Mia stopped walking and turned to David. "What?"

     "Yeah. My parents didn't even think I'll make it but thanks to the man in the sky, I did."

   "Man in the... Oh, you mean God." Mia raised her brow.

    "Yeah. He saved me, gave me a chance. And again, he gave me an opportunity to meet my soulmate." David smiled, tapping lightly on the tip of her nose.

     "You met her already?" Mia frowned.

   David laughed... "I did." He answered, pulling her along with him.

      Mia and David shopped for as many things they could get.

    "Excuse me, I'll just take this." David said to Mia before leaving to answer a phone call. 

    "Okay." She nodded. It wasn't up to a minute when she bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry. Sorry." Mia apologized.

      "Its fine." Layla said looking up. "Oh my God, it's you. Mia." Layla smiled at her.

    "Hey." Mia smiled back.

    Layla moved closer, hugging and giving Mia air kisses. "It's been a while. How are you?"

   "I'm... I'm fine. You?" Mia asked.

   "Very fine." She looked at the two shopping carts Mia held. "Looks like you're shopping a lot."

  "Yeah I am. Are you shopping too?" Mia asked her.

     "Not really. Ryan's birthday is this Saturday so I'm looking for something for him." Layla answered.

    "Is that so?" Mia nodded.

   "You didn't know? I'm sorry, I thought David told you already."

   "Why are you apologizing?" Mia smiled. "It's fine."

     "Well you're invited now. It's a little evening party and I want you to be there." Layla smiled happily.

    "You want me to be there?" Mia frowned.

     "Of course! You're David's girlfriend, you have to be there."

    "I'll see if I can make time." Mia said to her.

     "Thank you. Another thing, I can't seem to make my mind up on what to buy for Ryan. Can you help me?" Layla asked.

    "Me? I... I... I don't know. Just choose anything, I'm sure Ryan would love it." Mia managed to smile.

     "You don't know Ryan. Last time I got him nice Louis Vuitton shoes but he's never worn them, then I got a car, a Audi RS 11, he thanked me but he's never used it except this one time I had to force him to."

    "Well... Maybe that's not his kind of thing. Have you tried accessories? Wristwatches, wallets, rings even? Men love these kind of things." Mia said to her.

     "I did buy some of them but he asked me not to spend on him." Layla said softly.

    "What about if you change... Change to something not too expensive and also not cheap, more simple and less shouty, standard but still have the chic look. You should know what he likes." Mia said to her.

    Layla nodded in agreement... "Could you help me in choosing something? I don't mind helping you with these." Layla said to her.

    Mia blinked a bit surprised. "I don't think th-that's a goo-good idea." Mia stuttered nervously.

      "Please Mia. Please. I just have a feeling that this time, Ryan would actually love my gift if you help me pick it." Layla smiled.

    "Well, I don't know. I'm here with David and—" Mia is interrupted.

    "Really?! David's here with you?" Layla's eyes widened.

    "Yeah, he just went out to—"

    "You guys are so cute! He even helps you shop, that's nice." Layla was truly and genuinely happy. "It's the first time David is actually putting an effort to make his relationship work. David is my friend, please don't hurt him okay?" Layla grinned.

     "Su-su-sure." She chuckled nervously.

     "Okay, now can we go?" Layla asked.

     "I'll just text David." Mia said, taking out her phone. She quickly texted David that she was around and that she was with Layla.

    Mia and Layla strolled down into a unisex jewelry store. Mia decided to window-shop for Layla, soon she found these black beaded bracelets displayed in a glass. It looked very familiar and suddenly she remembered something... She was hearing voices again... Voices in her head...

    "Gina I want one of those." The voice sounded like hers.

   "Oh, that's for boys or men." This time it sounded like another female voice.

   "I know, can I have it?" It sounded like her voice again.

   ".... I don't usually see any wristwatches or wristbands around your wrist, so I wanted to get something similar...."

     "Do you like it?"

  The next voice was a familiar male voice... "Yes! I mean no."

      "No?"

    "No, I don't like it. I love it..."

    She's snapped back to reality when Layla interrupted her thoughts.

    "This one?" Layla said, looking over the glass.

     "Huh?" Mia shook her head, still a bit dazed. She turned to Layla.

    "I guess this is the one. It's simple, not tacky or cheap, definitely the affinity of chic." Layla smiled, looking at the beaded bracelets displayed in a glass.

     "The... I... Well... You..." Mia couldn't get any word out.

   "Thanks! I knew I could count on you." Layla blew a kiss at Mia before heading to the counter.

