Chapter 31

Jealousy doesn’t sit well with Andrew. It made him want to kick the source that caused the seething churn at the pit of his stomach. Correction, it made him want to kick, punch, shove, drown, poison, iron on, break an arm, push off a cliff, cut into tiny pieces and fry in oil, the source of that annoying burn in his heart.

It has been almost two weeks since Angel first joined him for Astronomy lectures (he refused to use the word “them”, because that would include Daniel-the-current-bane-of-his-life-whom-he-very-much-wants- to-kick-punch-shove-etc-etc). And since that day, Daniel has been everywhere, clogging off his attempts at getting Angel to spend some quality time alone with him.

Even now, he felt extremely marginalized as he watched He-who-must-be-exterminated grab the full attention of his Angel with that oh-so-exciting story of how he bumped into Grace at a hospital.

Come on, what is so captivating about meeting in a chlorine-soaked place that Angel had to listen to it so intently? She was practically hanging on to his every word, what’s up with that?

And why was Angel always looking at Daniel like she’s captivated by an intriguing puzzle? Why didn’t she look at him like that?

He has had enough.

“Angel, I need to pass you something,” Andrew interrupted that infuriating conversation, “it’s in my locker, will you walk with me?”

“Erm… Sure,” Angel replied, slightly startled by the suppressed frustration in his voice. She grabbed her bag and said to Daniel, “We’ll talk another time okay?”

Daniel nodded with an amiable smile. Which Andrew found exceedingly aggravating.

He guided Angel away from the table with a gentle pressure on her shoulder, leaving the mess of plates and bowls for Daniel to take care of.

“You…… How long have you known Daniel?” he asked hesitantly. Now that he had her attention, he has no idea how to proceed. He very much wanted to confront her about why she’s all cozy with Daniel, but he wasn’t sure if he could go about this without coming off as a raving lunatic.

Who in hell was so utterly demented to have invented Jealousy?

Angel was surprised, but she answered evenly, “The first time I talked to him was at the Biodiversity Lab session, about two weeks ago. Why’d you ask?”

“I see,” Andrew said in a pseudo-passive tone, “no wonder you two seem to have a lot to talk about.”

“Yeah well, we mainly talk about Grace. And Emily. Obviously we can’t talk about you; you’re almost always there when I talk to him,” Angel chuckled.

Yeah, more like he’s almost always there when I want to talk to you. Andrew thought bitterly.

“I wasn’t paying much attention most of the time,” Andrew shrugged, “What’s so interesting? You always seem so…… attentive.”

More like enamored with his charm and wit. I have plenty of those, and I don’t see you this bewitched when talking with me.

They turned the corner and walked towards the lockers. The study tables there were unusually empty. It wasn’t surprising, because the lights there weren’t switched on to illuminate the hidden corridor.

Angel inclined her head to look at Andrew. Did she just imagine that repugnance when he said the word “attentive”?

“Erm… he is funny, sometimes even witty, when he talks about Grace,” Angel paused to wonder if there was an element of awe and fondness to the way Daniel recounted his bump-ins with Grace, for he does seem very enthused whenever he brought up the topic of Grace.

Which was suspiciously often. Angel amused within herself.

“I guess he is a decent guy, huh?” she asked mildly, “do you think he’s……”

Angel didn’t get to finish her sentence. She found herself jostled against the lockers and faced with a sullen Andrew. His palms rested on the cool metal, flanking either side of her shoulders, and his eyes held a stormy regard.

“Do you…” Andrew found it hard to verbalize his question through the thick obstruction in his throat, “Do you……like him?” he finished, with much difficulty.

Angel was stumped. Not because she didn’t know how to answer the question. She was speechless because of…… the overwhelming aura of a myriad of emotions that was just rolling off Andrew.

Apprehension. Anxiety. Fear. Anger. Resentment. Weariness.

Despair.

All because he thought she might like Daniel?

Does he…… like her?

But before she could delve into those eyes to search for her answer, he dropped his arms and backed off, hanging his head so low that his fringe obscured his eyes.

“I…… I got to go to the bathroom,” he said quietly, “see u at the library later.”

And Angel could only stare after the shadow of his retreating back, her heart pounding painfully against her chest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 30

When the impact never came, he propped himself up and warily opened his eyes. Relief filled him when he saw Emily alive and lying comfortably on her bed. Miraculously, he had managed to get her there in time amidst all that tumble. But he didn’t have time to congratulate himself for this impossible feat.

Belatedly, he realized he was now holding himself directly above the girl, who was, just a few moments ago, feeling him up. Her face was, literally, just an arm’s length away from his, so close, that he couldn’t look anywhere else but at her.

It was a peculiar feeling, having this girl underneath him, so utterly entrapped in his territory; so utterly……... his. Perhaps she too felt the vulnerability of her position, for the black of her eyes has almost fully eclipsed the lighter brown of her iris.

Her lips parted in a barely audible gasp, drawing his attention to their trembling fullness. When she licked her bottom lip, he gulped nervously, and flitted his eyes back to Emily’s.

But… she wasn’t looking into his eyes anymore! She was…. Is she?? Is she staring at his lips?! Gabriel could only stare back at her in hopeful astonishment.

Emily internally berated herself for that display of…… wanton curiosity when she noticed the physical distance Gabriel has thrust between them. What has gotten into her? Why had she reached out to touch Gabriel like that? What if he thinks she’s weird? What if he freaks out? What if he didn’t want her near him anymore?

Oh God, what has she done?

But Emily didn’t have time for further irrational lamentations before her world swirled violently. Instinctively, she knew she was falling, and so she reached out to grab the only form of support she could lay hands on, her eyes shut tight.

