In The Arms Of An Angel (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 74

"So basted na agad ako?"

RJ felt that sudden sick feeling at the pit of his stomach. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to come to terms with the rejection, but when he opened them again and looked at her face he saw the glint of amusement lurking on her eyes. He felt a sudden surge of hope.

"You got me there, Dei! Grabe ka sa'kin!" He blurted which made her laugh out loud in glee. Her laughter is like music to his ears.

"Ikaw naman kasi sobrang seryoso! Haha! May taxi ba o grab car na nag-aabang at nagmamadali ka? Ang advance mag-isip!" She answered with a smile.

"Dei, ang sa akin lang naman ayokong isipin mo na pinaglalaruan lang kita or nagtetake advantage ako dahil sa confession mo. I really like you. Seryoso ako dun." He explained seriously.

"RJ, don't worry. I can feel your sincerity and I know you are a good man. Chill ka lang!" She told him with a grin. He just continued to look at her trying to read what's really on her mind.

"Oy! Anong tingin yan? Binabasa mo laman ng utak ko, noh?! Di ka naniniwala sa sinabi ko. Paano tayo magkakasundo nyan?" She asked with raised eyebrows and arms crossed in front of her. He sighed.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just not used to women being straightforward and candid about how they feel. Most of those I know would say one thing but mean the opposite. Pero ikaw sobrang totoo mo." He commented. He saw the sudden change in her expression.

"Hala! Nakakaturn off ba pagiging candid ko? Dapat ba medyo pamysterious ng konti? Sorry..." She answered with worry in her brown eyes that it was his turn to cut her words. 

""No! That's not what I meant. Dei, listen. Never change just to please or be accepted by others. I would not want that for you. Truth is, your candidness is like a breath of fresh air for me. Ayoko kasi sa mga plastic at paasa na tao." He explained.

"Ang lalim naman yata ng hugot mo sa statement na yun? Ganun ba nangyari sa inyo ni Anne? Ohh! Wait! No, don't answer that! Sorry, medyo kulang lang talaga sa break fluid minsan ang bibig ko!" She hastily said. He laughed while shaking his head.

"Dei, let's just say that what Anne and I had in the past was not strong enough because its was not founded on mutual  respect and trust. Anyway, tapos na yun at wala ng part two so..." He answered while looking slyly at her. He can see her blush even in the dim light.

"Nang aano ka eh, noh?! Inaano ka ba?" She answered in a child-like voice while tucking her hair behind her ear. It made him burst into a guffaw.

He has never enjoyed the company of a woman like he is enjoying his time with Dei right now. He was staring at her, still chuckling lightly, when he had a sudden vision of a time when he was also laughing heartily with Dei in another place. That abruptly made him stop laughing. Dei immediately noticed it.

"Richard, may problema ba?" She asked him in a voice laced with concern. He rubbed his forehead while trying to analyze the details of what he saw.

"N-no! I mean I'm okay. I just keep having these visions or I don't know...images since waking up from coma. They come more often recently especially after we met..." He admitted.

"What kind of visions?" She asked back with a frown.

"I already told you before that I keep dreaming about us together in the mountain. They just come more often now and just a moment ago kahit gising ako bigla na lang siya dumadating sa akin. In Psychology, there are many ways to interpret these images I keep seeing. But when you told me that you have them as well...that puts it in a different perspective for me. It becomes more complicated for me because there is really no concrete scientific explanation that I can think of sa pinagtapat mo sa akin unless..." He started.

"...unless they really happened and they are indeed memories. Pero sa panaginip ko din sya nangyari...so paano?" She asked back.

"This is not really what I would normally recommend my patients for this kind of situation but I'm really curious...what if we go together to that place that we dream about and investigate? I mean it's okay if you would not want to, I understand..." He blabbered on. He was surprised himself with his own suggestion and the look on her face made him want to take it back but then...

"Okay."

"H-huh?" He asked distractedly.

"I said okay. We can do that. I just need to  check my schedule with Val kung kailan wala akong gaanong work..." She answered casually.

"Are you sure? I mean...you trust me that much?" He asked feeling happy.

"S-Should I not trust you?" She asked back.

"Of course you can trust me! Sorry. Like I said, di lang ako sanay sa babaeng straight sumagot at walang paligoy ligoy. But I really appreciate that about you and I'm so flattered."  He said with a grin, his eyes almost turning to slits because of his giddiness. She blushed again.

"Kain na nga tayo! Masyado ka na masaya!" She retorted with a shy smile that made him chuckle again.

They spent the rest of the dinner talking and getting to know each other until it was almost midnight. RJ accompanied her back to her hotel room. They stood facing each other in front of her door.

"Thank you sa padinner by the sea, RJ. Nag-enjoy ako." She looked up at him with a smile.

"You're always welcome, Dei. Always. Thank you for tonight. I had the best dinner ever." He answered truthfully.

"Good night, RJ."

"Good night, Dei."

And he quickly kissed her on the cheek.