   Mia tucked her hair behind her ears, sighing.

   Layla got a beaded bracelet for Ryan and expressed her gratitude.

    "Oh hi girls!" David said while walking up to them. He had seen them strolling around.

     "David." Layla hugged him. "Hope you don't mind, I asked your girlfriend to help me with something." Layla told him.

    "Did you find what you're looking for?" He asked.

    "I did. All thanks to Mia." Layla grinned. "Okay, guys, I really have to go. We'll see later. Thanks again." Layla thanked Mia before leaving.

    "Hey," he moved closer to her. "What's wrong? You don't look good, like pale." He placed his hand over her cheek.

    "Yeah. I don't feel too good, I've got a really bad headache and it's killing me." Mia told him.

    "Then don't stress yourself il mio amore. Why don't you leave the rest to me, I'll take care of everything."

   "I can't let you do it all by yourself." Mia shook her head. "You don't have to worry, I'll be fine."

    "Come on, let me." He said, taking the shopping cart from her hand.

    "Okay. Okay fine." She was too disturbed for an argument. She just simply walked beside him as he pushed the two carts all by himself.

    "I was thinking, maybe we should go out tonight." David said to Mia.

    "What's the occasion?"

    "Nothing really. You see, I got an invitation to an observatory opening. You wanna come?" David asked.

     "What time would that be?" She asked him.

    "11pm. It's a midnight thing, so we could get a better view of the stars."

    "Any idea what I should wear?" Mia asked.

    "A casual dress... Something like that." He shrugged as they strolled down the aisle. "What did Layla say?"

   "Oh no, she was only looking for opinions on what to get for Ryan on his birthday." Mia said to him. She didn't want to talk about anything related to Ryan.

    "Did she finally decide what she wanted?"

    "She did. It didn't look like a kind of thing she'd want normally but I think it might work just fine." Mia nodded.
...................................................................

    "So you're going out with David tonight?" Andrew asked her as she gallivanted in her bathing robe.

    "To an observatory opening." Mia answered.

    "Your mom will go over the moon when you tell her this." 

    "Which is why we are not telling her anything." Mia turned to him. "David knows I don't have an ounce of feeling for him except pure philia and that's how it's gonna be because —"

    "Because you still have feelings for Ryan am I right?" Andrew completed her statement.

    "You're not exactly wrong. You know what I think? I think he's only trying to please me and then when I agree, he'll not want me anymore."

     "You think? I don't see him like that. I see him as a guy with pure intentions, and from what you'd told me about David, I can clearly see that he's changed. He's no longer the playboy or flirt you knew before." He lifted his hand. "While Ryan, on the other hand. Ryan has a wonderful girlfriend who has been nothing but nice to you. If Ryan can cheat on her, what more would he do when he's with you? He might do the same. Once a cheater always a cheater."

    "You think Ryan's like that? I don't see him that way. He's honest, he makes me smile, he's kind, he's gentle, a little obnoxious and honestly he inspires me. Makes me wanna be a better person and—"

   "Whoa whoa whoa, enough with the self satisfying eulogy to Ryan okay? Go get ready for your date or outing, whatever you call it! You're only making your life complicated than it already is." Andrew shook his head.

    "Tell me..." Mia complained. "What can I do to forget him! I've tried avoiding him, I even blocked his number."

    "You my dear Mimi need to go back to Italy and as hurting it might sound, that's the only way to forget about Ryan. Period."

     "Good thing that's days away." Mia scoffed. "And then I'll leave America and back to Italy to see Ares! I hate my life." She fell to the sofa. 

     "David's with you so you have nothing to worry about."

   "Oh you don't know Ares. He gets whatever he wants, by any means possible. He never backs out believe me." Mia frowned. Thinking about Ares was her least favorite topic.

   "He can't do more than a dead rat. Ares is a toothless bulldog."

    Mia sighed... She knew Ares better than anyone, she had seen what he could do when he doesn't get what he wants.
✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴
   
     Mia decided not to apply any makeup, only a decent amount of lip gloss and mascara. She wore a floral chiffon dress with cut-out back and ruffle sleeves and then strappy black heels, leaving her hair curling down her back.

     "You're the most beautiful woman here, don't you see?" David whispered into her ear while they stood in the large hall with a handful of people.

      "That's the hundredth time you're saying that." Mia blushed, nudging David.

     It was a formal evening. Many guest wore casual clothings and just like David, most men wore slacks and jackets.

    "Can't you see that almost every man can't take their eyes off you?" He jokingly said to her.

