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!!”

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

Chapter 18

“Yo, Gracey girl, I didn’t expect you to really turn up for my party,” a rather good looking guy said in a happy-go-lucky way, and reached out his hand to stroke Grace’s hair.

“Kevin, you better not touch me,” Grace’s calm voice belied the disgust she felt towards this overgrown piece of weed, “and don’t call me Gracey girl.” Grace cursed herself for letting down her guard, allowing him to near her without her noticing it.

“Alright then, how bout a smile?” Kevin said leisurely, placing his arms on either side of Grace, trapping her between him and the bathroom wall. He has her right where he wanted, and this time, he wasn’t leaving without a taste of her. Or at least, her phone number.

Grace felt a trickle of panic crawl along her spine. Suddenly, every sound and every sight faded into the background, and all she could see was her father’s sinister face juxtaposed with Kevin’s. Her pupils dilated, and her breathing began to become more erratic. She knew a panic attack was building, but she couldn’t help herself. She slammed her eyes shut in anticipation of a stinging slap.

“Grace! Grace, are you alright?” she heard a familiar voice said, the concern thick in its tone. She opened her eyes and found herself gazing straight into Daniel’s, and immediately felt her breathing began to calm down. She looked around and saw Kevin picked himself up from the floor, rubbing on his sore bottom. She glanced back at Daniel, and suddenly realized that he was holding her by the shoulders, the palms of his hands felt warm against her skin. Warm, and safe.

Daniel released his hold and turned to Kevin, his expression turned from concerned to angry.

“What were you doing? Can’t you see that she’s scared of being trapped like that, you bastard?!” Daniel shouted at Kevin, who was now looking a little disorientated, “and stay away from my girl!” Daniel added, with a hint of vicious protectiveness in his voice.

Daniel turned back to Grace, and stretched out his right hand to her, “Let’s go,” he said in a gentle way.

Grace unthinkingly placed her left hand on Daniel’s outstretched palm and allowed him to lead her through the crowd and out of the house. She just wanted to go somewhere where she wouldn’t be hurt. Where she could process her thoughts, memories and whirling emotions and package them away, so nobody could see how vulnerable they were making her.

Daniel stole a sideways glance at the girl who tightened her grasp on his hand to stop her own from trembling, but she didn’t know it only made the trembling more pronounced. He tightened his grasp on her hand in return, completely regretting leaving Kevin relatively unharmed. How could that insensitive creep not have seen the fear in Grace’s eyes, when he could see it from across the room? He should have punched that creep good in the face, damn it!

Daniel’s thoughts were disrupted when he felt a tug on his hand. Grace has crumpled into a heap on the ground, her hand still held in his. Her head was hung low, causing her long ebony hair to cover her face. Daniel knelt beside her and pushed the curtain of hair behind her ear and asked softly, “Are you alright?”

Grace had her eyes closed tight. She nodded mechanically, while mentally, she tried to push all the horrifying memories to the back of her mind. But her eyes startled open when she felt fingers trailing along her jaw and down to her chin. Her chin was tilted up so that she could only look into a pair of gentle eyes.

“No you’re not. But it’s okay to be not alright,” Daniel said with a smile. He reached over to tuck the remaining stray strands behind her ear, letting his fingers trail down the silky locks that fell beyond her shoulders.

Grace couldn’t think anymore, looking into his eyes like that. For the first time in her life, she felt that she could let herself fall apart before another man. She saw her vision blurring through the growing moisture in her eyes, but she refused to blink. She refused to let them fall so easily. She didn’t cry five years ago after that slap; she wouldn’t cry now for the gentle caress of his fingers over her cheeks.

Daniel slipped his hand to the nape of her neck and gently pressed her towards him, her chin resting on his shoulder.

“I think it has started to rain,” he said, as he felt a warm drop of moisture hit his bare shoulder and slid down his back.

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

Chapter 17

The moment Angel stepped foot into the bungalow-like house, she recoiled and hid behind Grace’s back. There were just too many people inside, people she had never seen before. She knew coming for Kevin’s birthday bash wasn’t such a good idea.

“Kevin!” Emily greeted the birthday boy cheerily, “Happy birthday! I got you a little something; I know you’ll just love it.”

“Thank you for coming,” Kevin said, and then grinned when he saw Grace, “I see you’ve brought some friends. Well, enjoy yourselves okay? I’ve got to attend to other guests for now.” He said, and deliberately brushed against Grace as he left.

