16 Chapter 16: Explosion

Dave cooked breakfast for Rica. Though Rica is now smiling, Dave still feels there is something wrong. She's not as cold with her treatment of him as yesterday. But she's somehow still not the usual warm Rica. Why does Dave feel like they're back to the time when they only get to see each other at parties? That fear growing within Dave was attacking again.

"Ummm so, I am not an expert in cooking pancakes. But I hope it doesn't taste weird." said Dave.

"It's fine. It tastes good." said Rica, with a faint smile.

"Ummm after this, I am going to work. I've been out lately and the team needs to catch up on some contracts." said Dave.

"Ok."

"Ummm…Are you going straight home?" asked Dave.

"Umm…Nope. I am going to meet Amy and Victoria." said Rica.

"Really? Good…" said Dave.

They ate quietly after that. Dave left Rica in a mall. But he still felt troubled. What is Rica thinking? Why does she felt so distant? Is he just being paranoid? Is it because he had just come to accept the fact that he's in love with her?

Dave saw Di waiting for him when he arrived in the office. That's good. He wants to talk to her too.

"You're late." said Di, a stiff smile on her face.

"Yes, I had to take care of something."

"Or Someone?" asked Di, the smile is gone from her lips now.

Luis heard this and turned at Dave. Dave looked better than he did the past days. Boss seemed to have gotten a good night sleep.

"Let's talk upstairs." said Dave.

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Di and Dave went to the rooftop.

"Are you OK? Where did you go last night?" asked Di

"I just escaped. I needed to run away from reality for a while." said Dave.

"You really didn't contact anyone." said Di. "I called Belle and Carl but they said you did not call them."

Dave took a deep breath.

"It's good that nothing bad happened to you, Di. You see, if word will not get to me of what happens to you, nothing will actually happen right?" said Dave.

Di's strength was slowly draining. Why is Dave being like this?

"Di, I had finally realized what I tried to ignore. I tried to fight it because I always thought that was the right thing to do. I promised you that we'll always be together and I did all I can to keep that promise, even putting SkyRock in danger. But now, I can't lie to myself anymore." said Dave.

"Wait, what were you saying?" said Di, her voice sounded nervous.

"I am in love with her, with Rica. And it took me this long to realize that." said Dave.

"No…"

"It's not sudden, Di. It was slow. I have known Rica for five years. I still don't know how she's able to reach my heart like this… but I just know she's now in it… and I don't think it's going to let her go." said Dave

"No, no way."

Di hugged Dave while tears were falling from her eyes.

"You're just confused right now, Dave. You just need time to think."

"I can't stay beside you now, Di. I am no longer the man you used to love." said Dave. "If I stay beside you, you will never learn to live on your own strength. And also… I'll hurt her over and over, I can't hurt her anymore. Rica… I need her…I need Rica in my life."

"No! You are blinded. You only need her because SkyRock needs FlyAir." Di shouted while hugging Dave tighter.

Dave slowly tried to push Di away.

"All the past eight years, you've been the only one, Di. And I had loved you so much, you know that, right?" Dave touched Di's face.

Di nodded.

"Of course."

"I fought against my parents and my heart was only for you. But…" Dave's tears started falling "But it wasn't good for both of us. I wanted to feel needed and important and you made me feel that. But you suffered. You got weaker and weaker because I was always there for you. Somewhere long the way… it wasn't love anymore that bound us together… it was fear of being left alone. And that is not what a relationship is about."

"Dave… you can't do this to me… we need each other…"

"Maybe there's a reason why SkyRock had to be in danger. Maybe there's a reason why it had to be her that I got trapped in that elevator with five years ago. Maybe I was meant to fall in love with her." said Dave.

"Don't say that… Dave…"

"I need you to be strong, Di. Because I won't be there for you anymore. You need to take care of yourself from now on." said Dave.

Dave let go of Di. He handed her a ring. The ring he used to keep so that he can ask her one day to be with him forever. It was Di's dream ring she had shown to him so many times before.

"From now on let's be true to ourselves." said Dave.

