#bella|interaction.

"it was a great idea upgrading to the deluxe room, if i do say so myself." granted, since it's bella that's forking out the cash for it (or her parents), she doesn't anticipate it being something ari would complain about. "this bed is huuuge."

"so, idea. i just tell my parents i think i need my own place for this last year so i can really focus and then you just live with me for free?"

“that’s literally illegal… you’re describing something illegal.”

"i've decided to forgo mcdonalds for our date," bella announces in lieu of a greeting, "—i wanted to dress a little nicer than that and i didn't want to look weird ordering a nuggets in a full face of makeup and it not being at three in the morning half drunk. however, that does mean no drive-thru so we're venturing a little out of town. i figured it might be safer that way." because while she isn't super paranoid about ari's parents discovering the fact they're still friends, she figures it better to make some effort in avoiding that happening.

"surely you have a picture of loverboy by now — let me see." lounging over her couch facing ari, bella's hand reach out and her fingers wiggle in an attempt to get her friend's phone. "if i can't meet him since he's so busy, you can at least show me what he looks like."

“you don’t have to put your shirt on.” especially since bella saw all that she needed to see the night before. her eyes are a little unfocused but settle on his face when he tries to get her attention, leaning a little more into his touch even though her still drunken haze knows that she shouldn’t. “it’s… no big deal, right? it was just some fun. besides,” she pauses, shoulders tensing slightly, “he didn’t come home last night.” her mind turns over the possibilities of where her boyfriend ended up but she isn’t sure that she wants to know. doesn’t think she can feel jealous about it when she also ended up in bed with his roommate. “i uh… don’t think we did.” she sounds sheepish, at the very least, “but i’m on birth control so… that’s something, right? you’re clean, yeah?” she probably should’ve confirmed that before they slept together but thinking clearly isn’t something bella had been doing the night before. she isn’t even really thinking clearly now. “it’s fine, right? you’re not going to freak out on me, are you? we can just pretend this didn’t happen.”

"do you want me to make the others leave? or we could go, get some fresh air."

"thanks for bringing me home." another night of clinging to coen's arm, laughing at the things he says, kissing him. it's all supposed to be for show and yet somehow it doesn't feel that way to bella anymore. her fake boyfriend has felt more like a real boyfriend than her last one ever did. doesn't even want him back anymore. she also doesn't know what comes over her; before she can think any better of it her eyes are flickering down to his lips. she thinks about how many times she's kissed him that night and it's not felt like enough. she wants to do it again. so she does, leans in quickly to graze their lips together.