Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Mabel was now standing in front of me. Her eyes flashed with hurt. I didn't expect her response to be this heavy after I accidentally mentioned Selena. I should never have dragged Selena into this.

"Don't tell me you were just joking when you proposed to me? You were just curious about me, weren't you? You used the opportunity to get close to me when you found out I was heartbroken?" Mabel shrieked, her face turning pale. She jumped to conclusions herself.

Mabel wasn't completely wrong. But I never got close to any other woman behind her back after proposing to her. I'm not an easy man who's close to women here and there.

"You want to go now to see her?"

"You're crazy! You don't understand I'm mad at you right now?" Mabel started punching me in the chest. I let her do that until her final blow started to weaken. That's where I took her hands in mine.

"I don't want to say anything in defense, but I just want you to give me a chance to take you to her." I spoke flatly, didn't know why I felt the need to make Mabel believe me that what she was thinking was wrong. Mabel needed to know about Selena.

Mabel froze after what I said. She returned my frail stare. "Only if you tell me who this Selena is,"

I sighed softly knowing Mabel wasn't the type to back down from her questions. "She was my girlfriend,"

Mabel sucked in a deep breath, but didn't let it out, letting it stay in her throat cavity.

"Mabel, look-" I tried to reach her again.

"No, Adrian! You listen to me," Mabel pushed my hand away from her. "I'm not your kind of escape. After you said you'd marry me after I loved you, I was working for it! I'm trying to let Ashton go,"

I was stunned. Mabel did that for me?

"It wasn't very easy for me, but I keep trying to see you the way I see Ashton." Mabel ran her fingers through her wavy hair. She bit her lower lip and sat down on the edge of the bed.

I couldn't stand to see Mabel suffer with her thoughts anymore. I forced myself to tell the truth. "Selena's gone. She's dead, Mabel."

Mabel stared straight down before finally looking up at me. I looked at her, trying to make her see the honesty in my words.

"Selena was the first woman I fell in love with. More specifically, she made me know that I was capable of loving someone." I chuckled bitterly. "I loved her so much, maybe even now. I'm sorry, Mabel. But I don't know how to make myself forget her. Every minute my head is filled with her figure, her smile, and her soft voice. I don't even know if I'm going to work out with you. But I can try. I mean, let me try." I added in a low voice.

I was too busy with my eternal pain, not realizing Mabel was standing right in front of me. She cupped my cheeks and made me look into her sincere eyes.

"We can both learn to love each other without letting our love for the other go. Love is too pure from the heart, and we have no power to force it."

I smiled and brought my forehead closer to Mabel's. I never thought there would be another woman who could make me feel this comfortable. My arms slipped around her, to comfort and secure her.

"I want you to meet her,"

Mabel smiled tenderly and gave off the most perfect smile I had ever seen from her. "Take me to her,"

No matter how dark the sky was, and the street lights were turning on for the night, Mabel and I were still on our way to Selena's final resting place.

I was driving my car in silence as I glanced briefly at Mabel who didn't look back at me at all. What's on her mind? Even though I was not majoring in psychology, I could see something bothering her from the way she didn't stop looking for a comfortable sitting position to the look in her eyes. Her eyes showed concern.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to know?" Nervously, Mabel finally asked. "I'm just afraid that going there will only break your heart again."

Mabel sighed, then added in a very soft whisper. "Considering you still love her..."

Mabel worried about my feelings. It made me smile so thinly that she couldn't see it.

"I don't mind," I answered without turning my head to her, because I knew Mabel was still staring at me, trying to read my thoughts.

"If I may ask, was Selena sick before she died?"

Mabel always asked me questions that immediately stung in my heart. I shook my head trying to keep my focus on the wheel. "Accident befell her,"

"How did you feel?"

"What?" I was too surprised by Mabel's next question. I guessed she'd be asking what happened next after Selena had the accident.

"Ah, forget it. My question is stupid. Of course, you'd be very sad. I'm sorry, I made you remember those bitter memories."

"No," I stopped her from pretending not to want to know my answer to the question. "I wasn't okay at the time. I failed to protect her, failed to be a boyfriend, and failed to be a man."

I held back the disappointment in myself and flinched when a soft caress landed on the back of my hand. It made me turn to the only woman sitting next to me.

"I just wanted you to share your feelings with me. But instead I made you remember all that again..." Mabel smiled sadly as she stroked my hand gently, loosening my grip on the steering wheel. "Don't talk about yourself like that. Can you imagine if Selena could hear it? Of course, she would be sad to know that her boyfriend is still blaming himself for her leaving,"

I glanced at the touch of her hand and felt the warmth from it. The thoughts in my head seemed to be blank, no words seemed worth saying. I didn't want to deny Mabel's words, because I thought it would only bring her down. And I also didn't like to explain my sadness more deeply.

