I'm Ready

Chapter 6

    The very next day she woke up early, even though it was a holiday. When she went into the shower he had ironed and hung the dress in the bathroom. She smiled. It was a beautiful black dress. She wore it happily and started doing her makeup. He was getting ready near his dresser. He wore a basic formal black suit and tie. She put up her hair in a pony tail. He looked at her.
    "Hey, I have something for you." He said. Her stomach churned. For her?.
    He removed a gift bag. "Come here." He gestured his head in a nod.
    She slowly went towards him. He removed the item from the bag. It was a necklace. A silver necklace with a beautiful black diamond. An oval pendant.
    She kept her hand on her mouth to stop the gasp. She looked at the pendant for a moment and then the one who was holding it.
    "Why?" Her favourite question from the first day.
    "A Gift" he shrugged.
    "I should be the one giving you a gift, it was your birthday." She said, realizing how she forgot about gifting him because of their awkwardness.
    "Wear it, it suits the dress." He gave it in her hand, ignoring what she said. His usual way to say, don't bother about me. She put it on her neck. He immediately put the lock on behind. His hands touching her nape gave her chills down the spine.
    "Beautiful" she traced her hand on it while looking in the mirror.
    "I agree" Felix smiled who was standing behind.
    "Thank you Felix" she said still looking at him through the mirror.
    "Okay, we'll be late."
    They left.
    They reached a restaurant on time that was 20 minutes drive from their place.
    The restaurant looked like it was a white historical monument from outside. Only super rich people were seen around. They entered inside and the hotel was huge. The ground floor was vast and each table was placed at least at 3-4 meter distance. Round small table, and marble chairs. On both the side of the ground floor area there were stairs that went up to a balcony area which also had tables. A beautiful music was playing. It was so subtle that it felt the music was playing in the minds. A soft breezy smell surrounded the place.
    Two well dressed men came to escort them to their seat after Felix informed them about the bookings.
    "This is too exotic!" Angelina couldn't keep it in.
    "I know" they moved towards a table which was on the right side near the side of those stairs.
    "Can I scream!" She said unable to contain her excitement.
    Felix looked at her. "I'd recommend you do that after we're done eating. It would make more sense."
    They sat on their chairs. "Have you ever seen a restaurant that has both, good food and good ambience?"
    She shook her head.
    "This! This is that place. It looks exotic five star and you might be expecting a decorated meal that's overpriced. But just you wait."
    She agreed because she was really thinking that the best part about it is just its beauty.
    He called the waiter. "Sir, can we have the chicken appetizers please?"
    "What? Just appetizers? No french pronunciation and hard to pronounce names?"
    "Good question. They only have one of everything. One chicken appetizer, one gravy, one dessert, one drink, one mutton appetizer and so on."
    "Wow! That leaves no choice for the people!"
    "That's the beauty of it, they don't have variety because then their main item, their own dish that is so very tasty would be kept aside."
    "I see."
    "Yeah, have you ever heard of Bresse Chicken?"
    "Omg that's so expensive, they sell that ?"
    "Nope, but people say their normal chicken tastes like Bresse Chicken".
    "Woah!"
    "Now the best part, the price!"
    "You mean it's not expensive?"
    "It's expensive, yes but not overpriced. Meaning every penny you spend on this food is worth it."
    "Wow, how is it not famous"
    "It's our secret place, the less people know the better, hence, my favourite restaurant!" He said.
    The waiter came with the food. It was a dish filled with chicken pieces with shiny sauce on it. The dish was beautiful and the chicken smelled tasty. They both had lunch and ordered drinks.
    "So, you liked the food ?"
    "You didn't see my face, I inhaled it."
    He laughed. "I'm glad!"
    "Can I ask you something?" She said. He nodded listening to her carefully.
    "I know, you're trying to help me go through a breakup and you're sponsoring me, but can you please tell me what's making you go to these lengths? This question will forever bug me even when I leave your house." She finally asked this question.
    "Let's say, you are going somewhere and you see a cake on the footpath just lying around. You just know that, the cake is poisonous. You just know, maybe because you've seen that cake before or someone has told you that particular cake is usually poisonous. Now you cross the road and from there, you see a hungry person, a beggar or someone who hasn't eaten anything for days. He sees that cake and is going to eat it. You know if he'll eat that cake, he'll die or at least he'll be poisoned. Even though you don't know him, would you let him eat that cake?" He stopped with that question.