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Rica was somehow happy to see Amy and Victoria. Both of them finally got a job.

"I'm proud of both of you." said Rica.

"Who would've expected both of us would get a job?" said Amy.

"I could not believe it myself!" said Victoria.

"Next target should be a boyfriend" said Amy.

"Here we go again" said Victoria, laughing.

Dave and Luis went to a café after their presentation.

"Did I already tell you that you look fresh today?" asked Luis.

"Don't compliment me like you're complimenting a woman." said Dave.

Luis laughed.

"But you get what I mean, right?" said Luis.

Dave noticed Rica in the café with her friends.

"Order me an americano. I'm going to sit over there." said Dave.

Luis noticed Rica on the couch just at the back of the seat Dave was going. Luis can't help but smirk.

Dave sat on a couch behind Rica trying to go unnoticed.

"Oh, hey, it's been months since Elevator Guy said yes to your Uncle. When will the engagement party be? There's usually one of those elegant parties for big corporal partnerships, right?" asked Amy.

"We are so excited" said Victoria.

Rica took a deep breath. She tried to ignore the question by taking a bite of her waffle, but Amy was persistent.

"You are not trying to avoid answering, right?" asked Amy.

"The truth is…I don't think there would be any." said Rica.

Dave's heart went still.

"What do you mean? There won't be any engagement party?" said Victoria.

Amy and Victoria exchanged confused looks.

"Dave and I…We're not like a couple." said Rica.

"What! Wait a minute, you've always been in love with him" said Amy.

Rica chuckled. They were right. But one sided love was not enough to push it to the next level. In the first place… Dave never really liked her as a woman… It was impossible to begin with.

"He only looks at me like a sister." said Rica.

Dave can't believe what he's hearing. A sister?!

"And I'm trying my best to look at him as a big brother."

She's what?

"That's the only way I can really move on from him. That is why…it's best that we dissolve the engagement." said Rica.

Rica suddenly felt her arms being dragged away.

"Wait! Who are…"

When Rica saw that it was Dave who was dragging her out of the café, she struggled.

"Dave, let me go! Stop dragging me!" said Rica "Dave, please you're hurting me!"

When they were outside the café, Dave let go of Rica's arm.

"You want to dissolve the engagement?" asked Dave angrily.

"Yes. That's the right thing to do. In this story, I want to stop being the antagonist. If you love each other, I don't want to be the wall between you and Diana." said Rica.

"And so you're now giving up? You just want to return to the way it was?" asked Dave

Rica can't control her emotions anymore. Dave is being unfair. She's doing this for him!

"Yes! I want to return to five years ago, before I met you. Because that time, even if I was always sad, even when I was always depressed, I was never hurt like I did the past months. And I am tired. I am so tired. I just want to forget that I ever liked you!" said Rica.

Dave hugged Rica tightly. Rica was so stuneed at first she just stood like a statue. Waht is Dave doing? And then Rica realized where they were she tried to push Dave away.

That fear building up inside Dave was just too much to bear. The pain in his chest was just overpowering that his eyes began to tear up.

"Then what next? You will move on from me? You will forget me?" asked Dave "I won't let you do that."

Rica does not understand what Dave was telling her. Dave released her from his arms and reached behind Rica's neck. He kissed Rica deeply and passionately. Rica felt her world slipping away. Her mind was going crazy. She can't do anything but close her eyes and hold on to Dave.

Everyone who was in the café started to take videos of what happened. Even people outside the café took pictures.

Luis can't believe what he's seeing. Amy and Victoria can only stare at each other.

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Rica went home dazed. What is happening? Why is Dave acting like a mad person? That kiss…Rica's legs went weak at that time. And her knees are still shaking now.

Rica stopped by her gate when she saw Carl.

Carl didn't sleep at all last night. He looked at all possible places and wasn't able to find Rica. He tried to call Dave but he's phone was out of reach. He's been anxious and he can't find peace until he sees Rica safe.

When Carl saw Rica arriving by the gate, he immediately grabbed her into an embrace. He was just so relieved to see her safe.