She had prepared herself for a hard landing, but all she felt was a soft, cushioned crash. She glanced up to see what happened. But she couldn’t find anything conclusive, for she could barely see anything else other than Gabriel’s face.

Which is mere centimeters away from hers.

Where she could look right into the depths of his eyes and delineate the edge between black and white. Where she could see the texture of his sharp nose and wonder what it would feel like against her own. Where she could trace the curve of his lips and imagine what they would taste like.

What they would feel like.

Would it be sweet but intoxicating? Soft yet demanding? Would it be passionate, or gentle? What ever it might be, she knew kissing Gabriel would be perfect and…... highly inappropriate!!!

Emily jarred her senses back. What the hell was she thinking?! Or rather, why the hell was she thinking about kissing Gabriel? What will he do if he knew she was having such unseemly thoughts? She diverted her gaze away from his lips before he realized something was amiss.

But the look in his eyes…. the subtle hick in his breath….

Oh God, he knows!!

She reflexively reached out to push him away, but stalled suddenly, feeling terrified of touching him. She looked away.

“Can I get up now?” she winced. There was just no way of phrasing that to prevent drawing attention to their current positions.

“Oh! I’m sorry,” Gabriel bounced up immediately, “I tripped on your carpet just now. Are you alright? Er… your leg, is it alright? did I crush it in the fall? Are u in any discomfort? I mean, is your leg painful? Do I need to….”

“No, I’m fine.” She interrupted his tirade, concentrating on that accursed bump in the carpet.

For a long moment, no one spoke. And no one dared to look at the other.

Then, Gabriel glanced discreetly at Emily. Her shoulders were tensed. Her cheeks were a burning red. Her bottom lip was caught in a nervous nibble. And, her eyes were forcefully averted away every time they drifted towards him.

He hadn’t imagined it.

She had been staring at his lips.

She had wanted to kiss him.

He couldn’t stop the grin that was making its way across his face.

On hindsight, perhaps the lack of foresight and the resulting series of events weren’t that unfortunate after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 29

He couldn’t stop that unidentifiable feeling from expanding in his chest. The feeling that surged through him every time Emily’s friends accosted them with a sly, knowing smile and a “are you two together?” It would have been more wonderful if Emily hadn’t denied all those claims with such vehemence.

Still, his efforts have paid off. Those guy friends of hers have been sufficiently “informed” of the “new” status quo between him and Emily, and would probably keep their hands off his property from thence forth.

Save for one remarkably thick individual. While earnestly wishing Emily to get well soon, he had the guts to run his abominable fingers along the seam between bandage and leg, completely dismissing the hard look Gabriel was sending him.

When they parted, Gabriel had accidentally stepped on his foot and carelessly placed all of his weight, combined with that of Emily’s, on that point of contact. Perhaps now, he could stroke the seam between bandage and toe at his own leisure and to his heart content.

Besides the aforementioned benefits of serving as Emily’s crutches, there was of course, the ultimate gift – an armful of Emily.

Granted, Emily proved to be very heavy in some areas, particularly those punches of hers. But generally, it had been a pleasant experience. He loved the way Emily just FITS in his arms, as though his arms were tailored for her and her for him. He loved the way Emily slung bonelessly against him in defeat, when he threatened to do something more inappropriate in public to silence her if she continued her verbal abuse on his eardrums.

Most of all, he loved the exciting discovery that Emily’s pulse actually speeds up every time he held her close.

Wait a minute; could that be due to over-exertion from all the punching and kicking?

No, that can’t be it. That wouldn’t explain why Emily’s heart is beating so…... excessively at the present moment, when she had been unusually pliant and complying throughout the whole course of the day’s “service”.

Gabriel was starting to get worried about the bizarre silence that had fallen upon Emily. Had he, perhaps, accidentally caused her bandaged leg to be bent in an uncomfortable position?

He was about to look down at the girl in his arms when he felt cool fingers glaze tantalizingly over his Adam’s apple. His inhalation got caught in his throat, and for a moment, his reflexes battled between gulping and aborting a gulp.

What is she doing?!

Gabriel tried to focus on something other than the feel of wandering fingers against the sensitive skin of his throat. He counted his footsteps, and measured his breathing. He calculated his BMI and mentally recited the Psalms. But damn! Those slender fingers have snaked their way up and were now toying with the hairs that caressed his ear lobe. Every unintentional brush against his lobe sent shivers down the side of his neck.

He determinedly switched his attention to the surroundings; and realized he had nearly walked past Emily’s apartment. He jerked to a stop, and backtracked a few steps.

The sudden jerk must have rocked Emily out of her trance, for she had withdrawn her arm awkwardly and is now spotting a lovely blush on her cheeks. Gabriel smiled indulgently and gently reminded her that the door will not open on its own. He has no idea what came over her, for she had never touched him like that before. But he fervently hoped that it was a good sign.

After a few moments of fumbling with keys, they stepped into her home, and Gabriel carried her towards her bedroom, like he did for the past few days.

This time, however, there seemed to be something intangibly intimate about carrying her to the bedroom, but Gabriel refused to dwell on that thought. Instead, he widened his gait, and held Emily a little distance away, so that they no longer connected at the thorax.

He didn’t think he could handle another lapse of unconstrained exploration of any part of his anatomy, no matter how enjoyable it was on hindsight.

And if his foresight had been as useful as his hindsights were, he would have known to pay more attention to where he puts his foot when walking. But seeing how his attention isn’t all in the right places now, he tripped on an unfortunate bump in the carpet on her bedroom floor.

