WestFiction- "In the Arms of an Angel" by Xtine

“Can I…” his voice trailed off. He cleared his throat. What's wrong with you, Feehily? All you want is her number! “Can I…” somehow the words won't come out.

“Mark, do you want to have my mobile number?” she asked, eyeing him, a smile toying on her lips.

He nodded. “YES!” he screamed a bit excitedly. “I`d be very delighted!”

She chuckled. “Don't get too excited. It's just my number.” She took her mobile and sent him a business card. “There ya go, sweetie.”

“Thanks a lot. So, um, do you have anything to do?”

“Nothing much. Suddenly I lost interest hanging out with Anya. She could make goo-goo eyes with Shane for all I care.”

She sounded jealous. Does she like Shane? Should I ask her out? “Um, would you like to go to Hazelwoods with me?”

Her eyes lit up like candles. “Yeah,” she happily agreed. “I`d love that. Let’s go.”

“Aren't you going to say goodbye to your cousin and Shane?” Mark asked.

“Nah,” she declined and took his hand into hers, pulling him persistently. “Let’s go.”

They talked all the way to the woods, laughing and giggling like children. Gaby would often look up to Mark and flash him a smile that makes his tummy go wild. Finally they reached the place where they first met. Gaby sat on a stump, her legs crossed and a sated smile was plastered on her face. Mark sat beside her, plucked several grasses and played with it.

“This is such a romantic place,” she noted, her eyes moving around the place, trying to capture the beauty of the place with one look. “I wish I could bring my boyfriend here.”

Mark’s heart sank to the sole of his shoes. He's got a boyfriend!!! his head screamed. Quit thinking about her then. “What's his name?” He must be the Sean lad, he concluded.

“Who?” she turned around and stared at him.

“Your boyfriend.”

She chuckled and rumpled his soft dark brown hair. “I don't have a boyfriend, silly. What I meant was, if I have someone, I`d love to take him here.”

Mark didn't hear the last sentence. All he could hear was the church bells ringing in his ears. She's single! She's single! his head chanted. I have a chance! I have a chance! But who is Sean?

“How'd you know about Sean?” she suddenly asked, her eyes growing wide.

Oh great, Mark thought, I must have uttered my thoughts aloud. “Yesterday when you, um, grabbed me, you were calling his name.”

“While kissing you?” she asked incredulously.

He nodded. “Is he an ex-flame? You don't have to answer that.”

“He was my bestfriend. Well, he is. He was. Argh,” she groaned. “I don't know if we're still friends. I've known him for 5 years and he was always there for me through hell and back again. But a confession made everything change.”

“What made it change?” he inquired, interested with the flow of events.

“I told him I love him. He freaked out and told me he can't give me that kind of love because to him, I'm just his sister. Ever since that fateful night, nothing's been the same. He didn't even bid me goodbye when I left,” she narrated bitterly, biting her lower lip as if to prevent it from trembling.

Mark reached over and squeezed her arm. “I'm sorry,” he truly was.

“I should probably believe that guys and girls could never be only ‘just friends’ because at one point, one of them will start feeling differently.”

“No,” he protested soundly. “Avril and I grew up together but we don't look at each other that way. We really are just friends.”

“Well, lucky for you. Sometimes I wish I kept my feelings intact. I probably would still have him,” she looked ahead, running her hands through her cropped hair.

“Do you still love him?” he asked, hoping she no longer feels anything for Sean.

She shrugged. “Part of me will always love him. But I guess I've moved on.” She turned around to face him. “I'm sorry I called you Sean. I guess at the back of my mind, I wanted him so much. But I'm not sorry for kissing you!”

He smiled widely. “Good! Because I would get mad if you apologize for kissing me!”

“Cheeky git!” she cried, grabbing a handful of grasses and chucked it to him. Mark ducked and grabbed her ankles and yanked her to where he was sitting. They were both laughing hysterically, tears coming out from their eyes. Mark started tickling Gaby`s tummy, poking and pinching her, making her squirm.

“Mark!” she screamed, trying to get away from Mark’s grip. “Stop it! That tickles so much!”

“I won't stop,” he retorted, his face inches away from her. She smells wonderful, he thought, smiling. He went on tickling her while she squirmed about.

She yelped. “You have to stop,” she was getting breathless from laughing, “or else I`ll pee in your face!”

Mark abruptly stopped. “Aww…where’s your sense of humor?” he let her go and slumped on the floor, pouting his lips.

Gaby smiled inspite of herself. Now that Mark has let go of her, it was her turn to avenge herself. She crouched infront of him and smiled. “My sense of humor?” she looked around, staring at her hands. “HERE!” she screamed and attacked him, poking and tickling mercilessly. Mark laughed girlishly and squirmed more than she did!

