Chapter 11: Chapter 11

- Honey eyes

James's pov

When she turned her back to me, I knew she was going to walk away if I didn't stop her.

"Dei," I called, and started to second thoughts.

Her back was still turned to me. I hadn't intended to call her name, it just came out of my mouth, like a whisper. I saw her legs move, she was still planning on leaving?

My hands twitched to hold hers. Anything. Anything to stop her from leaving.

No, I wasn't going to press any further, I told myself.

Still, my legs moved closer to her, my hands reaching out to brush hers before I could stop myself. "Dei."

This time she turned and our faces were close. Then she looked away, obviously uncomfortable with our proximity. I saw her nibbling on her lips and searching for something in sight to distract herself. The act was so her.

She sighed. "Hi, James." Then continued searching for nothing on the floor. She was obviously nervous and oblivious to the fact that I too was a nervous wreck.

"Hi," I said, smirking. When she didn't reply I continued, "Wow, I should say you look... changed?" I arched a brow suggestively.

To anyone I was Mr.Bold, successfully playing the cool guy outside when inside I was a nervous wreck. My hands were shaking, but no one could see that as they stayed in the pockets of my pants. Good.

"Yeah, you could say that. A lot has changed." When she looked up, she held my gaze firmly this time, traces of nervousness almost foregone.

Damn that honey-colored eyes of hers. They were piercing through me like they could see my soul. I was the one who looked away then.

"If it isn't the kicking Martin huh?" Mrs. Barbson chuckled, walking up to me with open arms.

I smiled, welcoming her embrace. "And the ever so young Mrs.Barbson."

"No, no. I've been telling you all your life, call me Irene dear. Don't make me feel so staidly and married."

"Oh, but you're so married, honey, " Mr. Barbson imputed, hand circled on her waist. "But not staidly. My wildflower."

Wildflower? I thought amused.

The kiss he planted on his wife's forehead trailed. I arched my brows before my eyes roamed to catch a glimpse of Dei once more, but she was gone, all that was left was an empty space. She slipped this time, I didn't know where the desperation came from, but I sure wasn't going to let her slip away next time. How ironic.

"Hello, James." Mr.Barbson acknowledged, his right hand extended for a shake which I shook with courtesy.

"Sir," I said in acknowledgment, giving him a tight-lipped smile, but my mind wasn't with them.

My eyes were still roaming around the room, wanting to land on her again.

"Can you please not zoom off every second?" Mrs.Barbson chided, amusement lacing her tone.

"I- I apologize."

She giggled, finding my agitated state somewhat funny. If it wasn't for my sudden need to catch a glimpse of her daughter again, I would've laughed with her out of fondness.

"It's no problem son," Mr.Barbson assured, patting my shoulders lightly.

Thoughts of my father flashed through my mind. He'd pick an offense over my zooming off, as he did over everything. I knew he wasn't always the way he was and could only he wish he went back to the man I grew up knowing.

The house was filled with delicious aromas and beautiful women. I greeted the rest of the house before following after an impulsive Dawn. He'd persuaded me to tag along with him until we landed in the kitchen. And If I didn't go there with him, teasing him any chance I got, all the food in the house would be in his stomach already. He ate for a whole country.

One of the twin— even after all those years, I couldn't specify which—trailed behind Mrs.Barbson, and Mr.Barbson to pick up the trays of prepared meals for dinner. Dawn grumbled, complaining that nothing was left for him to munch on.

"You could eat us all," the twin who I was now sure was Aunt Mona from Dawn's earlier rants teased, slapping his hand away from the tray of food she was carrying.

Dinner was served in no time and the majority of diners were already seated. Mr. and Mrs. Barbson, my mum and sister, Dawn, Uncle Jamison, Aunt Mona, and Monic were present. Dawn was sitting right next to me, and the chair on my left was empty. The Barbson sisters weren't present.

"Dinner's served!" Aunt Monic yelled facing the direction of the stairs, I assumed calling for the girls.

Click.

Click.

The sound of heels cluttering, indicating that the girls were coming down.

"Yay!" Mari squealed walking faster to the table.

Come on, sit next to me. I thought hopefully but she took a seat across me.

The clicking sound of heels came again. I looked up to see Dei and Sia, their hands were locked together as they stood scanning the room for where to sit.

Sia broke off from Dei's hold and was going to take a seat. Again I made a silent plea for her to sit on the chair that was empty beside me. She took a seat between Zara and Aunt Mona instead.

That left Dei and one vacant seat.

Well, fuck me.

She visibly sighed before coming to take the last seat, next to me. I didn't miss the twitching of her fingers even though her head was held up high as she strutted.

If she was nervous then that left me a hole of wrecking nerves, and with the way, I was battling it, I could've sworn horror was written all over my face.

"Bruh," Dawn whispered peering at me and snickering, making it obvious to me that horror was indeed plastered all over my face.