"Carl."

"You're OK, right?" asked Carl.

"Yes…I'm OK." said Rica.

Carl slowly released Rica.

"That's good. You left your phone and wallet and everyone got worried." said Carl handing the phone and wallet to Rica.

"Thank you and I'm sorry that I was stupid to leave my things. But I am OK. Dave found me last night." said Rica.

"Dave, he found you? That's good. That's really good." said Carl. But why was his heart aching upon knowing that?

"I'm glad you're fine now. I went here because I did not hear anything about you and I was worried. A good big brother will always take care of his little sister, right?" asked Carl.

Rica smiled. A smile Carl had just seen now. It's the most beautiful smile he had seen on Rica's face.

"Thank you, Carl. You were really the nicest big brother I've ever had." said Rica.

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Dave went to Samuel's office. There was something he wants to know and Samuel was the only person who can answer him.

"A nightmare…so you were with her the entire night?" asked Uncle Samuel

"Nothing happened between us. I can promise you that." said Dave. "But I want to know what happened. Why does she have that kind of nightmare? Does that happen frequently?" asked Dave.

"You are going to be her husband, so you need to know." said Uncle Sam. "Rica's mother, she left Rica and her Dad when Rica was seven. She is Korean. She and my brother married when my brother acquired one of her family's businesses. But later on, she could not bear living with my brother. However, she knows she can't give Rica a good life, so she left Rica with her husband."

"After that, every night, Rica will dream of what happened that day. She can't sleep and she can't eat. She was traumatized by that memory. My brother decided Rica needed treatment. So she was sent to New York where some of our relatives were living. She was closely monitored and had treatments almost every day. When everyone thought she's ready to face the world, she was sent to a normal school. But then she was bullied in school. The teachers know Rica's problem. And whenever they see Rica crying, they will tell our relatives who will automatically schedule her a treatment the next day. Rica…she hated treatments. And since then, she would always hide whenever she felt like crying. She doesn't want people to see her…She doesn't want people to think she's mentally weak. She does that until today, hiding her weaknesses." said Uncle Sam.

Dave now understands the reason why Rica would always try not to cry, to look brave.

"The nightmares…I would sometimes hear her still get those. But it had already lessened from when she was younger." said Sam.

"What happened to her Mom?" asked Dave.

"She tried to get in touch with Rica a few years ago. It seems she heard my brother died. And she went back to the US to see Rica. I told her Rica wasn't ready yet." said Uncle Sam. "I don't know how Rica would react once she meets her mother again."

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Dave put a lot of thought into everything that Samuel told him. Rica is still being haunted by her longing for her Mother. What can he do to help her? Dave called Samuel up that night and tried to get as much information as he could. The next night, Dave went to a noodle house. He got the address from Uncle Sam.

"Is there someone named Gene here?" asked Dave

"Oh, Gene is at the storage. Why?" asked the owner

"I need to talk to her about something important." said Dave

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When the noodle house closed, Gene sat on the table Dave was sitting. She's around Samuel's age and she looks very Korean. She looks tired, but you can still see her beauty despite her age.

"You said it's something important. And you waited until the store closed…Are you sure it is me you need to see?" asked Gene

"Yes, So Eun Jin? I heard they call you Gene here."

"I am indeed Eun Jin. You even know my real name. I am getting nervous." said Gene. Her accent is still strong. "What is it about?"

"It's about your daughter, Rica." said Dave.

Gene couldn't speak for a while, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Who are you? What do you know about my daughter?" asked Gene.

"I'm your daughter's Fiancée." said Dave. "I want you to meet with her."

Gene sank on a chair near Dave.

"I don't want to destroy her already peaceful life." said Gene. "I tried… Several times I wanted to see her…But Samuel was right, Rica is living a good life now. I've hurt that kid so much. I know what she went through because of me. I don't want her to feel any anxiety just because of meeting me again."

"I think that you're a missing piece of her life that she needs." said Dave. "She will never feel complete without you."