“ARGH! I fell on the trap!” he groaned, letting her tickle him. It felt good.

Gaby guffawed, and then before they knew it she was on top of him.

“Lovely view,” Mark commented cheekily.

She swatted his arm and tried to escape from his grip. But he was far too strong for her. He clamped his feet to her ankles, making her almost immobilized. “Come on, Mark,” she cried weakly.

“Come where?” Okay, that didn't sound right, he thought cheekily.

“Let me go,” she protested quietly. She didn't want him to let her go but being this close to him makes her heart flutter and the butterflies in her tummy come to life. It didn't sound good to her.

“I wish I could,” he whispered softly, his hands cupping her face, caressing them with gentleness. “Believe me, Gaby. I wish I could let you go that easily. But I can't.”

She could hear a tinge of pain in his voice. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“I wish I could just walk away from you and just go on with my life. But somehow I can't,” he confessed, not caring if he was baring his soul to her. “I've been thinking about you since that kiss.”

“What were you thinking about me?” she relaxed under his touch, looking at his eyes, hoping she’d see her face in those big blue eyes of his.

“I was thinking when I`ll see you again or where I can find you. I was thinking how much I feel so close to you as if somehow, somewhere I've seen you. I was thinking…” his voice trailed off. He couldn't go on with Gaby`s fingers splayed on his chest as it was creating an intoxicating effect on him.

She looked up again, her eyes smoky with passion. “Yeah? Go on.” She moved closer, her lips a hair's breadth away from his.

He eyed her mouth and licked his lips quickly. “I was thinking if, um, if, I`ll ever get to…” words suddenly escaped him. He was never good at this. Say it, Feehily! This is your chance, he urged himself. “I was thinking if I`ll ever get to…” Gaby cut him off and kissed him softly. He stared at her for a while and then gave in to the kiss. Gaby`s lips were soft against him. He opened his lips a bit, tasting hers and nibbling on her lower lip gently. His hands crept up from her back and pushed her gently closer to him. He rolled them together so she was lying on her back and he, on top.

Gaby opened her eyes, smiling up to him. Mark stopped in mid air. “Don’t stop,” Gaby pleaded, lacing her arms around his neck. Mark nodded and kissed her, his lips opening to welcome her tongue. Gaby was so lost now. She wanted this. How many times have she dreamed about this? She has lost count. Now she’s living her dreams and it was far from what she had imagined. This is real.

Several minutes later, Mark was resting his head on her chest, sleeping soundly. Gaby ran her hand through his head, liking the feel of his soft dark brown locks. She sighed. Her head was swimming with wild thoughts. Her heart was racing savagely and so was her pulse. The butterflies in her tummy have come to life intensely and she could feel the tingling sensation on her toes. She looked down at the head sleeping on her chest and she felt scared. He could probably feel her heart. He could probably feel my heart pounding, she thought. Fear ran through her. She didn't want this anymore. She didn’t want to be this close and passionate with someone. She could her alarm bells ringing from the back of her head. But she could hear her heart thumping the most. It was the sound of her heart falling in love.

CHAPTER 21

Gaby walked slowly to where Shane was standing. His mum told her Shane was in the stable, tending the horses. “Hey,” she greeted, giving him a peck on the cheek. “How are ya?”

Shane almost dropped the pail of oats he was carrying. “Gaby!” he half-shrieked. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

She smiled. “Sorry. So how are ya?” It has been three days since they last met. The last time they saw each other was after the bash Ronan gave the lads at the Equinox. Shane and Mark invited her and Anya to graze the party. They were delighted to be there and they had an ace time laughing, drinking, partying and goofing with all of them. Bryan was definitely the funniest guy amongst the five of them. Kian was the ladies man. He was chatting up girls every now and then. Nicky was friendly and it was awfully sweet the way he’d look and smile at Georgina. Shane was really game that night, massively dancing with Gaby and mostly Anya. Mark spent the night dancing with Gaby and occasionally sitting down by the bar when Shane took turns in dancing with her. The party lasted until four in the morning.

“I'm fine,” Shane said quietly.

Gaby eyed her friend, sensing something. “Something’s amiss.”

He turned around to face her, giving her a fake smile. “Nothing’s wrong, Gaby. What could possibly bother me?”

“You tell me,” she challenged. His eyes were avoiding hers and he was clenching his jaws every now and then.

He shook his head, brushing off his mood. “It’s nothing I can't handle.”

Shane just blew her off and she was hurt. He doesn't trust her enough to tell her what’s troubling her and that hurts her. She sighed heavily. “Ok,” she replied quietly, turning around to walk away and go home. It was pointless to talk to him when he won't look at her.

“Gaby,” he cried, running after her. “Don’t go. Please. Don't leave,” he pleaded, blocking her path.