Grace resisted the urge to lash out. She was only staying for ten minutes, and then she’s off. She watched as Emily bounced away to another group of guys who were waving to her, and turning to Angel, she asked, “Shall we go get a drink?”

Angel stuck close to Grace as Grace weaved them through the crowd. The crowd was making Grace a little nauseous, but she supposed she could hold out a bit, since she was leaving in a short while. She saw that Angel was looking a little green as well, but that was only to be expected. Looking around the house, she spotted a few familiar faces, including some lab mates, and Andrew and his gang. Of course, Andrew would be a friend of that Kevin creep; they’re like the same species.

Before she could turn her attention elsewhere, a group of four to five guys bumped into her, looking slightly alcohol intoxicated. Grace fought the new surge of nausea down and spoke to Angel, “Hey, I need the bathroom. Will you be okay on your own for a while?”

Angel nodded, slightly concerned that Grace looked very pale. Angel watched as Grace disappeared among the crowd. She took a glance at the roomful of strangers, and felt her anxiety levels climb. She was about to run in the direction Grace went when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around like a frightened animal.

“Hey, Angel!” Andrew greeted, “I saw that you were alone, so I came over here. Do you mind if I joined you?” he smiled politely. He didn’t expect to see Angel at a party like this, but he was extremely elated when he spotted her.

Angel smiled in relief, and then felt her nerves act up again. She covered it up by taking a sip of her punch.

“I didn’t know you go for parties,” Andrew said, looking adoringly at the blush on Angel’s cheeks.

“I came with Emily and Grace, you know, just to see how it’s like,” Angel replied in a soft, shy voice, “Are there always so many people in parties?”

“It depends. But Kevin has a lot of friends; so naturally, his parties are usually this crowded,” Andrew took an appraising look at Angel’s apparel and smiled, “you look really pretty tonight.”

Angel took another long sip of her punch, and blushed heavily into the glass.

“How’s your cough? Have you been taking the cough syrup?” Andrew enquired. He thought Angel still sounded a little hoarse.

“I’m much better, thank you. The cough syrup’s really good.” Angel smiled and maintained eye contact for the first time that evening. It was making her jittery, but it was a good kind of jittery that made her toes curl in anticipation.

“You better be fully recovered when you come to sit with me for Astronomy lecture tomorrow,” he said in a friendly warning.

“Or what?” she asked playfully.

Andrew took a step closer to Angel so that he was practically towering over her and whispered into her ear, “You wouldn’t want to find out, trust me.”

Angel couldn’t breathe. She also couldn’t hear or feel anything. All she could register was the scent of Andrew’s cologne and the warmth that was emitting from his closeness. She turned her back to Andrew in the context of pouring herself some more punch, and tried to breathe properly again.

Andrew grinned broadly behind Angel’s back. Why was this girl so damned cute?

His attention was drawn to a sudden commotion in the direction of the bathroom. He turned, only to see a furious Daniel push Kevin roughly onto the floor. He took Angel’s hand and dragged her there for a closer look.

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

Chapter 16

The lecture theatre was filling itself with students again, and there was 15 minutes more till the start of the lecture. Once Emily settled into the chair next to Grace, she asked enthusiastically, “So how was Saturday?”

“Weiwei’s really adorable. You don’t suppose I could talk your friend into giving it to me, do you?” Grace said as she sat in her chair.

“Hmmm… I suppose there is one way you can make Weiwei yours,” Emily stoked her chin thoughtfully.

“What is it?” Grace asked ecstatically.

“You can marry Gabriel,” Emily said brightly and Angel sniggered uncontrollably.

Grace mentally flipped her the finger while she narrowed her eyes at Emily.

“Anyway, that wasn’t exactly what I was asking, Grace. I was talking about Gabriel.”

“Him? What about him?”

“What do you think about him?”

“Okay, let’s see. He’s decent, can cook splendid spaghetti, and his cat is a darling,” Grace clamped down on a grin, “so I’d say he would make a good boyfriend.”

“You like him too?!” Emily exclaimed, unaware of the knowing looks Grace and Angel were exchanging when they heard the ‘you like him TOO?’

“Oh no, the boyfriend comment was for you. He is not my type. Dating him will be like dating my brother.”

“Is Gabriel a Cancerian too?” Angel enquired.

“Wow, you’re really good with the horoscope stuff, Angel,” Emily said reverently, “How could you tell?”

