章節 287: Unsettling conversation
"Did you know that Giselle returned?" Lillian said to Diego.
Not sure what prompted her to ask such things to him, but she was genuinely curious to know if Diego knew about Giselle.
Meanwhile, the guy had trouble time answering her. He contemplated whether to agree to his awareness of Giselle's return or not. At first, he did learn about it through his confidential resources. However, Anna, who went to the party that Giselle invited, sent him an elaborated text, expressing her delight in meeting Giselle after several years.
"Hmm... I heard it from Anna," Diego replied finally.
'What? It's weird.' - Lillian thought after reading Diego's offhanded expression. Nonetheless, she ignored to continue.
"She returned home after several years, but only meets Anna and invites her to the party," Lillian said, sulking on top of the counter, pouting to her childish side.
"Hmm."
Diego hastily finished his Gimlet and signaled for Rum.
'Ah! He is doing it again!' - Lillian could see it clear to her sight of the shift in Diego's expression as he listened to her and replied. Disregarding it for a random pretext, she returned to chat.
It wasn't that Lillian failed to connect his attitude to her centered subject, but she yearned for a friend to listen to her rant. Diego was still closer to her and being drinking buddies, sometimes Lillian shares her deepest thoughts with him more willingly. It made Diego feel special, and he was all ears to her tales. Though, this time was different because the topic wasn't to his interest.
At first, he felt exhilarated from getting invited by Lillian. But seeing her talk about Giselle started to agitate him. Diego endured to his best. With the help of liquor, he maintains his patience to continue to listen to her.
"Did you know that she has a kid now?" Lillian said to startle the pre-occupied Diego.
"Yeah," Diego exhales as he admits.
'I don't like this.' - he thought to himself.
The reason behind such a feeling is that Lillian never talked about Giselle to him specifically, but suddenly hearing, it probably meant that something happened.
Diego became curious to dig for more.
"Why are you suddenly talking about it?" he asked, still maintaining his cool-headed state.
'Why? I wonder!' - Lillian's inner voice echoed inside.
"Just so-" she replied to her questioning.
Diego watched Lillian fall into deep wondering. He wanted to push her to the edge and assumed it to be the right choice to do so if it means he could scoop out some details about his opponent.
"What happened? Did you break up already with that model? What was her name, Lucy, isn't it?"
Diego's casual inquiry threw Lillian's busy mind to another bitter recollection. She stayed soundless, not exposing herself to her dear friend. It was excruciating to endure, but Lillian followed nonetheless.
"What happened? I'm asking you, Lilly!" Diego forced himself again to the abandoned soul.
His high raise in his tone startled the bartender serving them. He jarred from the sudden yell and took a step back to glance at the two, readily waiting to signal the security anytime if anything irrational occurs.
'Why is he behaving like this, all of a sudden?' - Lillian almost questioned her choice of meeting Diego today, to be a failure.
"Nothing happened. I was only interested to know if you are aware of the news."
She smartly returned the ball to the other side, hoping to cease the topic at once.
Partly when Lillian called for Diego tonight, she was hoping to share with him about meeting Giselle, her shocking visit to Edwin's place with Lia, and maybe touch upon breakup with Lucy for the climax. However, his responses and reactions were considerably unexpected, and to her strange feeling, she chose not to go down the road knowing that it is going to end roughly.
Diego waited. After a pause, he checks at Lillian's distressed state of aloofness. It only elevated his doubts and anxieties higher.
"D- Did you meet her?" he asked. Only this time, his suspecting intentions stayed away, and he forged genuine care to listen to her.
"Who?" Lillian asked, almost forgetting what she was addressing him.
"You know who I'm asking! Giselle, did you meet her?" Diego asked.
His eyes are deadset at Lillian's. Behind those gentle gaze was the stinging sensation to the return of his insecurity from overhearing the name that he hated to hear. His sharp ears waited to catch anything that will come out of her mouth regarding this returned foe.
"Hmm..." Lillian admits to his devastation.
'What?'
'She met Giselle already. No wonder she speaks about her. Why? When did it happen? What did they talk and who met whom first, was it, Giselle?' - Diego's mind piled multiple questions at once.
'Giselle!' - The name made him sore.
He was living in peace in her absence. However, this miserable feeling of falling apart and drifting away returned to haunt him to his nerves.