“Shane, I wish you would tell me what’s bothering you,” she said, looking haggard.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he reasoned out.

“Try me. Maybe I would.”

He took her hands into his, playing with them. He couldn't look at her for it will reveal everything he's hiding. But this was the right time. Before Mark could make his move. Before she becomes Mark's girlfriend. Or is she now? he asked himself. “Gaby,” he began, his voice trembling. “See, I have this friend named, erm, Ricky, and he's in love with his friend named, erm, Marie, who he only knows for less than a week. He wants to tell Marie he loves her but his friend, Freddie, loves her too.” Wow, he thought proudly, I'm a good storyteller!

“So what’s the problem?” she asked, listening to the story he carefully contrived.

He cleared his throat. “The problem? Ricky is afraid that if he tells Marie he loves her, she'll reject him, walk away and stop being friends with him. What if she doesn't want him for anything but a friend? You see, my friend already feels weird falling in love with her that fast.”

Oh my God! her head screamed. Shane's in love with me! He's in love with me! “Take the risk, Shane. You'll never know.”

CHAPTER 22

Shane heaved a sigh of relief. There must be some chance here, he thought merrily. “Thanks! I`ll tell Ricky that.” He let go of her hands and walked away from her. What the hell are you doing? Tell her now, Filan! Tell her now!

Gaby stood there, studying Shane debate with himself. He slowly turned around, his forehead wrinkled in confusion and uncertainty. “Gaby, I love you!” he blurted out.

“Shane…I…” her voice trailed off. Somehow she doesn't know what to say; her heart was beating normally and there were no butterflies in her tummy. What does she do now? She didn't know how to break it to him as gently as possible. Sean must have felt this way when I told him I love him. What do I tell him? She started pacing. “I…I don't know what to say.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her from pacing. “I know it's insane but I do love you. I do. Ever since you showed me the smiling baby.”

Gaby reached up to his face and caressed it with her thumb. “Shane. I love you too…”

“You do?” Shane cut her, his eyes widening with joy.

“Wait, Shane. Listen to me,” she commanded. “I love you as a friend. You're so dear to me I don't know what I`ll do if I lose you now. I need you in my life. But not as a lover.”

His face dropped. The hopefulness he felt seconds ago escaped him. He felt like he was punched and air was being taken away from him. He found it hard to breathe and he had to turn away from her. What she told him felt almost like a physical blow.

“Don't turn away from me, Shane. Please,” she pleaded hoarsely as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“What do you want me to say, Gaby? I love you. But you don't. It hurts.” He explained quietly, still not facing her.

“I know how it feels, trust me. Not a long time ago I told my very bestfriend that I love him. And look where we are now! I lost him. I'm not saying I will do what he did to me and cut all ties with you because I can't. Shane,” she walked around and lifted Shane's face to meet hers. “Listen, I love you dearly. You're my bestfriend now. I told myself on the plane that if I could make you see the cloud formation of the smiling baby, you’d be my friend for life and you saw it! By some act of fate, you saw it! Please don't be mad at me or shy away from me. The last thing I need is to lose a friend like you.”

“I'm sorry,” he whispered dejectedly, his eyes filled with sadness. “I wish I could make you love me. I wish you’d look at me the way you’d look at Mark.”

“Mark?” she quizzed. “The way I look at Mark?”

“Yeah. You look at him as if he's the world. Your eyes light up like stars when you see him. You have this constant smile when you talk to him. It’s insane. It drives me mad with jealousy!” Shane confessed, taking her hands and squeezing them.

“Oh Shane!” she exclaimed. “Is it that obvious?”

“To me, at least. That's because I watch your moves and all.”

“Promise me you won't tell him, ok? Don't let him know how I feel,” she begged.

He nodded. “I won't,” and he made a sign of the cross by his heart.

“So,” she said, feeling shy all of a sudden “you're still my bestfriend?”

He looked up to her, smiling, the sadness his eyes have lessened. “Yup! I`d settle for that. I`d rather have you as a friend than not have you in my life.”

“Aww…you're awfully sweet Shaney. I love you,” she whispered, pulling him for a hug.

“I love you too,” he kissed her cheek and sighed, happy that he was able to tell her how he feels even if the outcome broke his heart.

“Shane,” Gaby breathed in his ears, several minutes later when their emotions have calmed down.

“Yeah, Gab?” he looked up and smiled at her. Having her in his arms felt great. He knows he'll never get close to her as Mark would but he's happy enough with it.

“Next time,” she started, stifling a giggle, “you contrive a hypothetical situation, don't use my second name or Mark's nickname. You were so obvious!”

His face fell. She knew all along! “Now I feel stupid!” he exclaimed, heat rushing up to his face.

She laughed loudly, pinching his cheeks. “You’re just too lovely, Stevie boy!”

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