“Grace just seemed like the type who was receptive to Cancerians in a purely platonic way.”

“What is Daniel’s sign then? You know, the guy who was always with Gab and Andrew.” Emily asked.

“I’ve only talked to him once, so I couldn’t be sure. But Andrew told me that he’s a—”

“Scorpio,” Grace answered dreamily, not fully aware that she had spoken aloud.

“How did you know, Grace?” Emily was astounded.

“Huh?” came the reply.

“How did you know Daniel is a Scorpio?” Emily asked again.

“What?! I don’t know anything!”

“But you just said ‘Scorpio’!” Emily pursued.

“No, I most certainly did not!” Grace insisted.

“Ask Angel!” Emily pulled in a witness, “Angel, tell Grace you heard her say it too.”

Angel nodded her head meekly at Grace, wearing an apologetic smile. Sometimes Grace said things that she obviously didn’t plan to say. And boy, are her Freudian slips illuminating. Angel wondered what underlying subconscious elements are in play this time round.

“You girls must have heard it wrong,” Grace persisted in her denial, suddenly uncomfortable with the speculative glances Angel was giving her.

“Deny all you want then,” Emily shrugged, “and before I forgot, Kevin’s birthday party would be next Wednesday, you two are coming right?”

“I suppose I am, but I need help keeping Kevin off my trails. Even my poker-face doesn’t work on him. What is he, facial expression-blind?” Grace complained.

Emily laughed, “It’s his birthday, I’m sure he will be too busy running the party to stalk you.”

“Alright then, I’m going,” if only to avoid another hospital trip, Grace thought to herself.

“I supposed I’m going too,” Angel said with a smile. Grace and Emily exchanged incredulous looks. Had their baby Angel grown up while they weren’t looking?

Wait, did Angel mention Andrew’s name just now? Grace wondered.

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

Chapter 15

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Gabriel addressed Grace as he ushered the girls into his home, “my parents aren’t home yet, but that pig over there is my brother, Benjamin. He’s like a perpetual pain in my butt, just so you know.” He said with a grin.

Gabriel led them to his room and bent to scoop up his beloved pet when the phone rang. He picked it up with one hand while trying to adjust his cat into a more comfortable position.

“Hello? Oh hi, Daniel! You hold on a sec,” Gabriel looked down at his cat to see it pawing towards Grace. He turned to Grace and said, “Hey Grace, would you mind holding it? I think it wants your attention.”

Grace went over and expertly carried the silver cat in her arms. She fell in love with it instantly. It truly was the most beautiful cat she had ever seen. The way it caressed her skin with the tip of its nose was simply lovable. Grace smiled warmly as she tickled the cat’s chin.

Gabriel had never seen a sight that felt this ethereal. Why had Grace stowed away her smiles when obviously they did her pretty face much justice? And he had never seen Weiwei warm up to anybody that quickly, except for Daniel perhaps. The pair of them, cooing at each other in their own way, looked so indescribably intoxicating. But the noises from the phone caught Gabriel’s attention before he could breathe an inappropriate “Wow.”

“Sorry Daniel, you were saying?” Gabriel turned his attention to the phone call. He sneaked a few glances at Grace and couldn’t stop his chuckle when he saw Weiwei lick Grace’s neck, causing her to break into giggles.

“Oh no, I wasn’t laughing at you, “Gabriel said to Daniel, “it was Grace, she’s so cute with Weiwei.”

“Gabriel! Help! He wouldn’t stop licking me!” Grace’s merry voice bounced from the walls of the bedroom.

“Hey Daniel, I’ll talk to you another time okay? See you at school!” Gabriel hung up the phone and crossed the bed to where Grace was. He took his cat from Grace, and lovingly chastised it for molesting his friend.

“He’s beautiful,” Grace smiled as she rubbed the top of Weiwei’s head.

“How did you know it’s male?” Gabriel asked, but blushed at the stupidity of his question. But Grace merely chuckled and continued her massage for the contentedly purring cat.

“Where is Emily?” Gabriel asked when it suddenly dawned on him that the room lacked the usual bubbly laughter whenever Emily was around.

“Here,” a strangled voice came from the door. Emily came through the door, holding three cups in her trembling hands, “a little help please!”

Gabriel was there in a flash, “sorry, I’m such a poor host,” he handed a cup to Grace, “it’s a lucky thing Emily is a great hostess.”