And in his unfortunate attempt to ensure the girl in his arms landed safely in her bed and not the hard ground, he unfortunately held Emily further out, towards the bed. This, unfortunately, caused his equilibrium to experience an unfortunate tip that nothing obeying the Laws of Nature could ever correct.

He braced himself for an unfortunate, painful impact.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 28

Emily has never felt more resigned. For the past three days, Gabriel has successfully installed himself as her personal wheelchair. At the end of every lecture, he would scoop her out of her seat and, despite her extremely verbal protestations, carry her to her next destination cradled like a helpless baby in his arms. Oh! How embarrassing that was, to be seen in such a vulnerable position by hundreds of sniggering oh-my-look-at-them peeps. How did he even know when and where her lectures are held?

What had irritated her to no end was the annoying smug look he’s got plastered on his face every time they encountered her friends in campus. Friends who looked like they were about to congratulate the bride and groom after a wedding ceremony. What’s up with all that “Oh sure, you two aren’t attached, but where are you two heading for your honeymoon now?” look on all of their faces? Which part of “Gabriel and I are really just friends” did they not understand?

And it certainly is uncanny how you can find it difficult to meet friends for lunch but keep bumping into them when you least desired it. That accursed Murphy’s Law.

But that wasn’t the end of it. What was most aggravating was that she had grown accustomed to this free-of-charge translocation service before she even realized it. Oftentimes, Gabriel had already carried her halfway around the campus before she remembered to protest, only to find that her arms had somehow wound themselves around his neck and her head rested against his shoulder.

How did he do that? How did he turn her from that ball of unrelenting non-cooperation into the now compliant kitten?

That is not to say that she didn’t like being carried around princess-style. In fact, she quite liked the feeling of being so utterly taken cared of in the most gentle of ways. She liked the way she could feel his every heartbeat against her own. She liked the way his arms encompass around her, so strong yet so tender.

Even now, she is vaguely aware of the lulling rise and fall of his chest with his every breath, compelling her to synchronize her own breathing in tune with his. His unique scent envelops her and seems to mark her as his own. It all seems so serene, so…… right.

But, how could this be right? They were just friends, right? Friends don’t feel uneasy yet anticipative when they touch. Friends don’t look forward to getting so close to each other that they could count the other’s pulse rate. And friends most definitely do not feel forlorn when rare moments of intimacy extinguish into incontrovertible friend-to-friend care and concern.

And then, there was also that irritating skipping of heartbeats and difficulty of breathing that she could not account for, in the name of friendship.

Emily frowned. She angled her head upwards and gazed at Gabriel. Exactly when did she start having such…… inappropriate sentiments towards the guy she had always thought of as a brother? Granted, Gabriel did do lots of sweet things for her that normal brothers would gladly die than to even think about doing. But still, he had never done anything that made her aware of his being a man and her a woman.

A man.

Gabriel.

Is a man.

Why hasn’t she seen that before? Those strong brows and piercing eyes; the determined curve of his lips, the pronounced jaw; the arms.

Why hasn’t she seen him before?

Entranced, she reached up, letting her fingers trace over the contour of his neck.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 27

As Daniel stepped out of the lift onto the empty void deck, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that his grandmother is doing rather well after suffering such a terrible fall. She is really getting too old to be left at home, unsupervised. Perhaps he should hire a care-giver for her soon.

He had just rounded the corner of the row of letterboxes when a throng of cats came bounding up to him. He smiled and squatted down to give each one a polite scratch under the chin.

“Hey there buddies! Missed me much?” he said adoringly, and tenderly scooped a young one into his arms, “let’s go sit at the playground, shall we?” he said, and led the cats in the direction of the playground.

As the playground came into view, so did a very familiar figure. Daniel felt a sudden, extremely heavy thud in his chest. He’d recognize that silhouette anywhere! He hadn’t expected to see her here again. Daniel unconsciously shifted to conceal himself in the shadow of a pillar and watched the girl from where he hid.

There was something peculiar about this girl. She intrigues him. Like, really intrigues him. Twenty years of his fraternizing with the female half of his species, and no one has ever sparked even the remotest interest in him. No one has ever made his head turn, or stopped him in his tracks like this girl has.

He would never admit this aloud, but sometimes he wondered if this wasn’t the fabled love-at-first-sight.

How incredulous! LAFS is about as reliable as a salesman trying to sell a palmistry guidebook. In fact, he used to think that LAFS is a laughable reflection of hormonal tendencies, something so irrefutably erratic that no sane person would pay it any amount of serious consideration. He, for one, would never trust his own hormones, save for their homeostatic capabilities.

But dang! Hormones or not, this girl makes LAFS feel like a chocolate buffet --- intrinsically wrong, but it hits you in all the right places.

A brush of a cat against his leg brought him out of his reverie. He focused his attention on the girl again.

She was sitting extremely still; and even though he couldn’t see her clearly from this distance, somehow he knew that she must have closed her eyes. He decided that this was probably the most opportune moment for him to approach.

He stepped bravely out of the shadows and walked towards her with a rather stiff gait and a train of cats trailing behind him. As he got closer, he saw that her eyes were indeed closed. He wondered if he could surprise her, and tried to walk as noiselessly as he could.

Abruptly, she opened her eyes. Daniel faltered slightly in his steps when he realized she had seen him. Would she walk away like before? Should he stop approaching? But before he could come to a conscious decision, he found that he was already standing before her.