    She realised his perspective of her. "No" she said. She understood what he meant but Felix went on to explain her further.
    "When I saw you in the bar that night, I knew how dark the world was inside it, that you were going to do in your senses and then under the influence of alcohol. If I had left that day, minding my business, i would have come home and would not be able to sleep in the comfort of my penthouse, knowing that there's a girl out there that could have been saved from her irrational decisions if only I had stopped her. Knowing that the girl who could have normal life ahead, will no longer have it because nobody told her the dangers of her decision.
Angelina, physical help is something anyone can afford to do, people help physically and then move on with their lives leaving them with their disrupted mental health. I let you go the first time when I thought you had a home to go to. I hoped your parents or your friends would see your condition and help you. But the second time I saw you panicking on the street, my humanity screamed at me to take you home again and do everything in my ability to help you get back to your normal self."
    Angelina's eyes teared up but she resisted from crying. The gratitude she was feeling towards the angel sitting in front of him was unexplainable so she just sat there speechless. But she still managed to say "thank you". Her voice cracked from the contemplation of her life before this one.
    Suddenly she realised that she's still just a stranger that he's helping out of humanity. And not the girl living in her house that he wanted to care for out of love. She was stupid to even think that in the slightest. But she knew this was the best time to confirm her feelings. Or subtly confess.
    "So am I just a stranger to you, still?" She asked and he looked down.
    "I'm sorry if I ever did something to make you think otherwise. What happened on my birthday is something that I don't understand too. Maybe it's because we're opposite genders and bound to be attracted in some sort of way. But I don't... I ... I don't feel anything else. I'm sorry."
    There it was. Rejection in its purest form. Polite yet shattering.
    "So you love someone else?" She asked.
    "Andrea" she was confused to hear her name knowing that she was his ex.
    "A year ago right after my birthday, we broke up. I was late. Andrea was my high school girlfriend and we were together ever since. She wanted to marry me last year, but I wasn't stable with my money and wasn't quite ready to get married. So she left me. She was done waiting for me to create the life we both have been dreaming about. After two months, i heard she was getting married to a guy who was obviously, rich. It broke my heart that I lost my love because of my lack of money and success. So I started working day and night to increase my business. My mental health was going poor, thinking about her so I started therapy, from Miss Cassandra. It was working until I realised, slowly, I would move on from her and forget about her so I stopped the therapy. I didn't want to move on. She was the only girl, that I had ever loved and wanted to keep loving her as long as i was alive. The business luckily started to grow and slowly I started investing in the possessions that I had always dreamed about. I had enough money to start a new business and open my own company. And to my surprise the company boomed in just a few months and the money started to come like crazy. So then I bought the penthouse that I had rented and i was still not short on money. I gave it a touch up to my liking. And everything was exactly how I dreamed. How we both dreamed. But she wasn't there and even when I had everything, I felt like a loser.
Now, I just don't think I'll ever be prepared for another relationship with anyone."
    His story was making her fall in love with him even more. She was rejected but still couldn't bring herself to stop loving him. Andrea had scarred him for life and he still was loyal to her. He sounded like he didn't deserve Andrea but in reality, Andrea didn't deserve him. She held his hand to comfort him. "I'm sorry!"
    "You're doing really great Felix, you're not a loser, you have a really big heart and precious humanity. Your success is the biggest proof that your intentions were pure. I hope she was with you to see how successful you are. Would you accept her, if she came back?" She asked. It was a genuine question. She knew he would say yes. But still she was curious. Right now, she wanted everything for him that could make him happy and she didn't mind praying for Andrea to come back, even if it meant losing him.
    "In a heartbeat!" It hurt to hear that but she still smiled.
    "She's very lucky."
    "I'm sorry." He said. She knew why he said that again.
    "Nevermind" she smiled. "Well, miss Cassandra helped me to move on from Caleb and I don't think I'll ever give him any chance again. Well in my case, he cheated. Left me questioning my worth and drove me crazy enough that I thought I was made for merely sleeping with people." She said feeling grateful again.
    "I'm glad."
    They had finished the drinks.
    "Well let's go, there's a really great amusement park nearby. We'll then come back to have dinner here." He said.
