She was being stupid, she knew. Her father and Lacey told her so every night, when she checked in with them. They told her to just go talk to him, to walk up and say hi. Ask how he was doing. Then just jump him.
“Dad! I can't just 'jump him'!”
But they were right. She couldn't just watch him from afar, either. It was creepy and pointless. Not to mention the fact that she was living off of savings – she couldn't stay there indefinitely. She had to do something.
Mischa was scared, though. She'd left him. She'd made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. She hadn't returned any of his phone calls. It had been three months. What if he was over it? What if he didn't feel the same way? What if he had failed to leave any sort of forwarding info because he didn't want her to find him? What if he was with someone else!? She couldn't bear that thought, not even a little. Maybe he hadn't contacted her again for a reason. Maybe it was time to let him go.
Come find me …
Tal lived in an old building that had once been a great home, but had long since been converted into apartments. There were HUGE wooden double doors, easily twice her height, and they were locked – a panel with buzzers sat to their left. “T.C.” was clearly labeled, second row, sixth button down. She knew exactly where it was because she'd stared at it a lot.
When she'd left for Rome, Mischa had bought a round trip ticket. She'd given herself one month to find Tal. One month to see if all they'd been was an affair. Just a moment in time. Or if maybe, just maybe, fate had something more in store for them. She'd spent the first two weeks looking for him. Another week and a half stalking him. Mischa had three more days before she had to go home.
Three days till she had to leave him.
It was night time when she finally screwed up the courage. It started raining on her way to his place, so she stopped in a shop and grabbed an umbrella. She felt ridiculous, wearing shorts and a tank top in the pouring down rain, but Italy in late September was still warm to her, so she'd packed for the warmth.
She huddled and shivered outside his door, repeatedly pushing his button. It wasn't exactly how she'd pictured it happening, her beating down his door. She'd been hoping for something slightly more subtle. Romantic. But the rain was torrential, she had to get out of it.
No one answered.
She scowled and pressed the buzzer again, letting her finger stay on it for a solid minute. Still no answer. She didn't get it. From what she'd seen, he always came straight home after he got off shift. Always. In that week and a half, she'd never seen him do anything different.
Really? Tonight of all nights, he decides to stay out!?
As Misch turned and scurried down the stairs, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. People, walking down the sidewalk. She turned her head and realized it was Tal. She was so startled, she slipped down the last two steps, almost falling on her butt. By the time she caught her balance, she realized something else, too. He wasn't alone.
Misch ducked behind a thick telephone pole a little ways up from his door, peeking around it to spy on him. She felt ridiculous. Her umbrella was jutting out, rain sliding off of it like a sluice, but she held her ground. She couldn't tear her eyes away.
He was with a woman.
A short woman, with amazing hips and long, thick black hair. She was chattering away, Tal smiling and laughing at her side. He was carrying two huge cloth grocery bags, long baguettes sticking out the top of one.
Oh my god. He's on a date. I'm gonna puke. I waited too long. I'm gonna puke. I deserve this. I'm gonna puke. I cheated on Mike, I don't deserve to live happily ever after with Tal. I'm gonna puke.
Tal and the woman stopped walking and turned towards each other. She was smiling up at him, and he was smiling right back down. His gorgeous smile, all his perfect teeth showing. Not even a hint of sly.
I can't watch this.
Tal deserved happiness, she didn't begrudge him that; she loved him. More than anything, she wanted him to be happy – even if that meant he wasn't with her. But that didn't mean she could stand by and watch it happen with someone else. She turned away, not wanting to see them kiss. She wiped at her face, took a deep breath. Took several more. Then she started walking the other way down the sidewalk.
“Mischa!?”
I can't do anything right.
She turned around, planting a big smile on her face. Tal had moved so he was standing in front of his own door. Mischa was a door down from him. The Italian woman was nowhere to be seen.
“Hi. How are you?” she called in a lame voice.
“Is it really you!?” he sounded incredulous
“Yeah. I just wanted to … to say hi,” she babbled, feeling stupid. Beyond stupid.
“'Hi'!?”
“Well, yeah. I was here … and you were here … so I -,”
He moved so fast, she barely realized he had started walking before he was right in front of her. Just like their first time together, he swept her off her feet. Wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, knocking the umbrella out of her hands. They were soaked in an instant.
“God, I missed you so much,” he was whispering in her ear. She hugged him back, as tight as she could.
“I've missed you, too. Since the moment I left,” she replied.
“Then why'd you leave!?”
“So I could find myself,” she whispered back.
He finally put her back on her feet and he stepped away, but only a little. His head was tilted so he was looking straight down at her, water running over his eyebrows and down his face.