting some of the bottle rockets in to the empty bottles getting them ready to light them off.

“Where’d you go?” Niko asked me in Croatian as I hugged him to stay warm.

“2 minutes!” Jack shouted.

“Needed a tiny break from all the noise.” I told him, as he held me closer to him.

“Did he say something to you?”

“Don’t worry about it.” I assured him.

“You look hurt I do worry about it.”

“Niko.” I mumbled as I hid my face from the cold breeze in to him.

“30 seconds!” Jack shouted.

“B, you ready?” Frankie asked me.

“You guys do the first ones, I’m too cold.” I mumbled making the three of them laugh.

“10!” Everyone began counting down.

“9”

“8”

“7”

“6”

“5”

“Isabella?” Niko said as he lifted his chin off my head.

“What’s up?” I asked raising my head.

I heard everyone shout 2, and then Niko lowered his face to mine giving me a soft kiss that made my knees go weak.

“Happy New Year!” Everyone shouted.

“Sretna nova godina,” Niko told me, giving me another kiss.

“Sretna nova godina Niko.” I told him back; as I heard the bottle rockets get shot off in to the sky.

The champagne was passed out; everyone hugged and wished each other happy new year. And by 2 am, everyone began leaving. Niko and I didn’t talk about the kiss on the roof, I wanted to but I knew I’d have to wait till it was just him and I.

“Night Bella, sick ass party as usual.” Zack said, as he got comfortable on the pull out couch
in my living room.

“Thanks, sweet dreams.” I smirked, as I kicked the air mattress that Jack was laying on. “slatki snovi prevarant.” I told Jack, who I’m pretty sure was drunk beyond belief.

“Gypsy speak!” Jack exclaimed, making me laugh.

“Good night Jack.” I laughed, as I he nodded his head and then passed out.

I shut off the light, and headed for my room where Niko was already probably asleep. I walked in, only to find him watching TV waiting for me.

“Have fun?” I asked him, switching back in to speaking Croatian like I normally did once it was just he and I.

“Of course, did you?” He asked me, while I changed in to my pajamas.

“For the most part.” I told him pulling Jesse’s old Shai Hulud shirt over my head and lying
across the bed.

“Want to talk about it?” He asked me as I rolled on my back as I felt him start tracing the tattoos on my left arm with his finger.

“He’s a dick, plain and simple.” I said closing my eyes.

“Let’s get some sleep.” He told me as I moved next to him and cuddled with him under the covers falling asleep almost immediately.