Time will Tell

17

Deena's P.O.V.

It's been a while since Kristine left my office.

When I congratulated her and Travis, I know she was stunned. My head was down, flipping papers but I could feel her staring at me and she was probably waiting for me to lift my head up but I didn't. 

When I went to see Mr. Riva this morning, it was the first thing he said to me.

He said that Travis went to see him last night and told him about Kristine, that they were officially dating. The old man was so happy delivering the news to me, telling me how great Kristine was for his nephew.

If he only knew, my heart was shattered into a million pieces inside my chest since yesterday and the 2-weeks leave I had asked him was because of that.

I need to get away. 

I'm not gonna be able to function whenever I see them both together in the office.

I need to pick up my pieces and prepare myself. I know 2 weeks was nothing if I was planning to move on, but those 2 weeks will help me a lot to at least start.

When Kristine showed up this morning, I was shocked. I did not expect her to be waiting for me in front of Mr. Riva's office early in the morning and was so ready to confront me.

Though, I should've seen it.

I turned off my phone the whole day yesterday and until this morning. And she must be worried and maybe a bit angry, as I was completely unreachable.

And I know for a fact that she wanted to yell at me but was thrown off when she learned that I filed for a leave.

She was confused and hurt, but I needed this more than ever.

I started calling my team one by one, endorsing and delegating my work, and informed them that I'd be unreachable for the next 2 weeks.

There were questions raised about that because I don't normally file this kind of leave. Maybe, before,  like, 1 to 3 days of leave, and that's the maximum.

It was almost lunch when I finished.

I gathered my stuff and was ready to leave the building when Thea entered my office.

"Did I hear it right? You'll be unreachable for 2 weeks? How's that possible?" I chuckled at Thea's confused face.

"Why it won't be possible, Thea? I'll leave the city, turn off my phone, leave out of social media, and won't bring a laptop with me."

"Where are you going?" She asked, still with a confused face.

"Away." I carried my bag and laptop and stepped out of my table.

"Is this because..."

"Yes." I cut her off. "I need this, Althea. And please, no word to Tine?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course, of course. So, I guess, I'll see you in 2 weeks, then." She hugged me and left my office.

I opened my door to go but stopped as my eyes landed on Tine's door. 

I'm sure Travis was there as his new office will be done only by next week.

I was hesitating if I should go and bid my goodbye or just leave it alone. 

After the talk I had with her this morning, I know it will be awkward for both of us.

But I guess, it would be the right thing to still say goodbye, we're friends for god sake.

I knocked on her door and waited for her to answer it before I pushed it open.

I was right, Travis was there. He is sitting in front of Tine's table, both of them are working.

She was wearing the cat eyeglasses she always wore whenever she read a document off her computer. She threw me just one look and went back to reading.

She looks so hot with those glasses.

"Hey, I was planning to see you this morning but you were so busy with your team. I just want to say, have a safe trip, wherever you're going, and have fun." Travis stood up and offered his hand for me to shake.

"Thank you." I smiled at him and accepted it. "Umm, can I have a minute with Tine?"

"Yes, of course. I'm in need of coffee, anyway." He smiled at me and nodded his head to Tine.

Awkward! Awkward! Awkward!

I guess I was standing here for about a minute before I heard Tine speak.

"Are you just gonna stand there or what?" She said without even looking at me.

I cleared my throat before answering her.

"I just umm, I just, I came here to say goodbye." Stutter much?

"Okay." She said, still not throwing me a single look.

That one word seemed to stab me in the chest.

"Okay." It was almost a whisper but I'm sure she heard it.

I turned my back and walked toward the door. What was I expecting from her?

This hurt her, I know. I was leaving and not giving her the answer as to why, of course, she'd act this way.

"Just... Can you just be careful, Deena? You're stupid sometimes. You go to a place and you don't bring the right stuff. If you would tell me where you're going, I could've listed everything that you should be bringing. I hope you're not staying at an Airbnb house, you know how much I don't trust those, you could be set up there to be burglarized or raped or they just kill you. So just, be careful, can you at least do that for me, Dee?"

I turned to face her again, a smile involuntarily painted on my face.

"When did I ever become stupid?" I chuckled.

"You are, sometimes. You're too kind to everybody even if you don't know the people and will be taken advantage of. You're clumsy. You will drop a glass or anything that has sharp edges and be stupid enough to take them and you'll end up having a cut on your hand. You don't have a sense of direction, you always get lost. You're forgetful..."

"Okay, okay, enough! Enough! I will be careful, okay? You don't have to worry about me." I said.

"Yeah, that doesn't put me at ease even a little."

We were staring at each other's eyes, oh, how much I love this woman.

I just hope I can do this and this, being away, would help me heal my broken heart.

With heavy footsteps, I continued walking toward the door.

My mind might have been occupied by the pain that was now creeping up my chest that I didn't hear Tine get up from her chair and run towards me, I just felt her hug me from behind.

"I will miss you, Dee." Her face was buried at the back of my neck, I could feel her hot breath.

Was that a sniffle I heard from her?

I didn't dare look at her as I knew if I see her crying, I might change my mind and not go through with my plan.

I held her hands that were on my chest and brought them to my lips.

"I will miss you too, Tine."

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