He patted my shoulder a little and then gave me a thumbs up from under the table. I could tell he was pleased with the seating arrangements, for whatever his sick reason was, it was quite obvious with the smug look that wasn't wiping of his face.

"So, James tells them about your trip to Paris, " Zara suggested 10 minutes into dinner, mouth full.

"Mouth's full," I said muffled —even though there was hardly any food in my mouth—hoping to get her attention away from me.

She just had a way of making me edgy, asking me to tell a table full of diners about a trip I made two years ago?

"Stop being such a bore," Sia joined in, whining, "tell us, I really want to hear" she sounded quite inquisitive.

" Sia," Dawn called sternly, "I think you should let him eat."

"It's fine." I countered, trying to play cool.

I went on telling them about the months I toured Paris, the infamous city of love that made me really bitter in the first weeks I spent there because it was all too ironic. A heartbroken man in a city of love. Alone and shattered.

"It really was no big deal. Dad needed a person to check up on his stakes there, and I happened to have needed a distraction. It was me killing two birds with one stone so I welcomed it wholeheartedly." I paused gazing at Dei from the corner of my eyes. She happened to have paused her eating and was staring down her plate intently. "There, no biggie." I shrugged in conclusion.

Up until today, I wondered why I'd gone with Dawn's idea of going to Paris. In his words, being away from home was a much-needed distraction and I could get lucky with a 'mademoiselle'.

Going to Paris didn't make me feel any better, if anything, it made me feel worse. Seeing lovers everywhere when I was nursing a broken heart wasn't what I needed at that time.

I recalled skyping with Dawn at the end of the first day I'd been there, mentally cussing him for the most part of the call, till I couldn't hold the cusses back in and started plunging them at him.

He'd laughed at me, then suggested I gawk at as many ladies I could and that I'd forget her then.

I couldn't though, no other woman caught my fancy and nothing could make me forget her.

Two years later, she was sitting beside me and when I was supposed to feel bitter towards her for ending things with me without a single word of explanation, my stupid heart was thumping for her, and definitely not in hate.

Tuck!

The sound of cutlery hitting the floor quieted the room. It came from my left.

Dei.

Immediately, I reached down to help her retrieve whatever cutlery had fallen.

Reaching down, my hand came in contact with her softer —from a single touch— and more delicate one. I was supposed to move my hand from hers to continue searching for what had cluttered, but I couldn't. Hers wasn't moving either. I looked up to her, my eyes locking with her honey-brown glassy eyes.

Electric.

Sparks.

Tension.

Supposed anger for breaking my heart forgotten.

Sudden desire present.

That moment I couldn't help but wonder how she'd feel beneath my touch, would she still tremble? Would she shudder if I graze her arms with my fingertips?

The urge to drop my eyes to her lips and then up to her eyes again just to see if her lips would still tuck beneath her teeth like it always does when I did that came, but I ignored it.

"It's a fork, not a pin. It can't be that difficult to find. Come back up here," The unmistaken voice of Uncle Jamison came, making Dei shudder out of the spell we might’ve have been.

Dropping her gaze from mine, she found the fork and muttered a 'sorry' as she sat back up.

"Alright," I said to no one, continuing on my meal and not meeting the curious glare I was getting from Dawn... and Mari?

"Your food was getting cold," Dawn mumbled under his breath, fetching another full spoon of chicken soup.

Damn nosy foodie.

The rest of the dinner was uncomfortable as hell. With Deila sitting next to me, then the tingles that stayed after what had happened under the table, I hardly enjoyed the taste of any food I shoved into my mouth.

Ice cream —of different flavors— was served as dessert. I loved the strawberry flavor, and thankfully I got it. Not that I need anything in my mouth that wasn't Dei's lips.

Curious to know if her taste had changed along with the things she said had changed earlier, I looked down at her small bowl of dessert. Chocolate it was, and chocolate it always had been. Memories of the countless arguments we had on which flavor was better between strawberry and chocolate, flooded me for a moment before Wild Flower by 5 Seconds of Summer started to play.

The room fell silent, again.

Wildflower

Wildflower

It continued playing,

I hear you calling up my name

I love the sound, I love the taste

And I can see it in your face

You've got a side you can't explain

I caught the glances exchanged among the Barbsons.

The look on Mrs. Barbson's face said she was the most displeased by the interruption. She looked pointedly between her children with paused lips then Sia and Mari fixed their stares on Deila, knowingly.

I looked to my left and saw a vibrating phone beside her and the realization that the ringing phone was hers hit me. I seemed to be the last person on the table to realize as every glare was fixated on her. I could only imagine what it felt like to be at the receiving end at such dead glares. I was uncomfortable on her behalf.

Everything seemed to be about her, or was it just in my head? She definitely was all that was in my head.

"Excuse me," She muttered, standing, at the same time grabbing her phone then she proceeded to the stairs.

Seconds later, she was out of sight and dessert continued.