In The Arms Of An Angel (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 15

"Dahil naiiba ka..."

His words keep on repeating in her head since they had that midnight conversation at the mountain. Dei still could not process properly everything they have talked about.

"Ako pa talaga ang naiiba? Eh, ano pa kaya tawag sa kanya? Hindi tao? Ano sya, alien?! Ano 'to Koreanovela?!"  Dei couldn't help but frown with that thought.

It has been almost a week now since that very weird confession. She felt as if she is about to implode trying to contain her thoughts inside her when she is dying to talk to someone about her situation to help her make sense of it all.

She felt confused.

Because despite his peculiarity, she still is drawn towards Richard. That she has come to realize after that night. He is always on her mind no matter what time of day.

She was too distracted with thoughts of him to function properly at work and at home and almost everyone around her noticed it. Most especially Uno.

"Dei, are you alright?" Uno asked her that night while they are having dinner at her favorite restaurant across her condo building. He fetched her from her office earlier.

" Huh?  Sorry were you saying something?" She asked. She was busy daydreaming about Richard's hazel eyes staring straight at her while absentmindedly stabbing her steak with her dinner fork. Uno sighed.

"I asked if you are alright. Valerie told me earlier that you were almost late for your meeting with a client because you did not notice the time and that you can't seem to focus 100% on your work too for the past couple of days. You even forgot about our dinner tonight. It's a good thing that I decided to pick you up at your office instead of meeting you here or I might have waited for you the whole night... That is so not you, Dei. Do you have a problem? Maybe I can help you..." Uno said while looking at her with outmost concern.

"N-no, I'm fine. I'm sorry if I'm not good company tonight, Uno. I just have a lot on my mind lately like my new projects and the editing of the pictures from the Sports Weekend photoshoot last weekend which is due later this week. Maybe I'm just a bit stressed out." She answered, cringing a bit at the realization of how lame her excuse is.

"Okay...if you say so." Uno said, still looking unconvinced but has thankfully decided to drop the subject.

" By the way Dei, I don't have important appointments this weekend. Can I entice you to go out of town with me for a short vacation?" Uno asked out of the blue and Dei almost choked on the piece of meat she was chewing on. Uno immediately grabbed her goblet of water and assisted her in drinking.

"Why would you suddenly want to go on a vacation? At tayo lang dalawa talaga?! Kailan pa ako pumayag sa ganyang lakad?  Don't you have other friends you can invite?" She asked him after taking a few gulps of the water he offered to her.

Uno awkwardly touched the back of his head before looking at her again.

"Well, I just felt that I have not spent enough time with you lately because I have been so busy with meetings, conferences and other work obligations for the past two months. I really miss your company, Dei. You do know how I feel about you, right? I just want to make sure I make you feel it every chance I got. You have been acting weird since you came back from your photoshoot in the mountains last weekend and..." His voice trailed off when he looked at her.

Dei can't help but perk up at the mention of the trip. But she immediately tried to mask it by taking another sip of her water. But Uno seemed to have noticed it anyway.

"Did something happen during your mountain trip that you are not telling me, Dei? Did you meet someone?" Uno leaned closer to her at the table, jealousy dripping from his every word. Dei felt cornered but decided to act nonchalant.

"Ano ba yang pinagsasasabi mo? Meet someone? Si Valerie, the team and the female models lang ang kasama ko sa shoot, di ba? Sino naman makikilala ko sa bundok?" She answered, all the while feeling fake.

"Dei, sorry but I just can't shake this feeling that you have become distant and distracted since coming back from that photoshoot. Please tell me. May dapat ba akong malaman?"  Uno tried to hold her hand that is on top of the table after saying this but she pulled it away before he can touch it.

"For the record, I told you before that I don't see us in the near future going in that direction coz I only see you as a good friend, Uno. Never kitang pina-asa that we can be more than that at this point in time pero ikaw ang nagsabi na magbabakasakali ka pa rin. I still feel that way now so I hope you understand and respect that..." She answered firmly as she slid her chair back and stood up abruptly from their table, her food forgotten.

Uno immediately stood up as well, a look of alarm and remorse on his face as he moved closer and grabbed her right wrist to try to keep her from walking away.

"Dei, I'm sorry I didn't mean to sound like a jealous boyfriend. Please don't be angry with me." He was looking at her sadly.

Dei felt bad that she had to act this way with Uno. But she can't also bring herself to be completely honest with him about her feelings knowing the complexity of her situation so she did the only thing she can do that time...

"I'm sorry too, Uno. I have to go. Please don't follow me. I can manage to walk home on my own. Good night." Then she determinedly  walked out of the restaurant and trudged in the direction of her condo building.

She can't help feeling guilty about the way she ended the night with Uno but she knew she had to set him straight. She would not want to give him false hope that there is a chance for a romantic future for them. Especially now that Richard is already in the picture.

But what kind future will she have with Richard? He is not what one would consider normal if she start believing what he confessed to her. But Dei's inner self can't really be persuaded to not hope. She is still attracted to him.

Dei has just pushed open the door to her unit and stepped inside when she heard a soft voice she was longing to hear for the past days now.

"Dei..."