At this moment, he must say he is truly at a loss for words. Or a suitable action. Perhaps he was truly stumped by the eeriness about the way she was unblinkingly staring up at him. Did he, perhaps, look like a vampire under the dim lights? Was she so shocked to see him that her body has grown all frozen from neck down?

He didn’t know how long he stood there, unmoving. He didn’t know how he could stand there unmoving while she looked at him in that unnerving way. But when he finally wanted to say something, she beat him to it.

“Daniel,” she said airily.

And he wondered if he’ll ever know a more potent aphrodisiac. Damn those LAFS hormones!

“Grace,” he replied a little hoarsely, and took a seat in the swing next to hers. He wondered if she will keep looking at him like that for rest of the evening, but her attention was averted away from him the very next moment.

Grace picked up the tiny orange fur ball that was curling around her ankle.

“My, who is this tiny fella?” Grace cooed at the tiny kitten on her lap. Then, she felt a larger warmth rub against her ankle and looked down.

“Nini!” she gasped when she saw the mosaic tabby she so sorely missed. She bent forward to stroke the tabby along the length of its back, feeling very relieved to see that Nini has that clear look in its eyes again. Then, something struck her. She looked away from Nini and at the kitten now pawing at the fabric of her shorts.

They have the same eyes!

“Oh my God!” Grace exclaimed, “You’re Nini’s kid!” she held the little kitten up to her eye level and watched lovingly as it meowed at her. She couldn’t resist giving it a peck on the top of its head, and set it down on her lap once more.

She looked around the area for the other kittens and saw three of them huddled together behind their mother. She was about to reach out for them when she heard a deep voice on her left.

“Hey! No stealing!” Daniel reprimanded the cats as he pushed away the prying heads and took the bowl of mackerel away.

Grace had to do a double-take, for she had cleanly forgotten that she wasn’t alone. When she saw Daniel point at the bowl of cat food, she merely nodded her permission and watched him distribute it to the greedy buggers. Then, he sat down again beside her.

They sat in silence, seemingly engrossed with watching the cats feed, when in truth, neither had any idea what to say or do next. It wasn’t a horrible silence; but it was the sort that preceded a first kiss in some dramas. As it was, both found themselves growing more and more unsettled by the indecipherable currents this silence seemed to be amplifying between them.

“Why are you here?” they spoke at the same time. An impressive pause ensued.

“I –” they began together, and then aborted the sentence in perfect synchrony.

Daniel chortled. The sound of his laugh melted through the stifling atmosphere.

“I was visiting my grandmother. She was discharged from the hospital a few days ago. We met at the hospital, remember?” Daniel said. He picked up a black and white kitten with one hand, and setting it onto Grace’s lap, he stroked the little thing with his long fingers. “How about you?” he asked.

Grace did not reply immediately. She looked disapprovingly at the big hand that had so innocently invaded her personal space. It wasn’t really touching her per se, but seeing it hover so...…. intimately over her lap made the hairs on her thighs tingle indubitably.

As if on cue, Daniel withdrew his hand frantically. “Sorry,” he said with a bashful smile. But the next moment, he wondered if he had over-reacted. What if his apology had tainted that innocent gesture? What if it made Grace notice an indecency he hasn’t intended? He should have withdrawn his hand more subtly, damn it!

That was cute, Grace thought fondly. Of course, she didn’t mean cute cute. In fact, she didn’t know what she meant at all, when she thought his antics were cute. But she supposed she could really get used to him.

It.

She could really get used to his antics.

Wait, is there really a difference between getting used to him and getting used to his antics? Never mind.

“I stay around here,” Grace finally spoke. She planted the kitten safely onto the ground and stood, “I’m going home now. Do you want to walk me there?” she said in a barely audible voice.

Without waiting for a reply, she began to walk away; wondering why she had asked him to walk her back.

Wondering if he would walk her back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 26

A soft breeze rustled through the trees and sent a few fallen, crumpled leaves rolling across the concrete ground with a dry crackle. A lone figure sat, rather forlornly, on a rusty swing, allowing the periodic creaking of its chains to lull her senses into a dull calm.

Grace felt totally alone at this particular coordinate in the space-time continuum. None of her cats had come out to meet her, despite the bowl of delicious mackerel she had brought with her, now set aside untouched and unneeded. To think she had really looked forward to discussing her recent lapse of emotional control with them. Sighing to nothing in particular, she decided that the dead-looking rain-tree seemed a marginally better conversation partner than the cold air that surrounded her.

What shall I think about first? Grace asked the tree with her mental voice. The tree merely swayed in companionable gentleness, and waited patiently for her to continue. She felt like she has much to think about tonight. She could think about her getting-from-bad-to-worse aversion to males in general. Or that inexplicable panic attack last night. And then, there was Daniel.

The name came unbidden, and stilled her restful rocking. The sudden cessation of the creaking broadcasted a silence that filled every tiny crevice in the area. That name seemed to echo all around her.

Daniel, she mouthed the name timidly, afraid that even the softest whisper of its syllables could be heard by the shadowy darkness.

Daniel. She wanted to know him. Like, really know him, short of the biblical way. She wanted to know how he laughed, and cried; how he slept, and woke; how he likes his coffee and eggs. She wanted to know his person, his being. Even his very soul.

But most bewilderedly, she wanted him to know her.

How did it come to that? Two weeks ago, she barely even knew he existed. Was she really so starved of comforting human contact to be imprinted on the first being who offered her a reassuring embrace? No. Surely, that doesn’t explain why she had felt safe in those arms in the first place.

Why then, was this man…… different?