    She was just happy that she was getting to spend time with him. Love or no love, these would be the best two months of her life. That she would remember forever.
    The amusement park was also amazingly full of life and colour. They sat on the ferris wheel, dashing car, merry go round for adults and other fast rides. They ate and clicked pictures. She was living a moment where zero negative thoughts were in her mind and she had never experienced this peace in a while. Felix was also having a good time after a really long time. They bought souvenirs and teddy prizes. He put it in the trunk of his car. It was now time for dinner and as planned, they went back to the restaurant and ate until their stomachs were full. They maintained a healthy distance between them throughout the evening.
    After dinner they arrived home. Felix went inside the bathroom and Angelina wanted to give a news to him that he would find it really amazing. She had found a house to rent and she would start moving tomorrow. Felix had offered her to find a house for her, but she didn't want to depend so much on him, so every time she would go out for a walk in the evening she would talk to different people to rent a house. And she had finally found one. She wanted to tell him but they had stopped talking after that night. She was happy that she would finally start living on her own. Meanwhile she explored the penthouse, reminiscing every corner. When she came across his dresser, she finally decided to open that album.
    It was a hand crafted photo album. 'Our Sweet Life' was written with a marker pen on the cover.
    She opened the first page, still feeling illegal. It was a picture of Felix and Andrea probably during high school. As she turned the rest of the page, there were pictures of them which were both cute and beautiful. Andrea was way more beautiful than she had imagined. Obviously, Angelina was a no match, she thought to herself. She looked like a real life princess, rapunzel for example. Big green eyes, and a cute face. Her was a mix of blonde and brown. During her high school, in some pictures, she had dyed her hair red, which also suited her.
    While she got to the last page of the album, they were wearing a matching outfit and celebrating Andrea's birthday. And then the rest of the pages were blank. After a few blank pages there was a page which had 'Our wedding pictures" as a title written but there were no pictures. She felt instantly bad, for how they both thought they would marry each other. It looked like Andrea had made this album for Felix as a gift.
    She traced her hand on her picture, hoping to get a drop of her luck.
    "I gifted this to her on her birthday". Felix said from behind. Wiping his head with a towel. Angelina was startled. She was going to keep the album back before he came out but she got lost in their 'sweet life'.
    Felix made this? He was the one hoping to have their wedding pictures attached. He really loved her.
    "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I was just curious what she looked like." She explained.
    "I know."
    "She's beautiful! She said closing the album and keeping it back in the drawer."
    "Yes, she's beautiful." He half smiled. "But now she's gone, I've already lost her."
    She lost you, Angelina wanted to say. But she didn't say anything. She had tried hard to not fall in love with him but she failed. She couldn't understand how anyone could let this man go. It was hurting her to leave this penthouse even though she was just a stranger to him. But anyways it was good news to both of them.
    "Btw, I'm moving tomorrow!" She finally said. Felix looked at her confused.
    "Where?" He asked.
    "It's nearby. I found a house to rent. It's good. Big enough for a single person and the rent is pretty decent. Paperwork is done and I'll get the key tomorrow."
    "Wow! I thought you would move next month."
    " I mean my first salary is enough to pay the rent of the first month and then I'll manage the finance from the second month and so on. I calculated and I'm saving enough money for my daily use if I won't overspend."
    "Well, I'm glad. But I had some rooms in my mind, i would have discounted it or something."
    "Don't worry Felix, you've been doing literally everything for me and sooner or later, I'll have to be on my own. It's better, before I get used to being dependent on you and then regret."
    "Right!" He said quietly. "But let me help you move, at least" he said. At least, he says as if he isn't doing the most already.
    "Yeah, at least" she mocked. He shrugged.
    "So, tell me your address, I'll pick you for work from there."
    "Don't worry it's a 5 minute walk away."
    "Sure?" He asked, doubting her.
    "Yeah, really!"
    "Fine!"
    "Then go to sleep, tomorrow's big day." He cheered.
Angelina looked at their pictures instead. And kept practicing to accept the rejection, she faced today. She cried with her mouth closed. Her shot at second love was lame and she realised, she would now never have a relationship with anyone. But the bad thought about being made for sex didn't even cross her mind. No matter how much she tried to not mistake kindness for love, she was now forever stuck in Felix's love. His kindness and humanity had healed her and made place for himself in his heart where he would never live and she had to live with that empty space in her heart.