♪ I could make you happy, make your dreams come true. Nothing that I wouldn't do. Go to the ends of the Earth for you. To make you feel my love. ♫
Angela pursed her lips, wanting so badly to say yes, but part of her was holding her back. Would she put herself on the same chair? It's like giving him permission to hurt her again. And she didn't know if she was willing to go through the emotions all over again.
She knew that it wasn't fair to both of them. She kept her secrets. He kept his. But hers were a dark part of her that she didn't want to go through again. She didn't admit to anyone—though they probably already knew—that she went through a stage of depression. And Angela felt like if she had to recall the past, she'd have to go through that again. Sometimes, some episodes would occur, but she's better now. Not strong, but better.
And Gael... He would always have secrets with him. It's part of who he was. And what happened last night confirmed what she was afraid of—that no matter how much she liked him, she didn't fit into his world.
Arranged marriage to stop a war? The closest she had experienced to having a controlling parent was her father pushing her to find a husband and forbidding her to write hence using a pen name to hide her identity, but even so, no one's life was at stake—a far cry to Gael's family who would continue to be in a war unless they follow that sickening order.
Was she that selfish to let herself be with him despite what the universe had laid out? That would mean she'd choose her happiness despite knowing it would hurt a family—two families—one of her best friend and the other of the man she loved.
Wait… Love? Her heart hammered in her chest.
"Angel..."
His voice interrupted her train of thoughts. Clearing her throat to mask her emotions, she softly answered, "Gael, I... I haven't made up my mind yet. I know you still have things to tell me, but I'm not even sure if I want to hear it. Nina is my best friend. I've already kept things from her and whatever you have planned... I don't want to have to choose. I don't think I'm strong enough. So I don't want to talk about it tonight. I already feel like I'm drowning..."
"It kills me to see you hurting, and it's all my fault." He took a deep breath, headache creeping up to the top of his head. Seeing how torn she was, he didn't want to make her choose too. And he wouldn't ever make her do that, but the only way she'd understand was if he'd tell her the truth. Even then, he wasn't certain she'd believe him or want to be with him. Clenching his jaw, he gently rested his cheek against the side of her head and whispered, "Tell me what I can do for you right now to ease your pain."
After a beat, she responded, "Let me have tonight. Just dance with me."
He could do that. So he nodded. "I'll dance with you all night if I have to."
And they danced for two more love songs before Angela's feet started to hurt. She barely even realized that they were on the dance floor with hundreds of her relatives around them. It was only when she caught sight of Lyra and their other cousins who had the same personality as her that Angela noticed several people watching her and Gael. Her cousins blatantly whispered to each other while looking at her. Angela didn't want to know what they talked about. There's nothing good that came out of knowing what it was.
Gael walked Angela towards a round table not far from the main table. It was the only empty one as most of the guests were at the dance floor or visiting other tables. She hissed as she sat and checked on her feet, lightly rotating them to relieve the soreness.
"Here." He patted his lap, signaling her to put her feet up on it.
She stared and blinked. It was tempting, but she shook her head. "No, it's okay."
Letting out a sigh, he picked up both of her feet and planted them on his lap. "We don't have to talk about it tonight, but you don't have to stop yourself when you clearly want me to do this for you." Then he started removing her shoes off.
Angela didn't think she'd blush this hard in her life. Why would he say that? Averting her gaze, she grabbed an unopened bottle of water and twisted the cap. She nearly spilled some water on herself when Gael began massaging the balls of her feet. Her eyes involuntarily closed, and she had to bite her bottom lip to stop herself from moaning. His hands were like magic—like a drug to relieve a migraine. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was doing this to seduce her.
He wasn't...was he?
She opened her eyes and looked up, catching a hint of a smile threatening to show on his lips as he looked somewhere else.
Gael was cheeky as hell. But Angela wasn't about to make him stop. The massage felt too good.
For a while, the air was quiet between them. They enjoyed the music from the live band and just being in their little bubble. It was only the two of them at the table, and they weren't talking, but it was okay.
Then she remembered something. "I spoke to Susan this afternoon," she said.
Gael turned to face her, his eyes widening in surprise. His grandmother hadn't told him anything. "What did you talk about?"
"I sent her a message to thank her yesterday, and she replied in the evening. I could only respond today. Anyway, she called after receiving my text, and we were on the phone for a few minutes just talking about what I planned for Christmas and what they were doing in New York."
He smiled, thankful that despite their situation, Angela didn't alienate his grandmother. Relieved that she was sharing what she did the whole day, he didn't interrupt her as she began recalling that she tried to learn how to use the espresso machine. She looked like a kid who was so excited about her new toy—he couldn't ruin her momentum for fear of her remembering they still had matters at hand and have her shut him off again.
So he listened, a hint of a smile dancing on his lips as she attempted to explain what she did with the machine. He would have loved to see her do those things in person.
"I wanted to keep making more, but I can't possibly keep drinking coffee. So I guess I'll just have to try it once or twice a day," she remarked.
"Did you take pictures? I know grandma would love to see them," Gael told her.
"I did, actually. But I haven't shown her anything. I don't think I would. It looks silly." She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her screen before showing it to him.
Hmmm… Gael received the phone and tilted his head, figuring out what she wanted to make while not wanting to offend her. She said she attempted to make one of those latte art designs she saw somewhere. He was sure it was an animal, but…the one she made was... He gulped. She's waiting for him to say something. "It's cute."
"What did you think it was?" She narrowed her eyes.
"A...b...tiger?" he hesitated. The thing looked like a bear but with whiskers.
Angela's mouth hung open. "What do you mean? It's a cat!"
Shît. "Tigers are big cats," he tried to save himself.
She snatched her phone from his hand and frowned, lowering her feet from his lap. "I'm no longer showing you anything."
Before Gael could appease her, Oliver came to their table and informed Angela, "Uncle Wilfred wants to talk to you."
"Uncle Wilfred?" She looked at the main table where her uncle, the current head of the Su Clan, was sitting. "What does he want from me?"
Oliver shrugged then glanced at Gael before urging Angela to stand up.
She looked reluctant as she got to her feet, and he thought she needed some support, so Gael offered, "Do you want me to go with you?"
Judging by Oliver's subtle glance at Gael, she guessed it had something to do with him. Whatever it was, it would be best for her to go alone. "It's okay. I'm sure it's nothing. Do you mind waiting?"
"No. Go on. I'll check in with Rick in the meantime." He got up from his seat, watching her walk with her brother towards the main table. Once he saw her sit down, he headed out of the hall to make a phone call.
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