Grace closed her eyes and let herself feel the air chill her even more. She inhaled the scent of moist earth, mingled with a tint of iron. She listened intently to every hiss and whistle the winds uttered. Suddenly, she heard it. The answer she was looking for rang clear as a bell in her ears. Her eyes shot open in surprise at that hallucination.

Just then, her eyes widened in wonderment at what she saw. There, right ahead of her, a man was striding purposefully towards her; and she found she could not look away.

It was Daniel. The same man she was just thinking about. But how?

“Dessstiny,” the winds whispered again. And she felt like she would never breathe properly again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 25

Andrew spotted Angel from the moment she appeared through the lecture theatre door. He smiled to himself, feeling an unexplainable nervousness at the prospect of sitting with Angel for a lecture. He was about to wave at her when Daniel stood suddenly and stole Angel’s attention with a full-arm wave. Andrew watched bitterly as Angel made her way towards them, after having smiled sweetly at Daniel. That smile should have been his, he grumbled mentally.

“Hey,” Angel greeted the two guys unsurely. It was the first time she is attending a lecture with guys, and the fact that Andrew was one of them made her quiver even more with apprehensive anticipation. She just stood there morosely, uncertain of where she should sit. Would it be weird if she moved in to sit next to Andrew? She thought, and smiled shyly when she saw Andrew watching her keenly.

But Daniel did not notice this subtle exchange as he cleared the seat next to him and directed Angel to it. Angel looked from the seat to Daniel, and then to Andrew, who she noticed seem slightly irritated. She decided she wasn’t bold enough to express her preference for the seat next to Andrew, so she obliged and sat down beside Daniel. Daniel beamed at her, utterly unaware that Andrew was not pleased with that seating arrangement, what with that blob of oblivion separating his Angel from him.

Before Andrew could call Angel’s attention to himself, she began speaking to Daniel, “what happened to Grace yesterday? Is she alright?”

“I think she had a mild panic attack,” Daniel replied, totally missing the way Andrew was glaring at him, “some guys just don’t know when to quit,” he said that through gritted teeth.

“Oh,” Angel said pensively. Grace has always been weary about guys, but a panic attack is a little too extreme. Something just doesn’t add up. “So what happened after you took Grace outside?” Angel asked again.

“Erm,” Daniel began, but feeling really uncomfortable recounting the entire encounter, he merely said, “I took her to the bus stop outside, and waited until she stopped crying.”

“She cried?” in front of you?! Angel mentally exclaimed. But why? Grace never cried in front of anyone! She looked Daniel over from head to toe, wondering just what kind of relationship exists between him and Grace.

Andrew didn’t like the way Angel was now looking at Daniel and interrupted, “Angel, what are we doing for lecture today?” he slapped his notes onto his writing desk.

Daniel answered immediately, “We’re continuing with Novas and Supernovas today,” and turned back to Angel, earning a dirty look from Andrew which grew progressively more vicious each passing moment.

“Can I borrow your notes for last week’s lecture?” Andrew addressed Angel again with an amiable expression totally disparate from the one he was looking at Daniel with.

“But you didn’t miss last week’s lecture, why would you need the notes for?” Daniel asked benignly.

Andrew resisted the urge to kick his wonderful-friend-cum-brother in the shin. His smile began to appear a little forced as he sent a piercing look at Daniel, who seemed exceptionally thick today; for Daniel merely blinked in puzzlement at Andrew’s antics.

Angel, while she wasn’t entirely sure what Andrew was upset about, felt like she had to do something to smooth out the crease between his brows. She took out last week’s notes, wrote a small note in pencil at the front, and handed it to Andrew.

Then, she resumed the conversation with Daniel, paying close attention to the way he spoke about Grace. If this man could get past Grace’s defenses so easily, then it is up to her to assess his trust-worthiness.

At this point, Andrew seemed less disturbed with the conversation that he was so conveniently excluded from. After all, he looked fondly at the pencil note written in her neat handwriting; Angel has just asked him out for lunch.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 24

Her head felt like it had been run over by a truck, and that persistent ringing in her ears had forced her to stir fully awake. Which was a very painful thing indeed, for she could now feel very clearly her entire body throb with a sore numbness. She wanted to open her eyes, but found that she could not. She started to panic, but just then, she felt a reassuring warmth envelope her left hand.

“Gab?” Emily said, her voice sounded horribly raspy.

“Emily, you’re awake!” came the familiar voice, which calmed her nerves down, “How do you feel?” Gabriel asked, the concern thick in his voice. Emily felt his large hand brush across her cheek.

“I can’t see.” Emily said helplessly, feeling the panic return.

“Of course you can’t,” Gabriel chuckled, “your eyes aren’t open. Try opening them slowly.” He stroked her closed eyelids gently.

Emily slowly blinked her eyes open; the sight that greeted her made her giggle slightly. Gabriel’s hair was standing in every direction possible, and he had this huge reddish press mark on his temple. She wanted to get up from the bed to do something about that ridiculous hairdo of his. But Gabriel gently, yet firmly, pressed down on her shoulders.

“You shouldn’t get up yet,” he admonished, but bent towards Emily when she waved for him to get closer. Emily reached up and weaved her fingers through his hair, taming the haphazard strands. Once she was satisfied with the more presentable look, she smiled and turned to look at Gabriel. She was slightly taken aback when she saw an unreadable emotion in his eyes. And the way he was fixedly looking at her now made her suddenly aware of his closeness. Funny, she thought, that has never made her this nervous before.

A sudden stinging pain elicited a moan from her, as she shut her eyes and tried to block out the pain.

“What’s wrong?” Gabriel’s anxious voice drifted to her ears.

“My head hurts. What happened to me?”