“Yeah, we’ll probably die of thirst before you remember to bring us drinks,” Emily pounded Gabriel lightly on his shoulder. But she took two steps back when Weiwei reached out a paw to scratch her.

“Ha! Maybe Weiwei doesn’t like you because you kept ‘bullying’ Gabriel. Maybe you should act nicer to Gabriel.” Grace suggested, tickling Weiwei’s ears.

Emily stepped forward gingerly and petted Gabriel’s head, stroking his hair as one would a baby. The cat, however, leapt out of Gabriel’s arm and only Emily’s chest, frantically clawing at her shirt. Emily shrieked, but before she could reflexively pry the cat away, Grace removed it and calmed it down with the slow rocking of her arms.

“Apparently not,” Grace shrugged as she tried to suppress a smirk.

“Thanks, Grace,” Emily said dryly and took three steps away from the offending creature.

Gabriel laughed. “Do you two want to stay for dinner? I can cook up something for the four of us. You girls could watch a VCD in the meantime.”

“Okay! I want to eat spaghetti,” Emily grinned broadly.

“Alright,” Gabriel smiled indulgently at Emily before turning to Grace, “So, is spaghetti okay for you?”

Grace paused to look at Emily, and then at Gabriel. How in the world can Emily treat a guy who dotes on her like that as merely a brother? She was beginning to feel sorry for Gabriel. Somewhere along the line, it became clear to her that Gabriel was undeniably in love with her oblivious friend.

“Grace?” Gabriel called again when he saw Grace just staring at him.

“Oh, yes, spaghetti would be great. Thanks!” Grace smiled kindly. She had always appreciated a guy who could cook. They really are an endangered species.

“Okay then. You girls make yourselves at home. I’m going to the supermarket to get some fresh onions and tomatoes,” Gabriel said, and left his room in the capable hands of the girls.

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

Chapter 14

“So, how do you find the movie?” Emily asked Gabriel as they strolled out of the cinema.

“The plot is kind of lame, but I guess I like the action,” Gabriel replied, loving the way Emily naturally leaned into him as they walked.

“And did you see the guy? He was so HOT!” Emily crinkled her nose playfully, “oh yeah, we’re meeting Grace at Delifrance, let’s hurry, I think she’s there already.”

Emily and Gabriel widened their gait and reached Delifrance in no time. Grace was already sitting at the corner table, and motioned to them to join her. Emily made a quick introduction, and then made Gabriel take their orders and queue for the food.

“Are you guys together or something?” Grace couldn’t help but ask. The way those two strolled in, locked at the arms, wasn’t something Emily usually did.

“No! Why would you think that?” Emily asked in a genuinely surprised way.

“You two seemed much too close to be just friends.”

“That’s because we ARE closer than friends. Gab’s almost like the brother I never had!” Emily beamed.

“I see,” Grace said simply, looking between Emily and Gabriel, as if trying to put together the missing pieces.

“Yup! He’s a really great guy. Reliable, and extremely loyal to friends, and he takes good care of me. He’s really funny sometimes too, and his cat is the cutest feline I’ve ever seen.”

“He has a cat?!”

“Yeah! A real darling, that one. It’s a uniform silvery grey, with white chest and paws. Really elegant, especially when it sits with its forepaws placed dignified in front of its belly. You should go see it someday.”

“See what?” Gabriel interrupted as he gently served their lunch and sat down to join them.

“Emily says you have a beautiful cat,” Grace said, the excited gleam in her eyes betrayed the usual coolness she employs in front of guys.

“Yeah I do, its name is Weiwei,” Gabriel said with an obvious love and pride for his pet, “it is really intelligent. It could crack peanuts on its own. And its silvery coat has a really pretty shine to it. The pure white of its belly makes it look really innocent and adorable.”

“Wow,” Grace breathed.

“Yeah! You should go see it for yourself!” Emily piped in, “You’ll love it so much, I just know it.”

“Go see it?” Grace was taken aback. How could she see it, unless…..

“You two can come over to my place later if you like,” Gabriel offered, “I’m sure Weiwei wouldn’t mind the company.”

“Yeah right,” Emily pouted, “that cat just hates me.”

Gabriel laughed apologetically, “Maybe it’s partial against popular people. It doesn’t like Andrew very much either. So how ‘bout it Grace? Want to see it?”

Grace looked to Emily for reinforcement, and the profuse nodding of her head made Grace smile meekly at Gabriel and nodded in agreement.