After a rather awkward journey afterwards, we finally arrived. I gave Mabel the jacket that was in the back seat of my car. The night air made her shiver quite a bit. It was actually not a good idea to come at night. I used my phone's flashlight and led the way.

I looked into Mabel's face when we finally got to Selena's grave. Mabel said nothing, but stared at the tombstone with a dark, inexplicable look in her eyes. I then went silent and rubbed the ground on Selena's grave.

"Hi,"

I turned to Mabel when she finally spoke. And the first thing she said was "Hi,"

"I'm Mabel,"

Mabel did the introductions? I remained silent while watching Mabel do as she wished.

"Today for the first time, I finally found out about you, Selena." Mabel knelt next to me to touch the tombstone with Selena's name on it. "We haven't had the chance to meet in this world, but I feel like I know you more than anything. Somehow,"

I kept looking at Mabel, unable to take my eyes off her.

Mabel's expression softened, so giving off a radiant aura that made her face more beautiful than usual. "Thank you also for showing how to love Adrian. Now he is a better man because of you. Even though he's still annoying, well that's his nature. Who can change it?"

Mabel chuckled as she glanced at me with a wink. It made me imagine if Selena was still alive, the two of them would definitely be good friends.

"Rest in peace, Selena." Mabel added at the end of her words. Her gaze returned to me. "From now on, if you want to visit Selena, take me with you."

I just stared back at her without confirming or just giving a nod. That night, unlike usual, I had no words to say to Selena. I didn't even know what to say. I actually enjoyed how Mabel talked to Selena.

"Adrian?" Mabel tapped me on the shoulder, thinking I wasn't listening.

"Let's go home," I got up and left her.

"Adrian!" Mabel hastily followed me from behind in a hurry. "Why do you like to leave me so much?"

I kept walking until I felt Mabel slip her arm around mine. "This is better," When I glanced sideways at Mabel, the woman was already smiling at me.

After that Mabel and I didn't talk to each other on the way home. I enjoyed the silence in a good way. I felt calm like a burden and my problems didn't bother me at all.

Mabel had yawned a few times. Her face looked exhausted, so when we arrived in front of her mansion, I told her to immediately go upstairs to her room.

"Where are you going?" Mabel asked, holding me back by tugging my elbows at her.

Her family seemed to have fallen asleep, because there were only a few servants and bodyguards who greeted us.

"Stay," said Mabel.

"I can't," I refused, not having the heart to return Mabel's sleepy look. "Hurry to your room. You need to rest,"

"No, if you don't accompany me."

I stroked Mabel's head with a gentle smile. "I have business to do,"

"At this time of night?" Mabel finally let go of her grip on me. "Is the business you're talking about a business that will harm you?"

I sighed deeply. "You know who I am and what I do,"

Mabel's face fell. She was no longer looking at me in the eye, and that made me unhappy.

"Okay," Mabel mumbled and turned away. "Be careful on the way,"

Now it was my turn to grab Mabel's elbow, stopping her from taking a step further away from me. It made her back body bump into my front body. I startled her with my sudden movement. "Sorry not tonight. But I promise, tomorrow night I will accompany you to sleep." I whispered right in her ear.

Mabel was shivering violently and it made me want to tease her even more. My hands wrapped around her waist and now I kissed the exposed part of her neck, giving her a light kiss there for her to remember.

I let us in that position for a few minutes. Her scent was so velvety, and it made me addicted. Mabel didn't even comment, enjoying the closeness between us too.

"Good night," I whispered breathlessly. I'm still a man, and if I went that close for a few more seconds, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from wanting to taste her moist lips.

And then I just walked towards the exit without glancing at Mabel one last time. I ruffled my hair with the feeling of wanting to touch her further, and I knew it would only end badly the next day.

I could vaguely see the silhouettes of two people from the front door. I also saw another car just parked beside mine. Until the voice of a man I fully recognized pulled me closer to the silhouette.

"What are you here for, Anthonio?" Rainy sounded furious, so grumpy, and not as soft as her usual voice.

"I just need to make sure you're okay," Anthonio sounded desperate. A man as cold as him sounded like a lovesick boy from high school right now.

"You've seen me now, haven't you? Now I'm not okay because you visited me!" Rainy bluffed as if the man she was talking to wasn't a mafia leader.

I smiled at the new facts. I immediately hid so that they would not notice my presence.

Two can play at that game.