Be With Me

Chapter 63

In the car there was not much to say for both, and they didn't know exactly how to pull out a conversation. None of them were sure of what they could talk about, especially James who had his head spinning from having her there with him, just like the old times. Rafaela watched the streets, almost emptied trying to distract herself, and then she felt her stomach flipping and then roaring, the sound was so loud that it echoed loud in the car, making James giggle. That incident was enough to break the ice. He turned his head at her when he stopped on a red light and she shrugged.

"I guess I am hungry." She said.

"What did you have for dinner?"

"We went to a Greek, but that was already some hours ago, it's almost two am."

"That one near the Hilton?" He asked remembering she loved to go there.

"Yes." Rafaela replied excited he remembered. "That's the one."

Not wanting to let her go yet, James came up with an idea. "How about if we go for a hotdog before I drop you home?" He suggested. He could stay a while longer with her. He wanted stay longer with her. He missed her so much.

"I don't know..." She said reluctantly.

Tony's and Lars' words echoed on his mind, as them saying he knew how to please her and what she liked. "We can go for those near the bridge." He insisted knowing it was her favorite, and they had been there many times at night, sometimes with Liam sleeping on the backseat.

"Those are amazing." She smiled remembering it.

"Can we go there?" He insisted. "I am also hungry."

"Ok." Rafaela accepted his offer. She didn't want to let go just yet too.

As he began to drive again, she eyed him by the corner of her eye. It was ok not to let him go right away. She was enjoying his company, she even found out that she wanted his company more than any other. She missed him most of all. He was the one she missed the entire time in therapy. Silence came back but she still eyed him now and then, she remembered how she'd always rested a hand on his leg while he was driving and fought hard the willingness of doing so and at the same time the feeling that was refraining her from doing so. She didn't have the right to touch him. She shook her head to make it back on track.

James parked the car and they walked up to the rollout, where James asked and paid for two hotdogs. Then they sat on a wooden bench near the car.

"Hum..." She said when she took the first bite. "I missed these." James saw the smile on her lips and was satisfied he had been the one to do put it on her face.

"And you didn't want to come." He teased her.

"It's a bit late for me." She admitted, letting him know little details.

"You can't stay out late?" He asked fearing he was stepping on her rules.

"Not really. I mean... my doctor says I can go on and have a normal life now, but it's weird for me. I had schedules in the hospital. We used to go to bed really early, so I still feel like I have to go according to these schedules still." She explained. If she was remembering correctly, it was the first time ever she was sharing details of her therapy with someone.

James looked down at her wrist while she was talking, and he saw the mark there. His eyes flooded with tears and he turned his face away fast so she wouldn't notice the tears in his eyes. Knowing and seeing what she did to herself hurt him. He could have lost her right there. Thanks to Kelly, she was able to be having that hotdog with him. Still, Rafaela noticed his sudden move.