“Perfect!” Gabriel exclaimed after looking at the smiling Grace a little longer than necessary. He has never seen Grace smile before and boy should she smile more. It softened her features and gave her the most innocent girl-next-door feel that would appeal to any emotionally-unattached guy in the vicinity. Unfortunately, he wasn’t one of them.

Emily noticed the lingering look Gabriel had on Grace, and felt her heart stop for a moment.

“Gab, have you thought about what gift I should get for Kevin?” she said, trying to break them out of the inexplicable impasse, “and let’s get going before it rains.” Emily said as she stood up, schooling her face into her usual amiable expression. She decided that sensitivity didn’t suit her.

“Rain? How would you know? Don’t tell me you could look through ceilings now.” Grace raised an eyebrow.

Emily looked up and scolded herself for being such an idiot, “I, err, knew it from the weather forecast.”

Grace nodded weakly, and allowed Gabriel to lead them towards the bus stop, not wanting to question Emily further.

When did Emily ever watch the news?

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

Chapter 13

Grace groaned as she stirred awake from the strangest dream she had ever had. She pulled the blanket over her face to block out the offending sunlight that was, in Grace’s opinion, shining a little too cheerily for her moods. Cuddling closer to her favorite pillow, she let herself delay the inevitable waking to the harsh realities of her world. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming towards her. Flinging the blanket away from her face, she spoke before she even opened her eyes, “Yes mum, I’m up.”

As if on auto-pilot, she brushed up and commenced her breakfast.

“Remember to bring the oranges. They’re your father’s favorite,” her mother said plainly, “and don’t be rude, he is still your father.”

Grace reigned in a particularly nasty comment with a huge stuffing of sandwich into her mouth, not trusting another other form of silencing. Her mother should not be subjected to the profanities she reserved for that man. She merely nodded in acknowledgement, and chewed her sandwich a little more viciously.

“Shouldn’t George be awake by now?” Grace asked. If she had to face that slime ball, she didn’t want to face it alone.

“George is not going with us today. Let the poor thing sleep, he came home quite late last night.”

Poor thing? Grace scoffed mentally. He was having his unfair share of fun with his friends in some club while I was killing myself with the tuition kid last night. Poor thing indeed. But Grace knew enough to keep her comments to herself. Her brother will always be the perfect boy in the eyes of her parents, because naturally, anything he did wrong was accredited to her. She would feel sick of such injustice if not for the fact that she was growing numb to everything.

“I am going out with some friends after eleven,” Grace informed her mothering a tone that didn’t allow negotiations.

“But I told you we will be there till lunch. You can’t just go there for 5 minutes and leave!”

“Be thankful I’m even going,” grace said with a sense of finality.

The journey to the hospital was pure dread to Grace. She felt that the taxi driver was driving unnecessarily too fast for her liking. At this rate, she would have to spend more than 5 minutes in the same room with that man.

All too soon, they arrived at the hospital. Grace followed as her mother led her through the chlorinated corridors of the hospital, feeling slightly nauseous as they past numerous wards. It reminded her of the time she followed her mother through similar corridors, only to reach the ward in which her grandfather had passed away. A loud click of the door handle alerted her to the dreadful knowledge that they had reached the ward. She peered in, and to her utter relief, found that the man was lying prone, his eyes closed in a deep sleep.

Grace placed the bag of oranges on the small table and fished out the apple she brought for herself. She settled herself in the chair near the window and contented herself with the juicy fruit. She could faintly hear her mother enquiring after her father’s condition from a passing nurse, but didn’t pay any attention to the details. All she felt was a sense of annoyance when the nurse assured her mother that the slight concussion her father had was nothing to be worried about.

Taking another bite off her apple, she checked her watch. There was still four minutes to go, and she hoped the heavens would be kinder to her and keep that man asleep. He was marginally more tolerable when unconscious. She fixed her attention outside the window and saw a wheelchair-bound old man staring blankly at a bed of yellow flowers. That vacant expression on his face made him look sicklier from this distance. Hospitals don’t do anyone any good, Grace decided. Her own grandfather had died in a hospital, right under the noses of the nurses and doctors that swarmed the place. She didn’t like doctors too, she decided bitterly. Grace got up from her chair, stalked to the table and grabbed her bad roughly before turning to the door.

“I’m off,” Grace said simply, “I hate hospitals.”

“But you only just came!”

“He isn’t awake anyway. Don’t wait up for me tonight, I’m going to be home late.” And with that, Grace stormed off, leaving her mother shaking her head sadly.