“You don’t remember? You fell down the stairs at Kevin’s,” Gabriel frowned most deeply, “thank God you’re alright!” he said and leaned down to hug Emily against the bed, and whispered into her ear, “I swear I’ll never let you get hurt again.”

Emily gasped silently when Gabriel’s lip brushed against her ear. She remained as still as possible, expecting Gabriel to end the embrace any moment now. But he didn’t move away. Instead, he pressed himself closer.

What is he doing? Emily thought, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. The warm weight of his body on top of hers was, for the first time, making her extremely aware that Gabriel is a full grown man. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words felt choked up at her larynx. She found that she couldn’t move, but her eyes widened when she felt his chest expand in a deep intake of air.

Did he just smell my hair? Emily felt her heart make a loud thump against her chest.

Just then, the door squeaked open. Angel and Andrew strolled in just in time to see Gabriel pull away from Emily hastily, his face colored with embarrassment. But the two intruders pretended not to have seen anything, and moved casually towards the bed.

Angel was most relieved to see that Emily has woken up, but that wide-eyed shock on her face seemed highly suspicious. She took a concealed glance at Gabriel, who was rubbing his neck and determinedly looking away from the bed.

“Hey Emily, I’m so glad you’re awake,” Angel returned her attention to Emily, making no effort whatsoever to hide the amused smile spreading across her face. It seems like something has changed between those two.

Her voice jolted Emily out of her trance. What was she thinking? There was no way Gabriel would do something like that. She tried to get up but the dizziness made her world spin. Gabriel rushed forward to stop her from falling off the bed, and helped her get into a comfortable sitting position. Then he stepped back, looking resolutely away again.

“Hi, Angel. I’m fine now,” Emily smiled warmly at her friend, and then looked at Gabriel, confused and slightly hurt. Sure, that closeness just now scared her a little, but anything is better than this intangible distance he has shoved between them.

“The doctor says you probably have to stay in the hospital for another couple of days, just in case. You never know what you’ll get with head injuries,” Angel said, not missing the slight gleam of longing in Emily’s eyes. She turned and pulled Gabriel into the chair next to Emily’s bed, “will you peel this apple for Emily? I’m calling Grace to let her know Emily is awake.” she said, handing him an apple and a small fruit knife.

Gabriel looked uncertainly at Emily, and then dropped his gaze quickly to the apple he held, suddenly obsessed with its peeling.

Emily blinked in surprise. Was that a blush on Gabriel’s cheeks? So, he was just as uncomfortable with that inexplicable embrace as she was. She smiled as she admired the adorable attention Gabriel was paying to the apple.

Angel quietly hooked her arm around Andrew’s, and together, they slinked out of the ward unnoticed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 23

The tears wouldn’t stop. It was as if she couldn’t control it. She wasn’t particularly upset with anything. She was even sure she wasn’t feeling anything at the moment. Still, the tears kept streaming.

Grace thumbed over the handkerchief Daniel gave her, conspicuous wet patches now covering almost the entire fabric. She frowned, unable to comprehend why she couldn’t stop crying. She lifted the handkerchief and wiped angrily at her tears. Before new tears could cloud her vision again, she saw that Daniel had offered her a handful of toffees.

“When I was little,” Daniel said in a calming voice, “I used to cry very hard whenever I got injured. My grandfather would give me some toffees, and after I took some, it didn’t hurt as much. I think they also have anti-crying properties,” he said as he took Grace’s hand and pressed a toffee into her palm.

Grace looked up at Daniel, who was smiling kindly at her. Somehow, the toffee seemed very inviting. She opened the forest-green wrapper and popped the candy into her mouth, feeling the sweet warm creamy taste saturate her senses.

“You know, I hate the rain,” Daniel spoke again, ignoring the raised eyebrow on Grace’s face, “the day my grandfather died, it was pouring like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Grace wiped the last of her tears and turned fully to Daniel now.

“We didn’t have an umbrella,” Daniel continued, tilting his head to look at the stars, “so my mum made us wait out the rain under a pavilion in the middle of a park. When we finally got to the hospital, my grandfather was gone,” Daniel paused here, and Grace saw that he has closed his eyes in a pained frown. Grace didn’t know why he was telling her about his grandfather, but she waited patiently until he spoke again.

“I was eleven then. And as far as I was concerned, the rain took my grandfather from me,” Daniel’s voice still sounded a little strained, “Even after so many years have passed, I still feel that loss whenever it rained.”

He turned to look at Grace now, peering right into the depths of her soul, “Everyone has their own dark memories,” he paused meaningfully as he watched the light in Grace’s eyes dim slightly. Then he said, “I’ve never told this to anyone. If you keep this a secret, then I will also not tell anyone how you cried like a baby in my arms,” the corners of his mouth curved up in a mischievous smirk.

Grace hurriedly looked away. Had she really wrapped herself around him and cried into the curve of his neck? What in the heavens made her do that? Wasn’t she allergic to guys? Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing.

Daniel, on the other hand, was tremendously enjoying the results of his teasing. He never knew how a blush could look so enchanting on her. He brushed her fringe away from her eyes and spoke again, “You can always come to me if you need a good cry,” he paused to smile, “I certainly don’t mind having a pretty girl like you pressed up against me like you did a while ago,” he said cheerily.

Grace bit her lower lip and blushed even more fiercely; unaware of the effects that action was having on Daniel. Daniel stared at her more intensely, feeling like he would do something entirely inappropriate to the girl, and absolutely nothing could stop him. Not even the self-control he has always been proud of. He couldn’t resist moving closer, and closer. The scent of her shampoo seems to allure him even more. He watched as her lips bloom a rosier shade of red from her nibble. Oh my God, Daniel thought, I am so not supposed to do this. And he leaned in closer, angling his chin for a perfect touchdown.