**
Though Lillian's wild dating life initially scared Diego, he was able to digest her attitude and gave her space, hoping that she would eventually retire to his side. But it never happened. Lillian kept continuing her irresponsible conduct.
When he would get drowned into his fear of losing Lillian, Diego would receive the news of her breakup.
A relationship that bloomed and ended so soon that it truly relieved Diego. He was not under the control of his fears anymore and let Lillian lose herself for a while so that he can always be the one she would end up choosing. He was willing to allow her to date others freely. Since the absence of Giselle is influencing Lillian to her devotion to loving someone. After all, Diego did felt glad at Giselle, for secretly tying Lillian from moving on.
He had it in him that lingering worry of seeing Giselle again after all these years. To live in a day where his fear takes its first form through words, Diego could hardly be in charge of his emotions.
His eyes widen in shock, and his anger at Giselle rebounds as well.
"W- What! When?"
"What happened?" he asked, trying to keep his emotions desperately under control without losing them.
His sudden burst of interest drove Lillian back to the day when she had the fateful encounter. Appearing out of nowhere like once in a blue moon, Giselle stood in front, facing Lillian Grey.
For so long, she numbed her emotions and lived recklessly. Lucy had her fair share of time spent changing Lillian, but now seeing the person who caused it standing in front, made Lillian feel to her original self. For a few seconds of staring at the matured face of her first love, she could see returning to herself. Nevertheless, fate played its card again, pushing Giselle to run away again from her sight.
..
"Nothing happened because she ran away from me!" Lillian said bitterly.
Diego's fears calm down momentarily as his mind returned to the street, where he devilishly warned Giselle to stay away from Lillian Grey.
"Hmm...." he kept his response modest.
Now that Lillian fed to his flaming interest, it was time for Diego to return the favor by pursuing his dear friend in some enlightening wisdom.
"I guess she got settled down. I hope you don't still dwell upon the past. That will be my advice."
Lillian's gaze traveled faster to meet Diego, and it threw daggers at him for boldly saying such things to her. The weird feeling she kept finding from Diego's attitude, especially today, rose her to suspicion.
"Why am I getting the feeling throughout that you don't seem to encourage today's topic?"
"It's not like that."
'Why, do you ask! Isn't it obvious that I care for her and that I don't want you to get involved with that!' - Diego probably guessed to herself.
"No! I'm serious. Are you angry at her?" Lillian asks, showing a worried face with keen eyes that demanded an answer to satisfy her distrust.
'Why are you pushing me far, Lilly?' - Diego cursed within.
"Why would I be? Honestly, I do think she is the reason you turned out like this," Diego said.
His irritation led him to spout his honest opinion.
"What?" Lillian called.
"Like what?" she had her angry eyes vigorously glaring at Diego.
'Ah! Snap!' - Diego realized his slight blunder.
"Let's talk about something else!" he added to divert her away.
Now entirely enraged from his reaction and his nonchalant attitude, Lillian stayed still clawing her fangs deeper to the wounded heart.
"No, let's continue," she sternly insisted.
'That's it.' - Diego sighed loudly.
"What do you want, Lillian?" he asked.
"Tell me how did I change because of Giselle!"
"I refuse."
Diego declined.
"I insist."
Lillian pushed his weakening tolerance.
"Why do you want to know?" he raged.
"Tell me, Diego!" Lillian, furious as well, signaled him to speak.
"Because she doesn't deserve you. You were normal until you met her."
'Giselle doesn't deserve me!'
'I was normal until I met her!'
It was almost as if Diego blamed Giselle for everything sad happened to Lillian Grey. And she was not a fan to sit and listen to him talk like that.
"What do you mean?" Are you blaming her for my sexuality?" Lillian grew furious.
Learning the tension, the bartender excused himself to stay away from appearing as an interference to their conversation.
Diego remained quiet that Lillian no longer yearned for his response anymore.
"Diego, my preference is my choice. Even so, what!" she said.
'I hate it! I hate it when she comes in between us, Lilly.' - Diego did not like how their peaceful time got ruined.
"Sorry!" he admits to his down casted face.
***
創作者的想法 
ljack_ace
ljack_ace Sorry for the delay. I hit a block where I knew where I want to go, but somehow I couldn't connect a path to it. It was a mind-boggling time in stress.
However, I did finally discovered the path. I'm at peace now and here's to the climax of this arc.
Another chapter coming right away!
Thank you very much for sticking by my side. Be safe and stay happy!
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