In The Arms Of An Angel (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 9

"His name is Richard..."

Dei can't believe that the person who has constantly invaded her consciousness since he saved her at the ledge is really here in front of her. And now she also already has a name to associate with the face. He is not just a figment of her imagination. He is real.

Dei has always believed herself to be a level-headed and practical woman. She would always go with facts and would think multiple times before she makes any major decisions in all aspects of her life.  She has never been one to act based solely on instinct or her emotions.

But the moment she met this enigmatically handsome stranger, the part of her brain intended for processing logical thoughts seemed to completely malfunction or simply melted away.

She realized that she should be quite wary of strangers who appear out of nowhere, most especially one whom she met in the middle of a forest. But right at this very moment she was somewhat surprised to discover that she is not in the least bit concerned nor bothered.

Instead of alarm bells ringing in her head warning her of possible danger in having this sort of clandestine meeting with a complete stranger in the middle of nowhere, Dei's heart was actually beating fast due to excitement and something akin to happiness. She knew he is different. She instinctively knew she could trust him completely.

And he was here because of her.

He said so himself.

Dei felt overwhelmed by the emotions evoked in her by the implications of his words. Both just stood there staring at each other, completely oblivious to their surroundings. Both lost in their own little world.

"Hindi ko alam kung anong meron ka or bakit ganito ang nararamdaman ko even when I first saw you. I just don't understand... My mind's screaming at me that I should be scared of you and this situation that we are in but my heart tells me I can actually trust you even with my life. Who are you really, Richard?" Dei asked the mysterious stranger before her.

She was never a believer of magic, supernatural or anything out of the ordinary that could not be easily explained by science or logic. She is a realist through and through. But she admits that the way she is behaving now in the company of this enigmatic man is something out of character. She almost do not recognize herself.

She has a lot of questions inside her head but for the first time in her life she is almost afraid to voice them out. It's as if deep inside she already knew the answers are far from what she is ready to hear or accept.

Richard reached out and held her arm carefully as if handling delicate porcelain and led her to sit again by the bank of the stream.

After guiding her down, he knelt on one knee in front of her and spoke to her in a very mellow but manly voice.

"Dei, hindi ko rin alam kung bakit o paano nangyari and lahat ng ito. Marami rin akong katanungan kagaya mo. Hindi pangkaraniwan ang paraan ng ating pagtatagpo." Richard let out a deep breath before he spoke again.

"Hindi ito parte ng aking misyon at maaaring may kalakip na kaparusahan ang nagawa ko pero nangyari na ang lahat at hindi ko pinagsisisihan ang pagsagip ko sa iyo..." Dei was just listening intently the whole time but something in the tone of his voice made her feel uneasy.