Suddenly, Grace’s mobile phone emitted a loud melody. Daniel pulled back so forcefully he almost fell off the bench.

“It must be your friends,” Daniel said, “they must have been very worried about you.” He didn’t know whether he should curse at whoever sent that text message, or be thankful it stopped him from...…. whatever he was about to do.

He suddenly felt a terrible urge to growl.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 22

Angel felt like her world has been turned upside down. In the space of a few minutes, two of her best friends were hurt so painfully, and she couldn’t do a single thing to make things better. The helplessness was shredding her heart.

She looked at the closed door behind which Emily laid. Then she looked at her mobile phone with Grace’s number screened boldly across it. But what could she accomplish? What could she do for her friends, whom she held so dearly to her soul? She slumped onto the floor, defeated.

Andrew knelt in front of Angel and placed a comforting palm on her shoulder. He knew it must be very hard for Angel to see her friends like that. He couldn’t even bear to imagine how he would feel if Daniel and Gabriel were to be harmed at the same time.

He drew her closer, so she could lean on his shoulder. He knew that his silly girl wanted nothing more than to sit by her injured friend, but she held back knowing Gabriel needed some time alone with Emily. He also knew she needed to know how Grace is doing, but was afraid she might make things worse. His Angel is always so endearing in her thoughtful ways. But he really hated to see her so worried and upset.

He stroked her hair tenderly and spoke, “Just give Gab a little more time alone with her. You know he needed it.”

Angel nodded her head against him.

“It’s a miracle she only sustained a mild concussion and a fractured leg,” he continued in that deep soothing voice of his, “she will wake up in no time.”

Angel nodded silently again.

“And Grace is with Daniel. He’ll take care of her,” he said as he noticed how Angel was fully leaning on him now.

Angel closed her eyes and nodded weakly again. She didn’t know how Andrew could make her feel better with those simple words, but she needed to hear more. His voice was the only thing she could cling on to in this otherwise silent world.

“Daniel is a good man. Even if he is clumsy around a girl, he’ll be able to comfort Grace in his own way,” Andrew carried on, hoping to distract Angel with his voice. He searched for happier things to say, “When we were in junior college, a girl sprained her ankle badly during PE and couldn’t stop crying. Do you know what he did?” he paused, hoping to elicit a verbal response from Angel. She hadn’t uttered a single word ever since they stepped into the hospital.

But Angel merely shook her head. Andrew exhaled in disappointment, but continued, “he handed the girl some toffees and told her that it wouldn’t hurt so bad if she took some. I still can’t believe it worked!” Andrew said with a chuckle. He was slightly relieved when he saw Angel smile in return.

“Maybe he’s giving some toffees to Grace as we speak,” Andrew said jokingly, pleased to hear Angel’s quiet laugh.

Angel straightened up to look at Andrew. She was really glad he was here with her. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

Andrew was genuinely unprepared for this. And from the adorable blush on Angel’s face, he could tell she was just as surprised as he was. He turned away from Angel to hide that uncontrollable grin that was spreading across his face.

“It’s my honor and duty,” he tried to say in a calm and collected tone, “you know, you could send Grace a text message to ask her how she’s feeling now. That way she wouldn’t be obliged to answer if she didn’t feel ready to.”

“Really?” Angel asked, looking straight into Andrew’s eyes, the blush still evident in her cheeks.

Andrew smiled and nodded, “and when you’re done with that, we can go in to see Emily.”

Angel beamed at Andrew, and began typing a message to Grace.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 21

It was too quiet. Too dark. Too empty for Gabriel to focus on anything but the frighteningly still body in front of him. He held her hand more tightly in his, taking some comfort in her warmth. Just three hours ago, Emily was bouncing happily around him, trying to steal his apple martini. But now, she lay in this deathly white bed looking as if she’ll never wake again. How could he have allowed this to happen? How could he have let her take the fall for him? He was supposed to protect her, not let her get seriously injured like that! He’ll never be able to forgive himself for this.

“Emily,” he whispered softly, gently brushing his hand across the thick bandage wound around her head, “I’m sorry,” he said with a trembling voice dangerously perched on the verge of breaking. He really hated himself. If he hadn’t pushed Kevin, Kevin wouldn’t have pushed him, and Emily wouldn’t have to…..

“Emily,” he uttered again, reverently. He brought the hand he has been holding to his lips and kissed it lightly. He silently vowed never to let the woman he had grown to love get hurt like this again. He’ll watch over her with every fiber of his being. He knew now, that he had been wrong to think he would be content with her friendship. No, he could not lose her again. Not to a fall down a flight of stairs, and most definitely not to another man.

He wanted her to be his.

Gabriel shut his eyes tightly at the sudden surge of an emotion so fierce he was sure it would consume him. He never knew he was capable of such possessiveness, and he was afraid. Truly afraid that it will eventually hurt the one he loves most. When he opened his eyes again, he let his gaze fall on the unconscious girl. He looked intently at the face he had etched so deeply in his memories, and sighed. He knew he could no longer hide behind the glass wall he had construed between him and Emily. He could no longer pretend that he was satisfied with just watching Emily from a distance.

But for now, he would wait. He would see to it that Emily is well again. And then, he will hide his feelings no longer. He will always be there to love her, and to protect her. He bent forward and sealed that promise in a kiss on her lips.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 20

She didn’t wail. She didn’t sob. Hell, she didn’t even make a single sound when she’s crying. If not for the fact that Daniel could feel the tears dripping insistently onto his shoulder, he would have thought that Grace was merely resting in his arms.