The moment she stepped out the door, she heard someone call her name from the other end of the corridor. She turned and saw a guy running towards her. It was Daniel.

“Hey Grace! I didn’t expect to see you here. What are you doing here for?” Daniel smiled genuinely at Grace.

“Visiting someone who hasn’t died yet,” Grace replied in a dull voice and started walking away from the ward she just exited.

Daniel must have picked up on the negative vibe coming from Grace, because he refrained from asking who she was visiting.

“I’m here to see my grandma. She slipped and fell, and injured her back the other day,” Daniel said in a falsely calm tone, and when Grace did not say anything in response, he continued, “You know, I saw this really cute cat roaming around the cafeteria. Maybe you want to go see it with me?”

Grace didn’t even look at him and said in that same dull voice, “No thanks. I’m meeting a friend.” Then she walked a little faster as they neared the hospital exit, and without a goodbye, she left; leaving Daniel to stand and watch as she disappeared around the corner.

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

Chapter 12

Andrew lay on his bed, trying to think about nothing in particular. But that irritating thought kept coming back, like an itch not properly scratched. He punched his pillow into a more comfortable shape. Surely, that was just an ordinary chat.

Wait a minute, when did Angel have chats with guys she barely knew? And she was smiling throughout the course of it!

He had a sudden urge to run ten laps around his room, but refrained from doing it because that would just prove that he was flustered. And Andrew never got flustered, especially over a girl. No, it was probably just the usual sugar rush after dinner, he decided.

He peered at the clock on the wall and rolled his eyes in defeat. There was no way he could wait another hour to call her at the usual 11pm. Picking up the phone and his resolution, he dialed the familiar number without looking at the number pad.

The phone rang in his ears, and already he was having second thoughts. What was he going to talk about? How was he going to ask her about Daniel? Maybe he shouldn’t talk about that at all. Maybe he should have just called at 11pm. But before he could hang up, the sweet voice poured into his ears.

“Hello?” Angel said sweetly.

“Hi, Angel, it’s me,” he said, sounding a little stiffer than usual.

“Oh hi!” came the excited voice, “is anything the matter?”

“What? Nothing! What could possibly be the matter?” Andrew laughed dryly.

“Then why did you call so early today?” apparently, Angel’s mind-reading powers extended through phone calls.

“Oh, I err…” Andrew stuttered, but before he could continue, a series of cough vibrated through the phone, “why hasn’t your cough gotten better? Have you been taking the cough syrup I got you?”

“Erm… it was much better this morning, so I—”

“Angel Sim! You better start taking care of yourself, or I will!!”

“You will what? Hang me by the hair?”

“No! Take ca— never mind!! Go take a spoonful of the syrup now!” He heard Angel put down the phone obediently and waited for her to come back.

“Done,” Angel said cheerfully.

“Good girl. How was lab today? I saw you talking to Daniel,” he said.

“Yeah, he was talking to Grace when I interrupted.”

“Grace? The girl who could kill just by staring at people?”

“Rubbish! She isn’t that scary,” Angel laughed. But she resolved within herself to make Grace smile more. That girl could seduce kings if only she smiled.

“Grace aside, what were you talking to Daniel about?” Andrew groaned to himself. He hoped that didn’t sound too jealous.

“Nothing much really, can’t remember anything important.”

“But you two were chatting so happily!!” Andrew cupped his mouth shut with his hands before he could say something more pathetic.

“Really? I didn’t notice. I barely know him,” Angel paused for a while before continuing, “is he a Scorpio?”

“How did you know?” Andrew said with a frown. And she said she barely knew Daniel. Hmpf.

“Lucky guess. Anyway, he asked me to join you two for Astronomy on Thursday,” she said shyly.

“He did?” Andrew felt suddenly angry with Daniel.

“Yeah. Are you alright?” Angel was shocked at the hostility in his voice, “you don’t mind me joining you, do you?”

“Of course not! I’ve been asking you to do that for ages. Why is it that you only agreed when he asked you?”

“Why does it matter? You aren’t jealous, are you?”

“Of course not!”

“You ARE jealous!! How cute!!” Angel giggled uncontrollably. It was refreshing to know someone got jealous over you.

“Am not! I was just asking!” came the indignant voice.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I understand,” she teased.

“I’m telling you—”

And so the two squabbled for the next ten minutes before Andrew realized how childish he sounded, and then sulked like a child until Angel coaxed him into talking again.

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