Gene looked at the man that was talking with her. He felt so sincere.

"You care for my Rica. I can see that." said Gene. "Is it a love match? It's not a business match right?"

"I care for Rica more than you imagine." said Dave.

"Rica's Dad and I was a business match. My parents commanded that I marry him in order for the business partnership to work. Though that does not normally happen in western countries that much anymore, it still does happen from where I came from. It never worked." said Gene.

"You never loved her Dad?" asked Dave

"No… I loved him so much…But he never loved me…And I just got tired of pushing my way into his heart every day knowing I will never be loved by him.." said Gene. "A woman's heart can only bear so much pain, until it gets numb and can feel no more."

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The next day, Dave woke up on the continuous ringing of his phone.

"This early?"

He saw that it's Belle who's calling.

"What is it?" asked Dave

"Are you crazy?! Why did you kiss her in public! Do you know how many magazines and wesite had you in the front cover?" said Belle.

That brought Dave's mind to wake up.

"What did you say?" asked Dave.

"I said your face is everywhere today. And not just your face, but Rica Spencer's too. How many times do I have to tell you to be careful of what you do because you are a celebrity. And wow. This is a very passionate kiss, Dave, And you were very generous, the viral videos had you in different angles." said Belle.

Dave's hand went to his forehead. This is going to be a crazy day.

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Rica was already in Samuel's office when Dave arrived. Ahh…This was the only beautiful thing about this issue, he gets to see Rica even if she was still trying to avoid him.

"I don't know how much feelings you had for each other. But please control yourselves! You are not kids anymore. You are no longer teenagers! People are always watching your every step. Especially you Dave, you are very popular. Things like kissing a woman in public will definitely be a headline." said Uncle Sam. "The engagement party have to be scheduled soon. I had already instructed some people to send word to the newspapers of your upcoming engagement."

"No, Uncle" said Rica "That won't be necessary."

"What? You were very participative in that kiss Rica. It was clear that it's not a stolen kiss. You can't say that that's nothing. We have to protect your dignity." said Uncle Sam.

"I agree with Samuel. We need the engagement as soon as possible." said Dave.

Rica can't believe what she's hearing! She's already giving Dave a way out, why was he siding with her Uncle?

After their meeting with Samuel, Dave convinced Rica that they need to talk. They used Rica's car. A chauffer was driving the car while Rica and Dave sat on the back seat.

"You could've agreed with me and saved yourself trouble." said Rica.

"Agree to not have the engagement yet? No way." said Dave.

"What? Do you love SkyRock this much? That you're willing to sacrifice Diana? Did you think I will ask Uncle not to sign if the engagement does not happen? Wait…Is that why you had to kiss me in public? To make sure that the engagement will not be dissolved since you need it for SkyRock?" asked Rica who was now furious.

"I will never resort to kissing someone in public just for a business deal" said Dave.

"Why will I believe you? You were even willing to get married with someone you don't like." said Rica.

"I will never kiss someone I don't like." said Dave.

Rica was startled for a moment.

"I'm not an actor. I am a business man. I will only kiss a girl that I like." said Dave.

Rica can't believe what she just heard.

Does that mean…

He kissed her not once… but twice!

Does Dave…

Dave likes her?

Rica was going crazy. She just got her heart broken the other day, and now Dave likes her? What was happening?

Dave wants to massage the crease between Rica's brows. But he just chuckled instead.

"If you don't stop looking confused, I will have to prove what I just said, right?" said Dave.

"Huh?"

"That I only kiss a girl that I like?" said Dave.

Dave started leaning closer to Rica. Rica's eyes widened. And then she blocked Dave's face with her hand.

"No need. I'm fine…I am not confused." said Rica.

Dave laughed and relaxed back on his seat. Rica's heart is bursting with so much joy and gladness.

Dave likes her! He likes her too!

"By the way, I need to bring you somewhere. I want to eat noodles and I want to bring you there."

"Noodles? I haven't eaten noodles in a long time." said Rica.

Rica's heart is pumping hard…Is everything happening real?