How could anyone cry like this? As if there wasn’t any strength left to resist, to agonize. As if there wasn’t any soul left to feel.

Daniel held her closer. He ran his hand soothingly through her hair. Never had he felt like he wanted to protect anyone this badly. Never had he felt another’s pain as if it was his own. Why is he having this burning urge to kiss her tears away?

Her tremors had subsided. But this left the embrace silent, and the distance between them unbreachable. He wanted nothing more than to wipe her tears away. He wanted nothing more than to see more life in her, to really cry like a girl is supposed to. Then perhaps he would be able to hug her more fiercely, and tell her that he won't allow her to cry anymore.

He gently pulled her away from him, but Grace closed that little distance in a flash, her hand fisted with a handful of the front of his shirt, and her face pressed against his collarbone in a soft caress.

Daniel inhaled sharply at the sudden warmth against his neck. He had never been this close to a girl and he could feel his heart begin to race. But this was hardly the appropriate time and place to get excited, so he willed his breathing to a calmer rhythm. He inclined his head to look at the head buried at his neck, and smiled understandingly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t look,” he said in a hypnotizing manner, “but we shouldn’t stay like this. Do you want to go over to the bus stop? There isn’t anyone there.”

A silent pause ensured, and Daniel tried to focus on anything but the warm breaths Grace was intermittently blowing onto his neck. Gosh, what is this girl doing to him?

Grace loosened her grasp on his shirt, and slid her arm around to the back of his neck, unwittingly pulling him closer. She timidly nodded her head.

It took Daniel a few moments to remember what Grace was nodding her head for. He picked her up, one hand securely supporting her shoulder, the other safely tucked behind her knees. Grace hid her face in the crook of his neck so that he couldn’t see her tear-stained face. He walked slowly and steadily towards the more brightly-lit bus stop and sat them down.

They sat side by side, Daniel gentlemanly kept his gaze straight ahead. He knew a girl like Grace wouldn’t want anyone to see her like this. Still, he felt he needed to say something. Especially when he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, another tear had just slid down her cheek.

“Don’t cry,” he said softly, handing her his handkerchief.

“I didn’t,” she said quietly, pressing the handkerchief to her cheek, “it was the rain.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 19

Angel watched as Daniel led her distraught friend away. She turned to look at Kevin, and felt her blood begin to boil. What exactly did he do to make Grace tremble like that? She felt like slapping the lazy smirk on his face. She took a determined step towards Kevin, but felt someone hold her back. She hadn’t noticed that Andrew had been holding her hand all this time.

Andrew shook his head at Angel. He let go of her hand and approached Kevin.

“Kevin, what did you do?” Andrew asked accusatorily.

“I didn’t do anything but talk to her! What’s wrong with her? She’s like a psychotic prude,” Kevin laughed as he waved the crowd away.

“Did you just insult my friend, Kevin?” Emily’s stern voice rang through. She had that very rare, but very ominous frown on her face, “what did you do to Grace?” she enunciated every word with an unmistakable anger in the tone.

“What can I possibly do to her? That psycho Daniel pushed me before I could say another word, what’s up with that?” Kevin flipped the finger in the direction Daniel and Grace went. He tugged his collar and started towards the stairs.

“Stay there! You best explain yourself. Daniel will never tackle you if you hadn’t done anything,” Emily blocked Kevin’s way towards the stairs and grabbed his sleeve.

“Let go! There is nothing to explain. I didn’t do anything. Let go, you crazy woman.”

“No! What did you do?” Emily tightened her hold and pulled so that Kevin would turn back to face her, “I’ve never seen Grace like that! You have to apologize to her!”

“I said let go!!” Kevin swung his arm at Emily to loose her hold on him, but his elbow hit Emily squarely in the temple, causing Emily to stumble backwards, towards the edge of the stairs.

“Emily!” Gabriel exclaimed, feeling as though his heart was the one that was elbowed. He raced forward and pulled Emily into his arms, her eyes shut tight from the impact. “Emily, are you alright?” he asked worriedly while helping her stand steadily.

“Kevin, are you nuts?” Gabriel grabbed Kevin’s collar angrily, “how could you hit a girl? What if she fell down the stairs?”

“Was that how you treated Grace too?” Emily shouted as she kept hitting Kevin on the chest.

“Stop it!” Kevin grabbed hold of Emily’s wrists to stop the abuse, but his tight hold made Emily wince.

“What are you doing?!” Gabriel angrily pried Kevin’s hands off Emily’s wrists and pushed him roughly by the shoulders, “can’t you see when you’re hurting someone?”

Kevin’s temper lit up in his eyes, “Don’t push me!” He stepped up to Gabriel and gave him a solid push on his shoulders. Gabriel wasn’t prepared for it and began to stagger back, towards the edge of the stairs.

“Gabriel!!” Emily shrieked. She put herself in his path to stop him from falling down the stairs. However, the weight of Gabriel's momentum caused her to lose her footing and begin to fall backwards.

“Emily!!” Angel watched in horror as Emily rolled down the stairs and landed in a crumpled heap at the bottom, unconscious and unmoving.

“Emily!!” Gabriel shouted desperately after regaining his balance, and hurried to her side, “Emily!! Are you alright?? Emily? Please speak to me!!” he touched her face gently, afraid to move her otherwise, “Call an ambulance! Somebody! Call an ambulance!!” he cried hysterically

“Emily!!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*