     She chuckled. "You're only pulling my legs."

      They checked out the whole exhibition, waiting for the exhibition theater to open where they could actually see the universe in 3D.

    "In 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet." Mia said to David as they took a closer look at a sculptured Pluto.

      "That's a fact. Were you good in geography?" David asked, wrapping his arm around her waist.

     "I wouldn't say so good but I was okay." Mia smiled.

        Someone had called David's name. Turning to see who it was, it was Layla, beside her was Ryan.

     "It's you guys again." Layla grinned, giving them hugs.

     "Hey man." David shook Ryan's hand.

      "What are you doing here?" Ryan asked extremely surprised.

     "Same as you are. For the opening." David said to Ryan.

   All the time, Mia avoided Ryan's eyes, trying to fake smile as much as she could.

     "Seems like it was a good idea coming here after all." Layla said. "When did you arrive?"

    "Not quite long. You?" David asked.

   "Same." Layla answered.

    Ryan couldn't take his eyes off Mia for one second while Mia looked anywhere but his face. 

   Everything was going so well, Ryan respected his boundaries because David seemed too overprotective of Mia. He never left Mia's side and his arm didn't slip away her back.

   Ryan saw an opportunity to talk to Mia when he saw David excuse himself, leaving Mia alone for a while. Ryan walked up to her, standing beside her.

     "Finally, I get to meet you alone. David's been all over you." Ryan said to her calmly.

     Mia nodded, still not glancing at him. She sipped nervously from her champagne flute before speaking. "I don't think we should speak to each other."

     "Mia I'm keeping my distance because you asked me to, I won't be able to do it for long. At least look at me, universe, universe I miss you."

    "Ryan please not here. Everyone's watching." Mia said, staring at the painting of the nine planets.

      "Everyone? You mean David. Universe, we both know you don't feel anything for him. You're only trying to use him to forget me." He told her.

   Mia scoffed and turned to him. "I'm not using anyone, unlike you. Don't put us in the same boat because we're not the same. I suggest you move on, I'm already doing that."

     "I didn't leave Layla because you told me not to and I agreed to it. Mia I can't bear seeing you with David." Ryan tried explaining.

     "Then close your eyes. You're only gonna complicate my life. Ryan stop forcing yourself into my life, stop. I don't have the heart to hurt anyone, not Layla nor David."

    "I know you're thinking it's not the right time, but I promise to make everything right. Just give me a little time."

      "Time to do what? Tell Layla that everything you've both had is over because you claim to like someone else? Layla doesn't deserve that, she's done nothing wrong and she's like an angel Ryan. I'm really sorry, maybe it's a sign from the universe that we can't be. Just give up and be happy with your life." Mia told him.

    "How'd you have expect me to be happy knowing that the person I love is not with me."

     "Well I don't know." She shrugged. "As for me, I plan to forget about you. There's nothing more to discuss, excuse me." Mia said. She's about to leave but Ryan holds her arm.

      "I'll fix everything, I'll make it up to you and then, maybe someday you'll forgive me." Ryan said to her as they held each other's gaze.

   Mia slipped away from his grip, walking out.

     "Hey, let's go in. The theater is ready." David caught her on sight. He led her into the theater to look at a 3D design of the galaxy.

   The guest sat quietly, watching the exhibition.

      "You've been awfully quiet. What's wrong?" David asked.

      "I'm fine." Mia answered before resting her head on his shoulder.

     "You sure?"

     Mia nodded slowly... "I'm sure." Her mind couldn't stop wandering to Ryan. She was really in love with him. 

      Ryan and Layla sat two seats behind them. Looking at Mia and David, Ryan's heart fell heavy. He just couldn't watch David take his baby girl away, he'd often dreamt of Sophie's return but it was painful to take in because even in another life, she wanted nothing to do with him.

       "They make a great couple, don't you think?" Layla whispered to Ryan.

     "Mhm." His humming wasn't clear to Layla if he said a 'no' or 'yes'.

    Everything finally came to an end, David and Layla had  greeted some friends while Mia headed over to the car to wait for David while Ryan tagged along.

    "Will you be available on Saturday?" Ryan asked her.

     "What's happening on Saturday?" Mia asked him.

     "It's my birthday. Layla's planning a little get-together, I'd like it if you came." He said to her as they strolled down to the parking lot.

     "I'll try. Actually I'd be busy." Mia nodded.

     "So ummm... Are you still pushing through with your plans? To leave?" He asked her.

      "Yes. My mom is handling some matters here, that is keeping us from leaving, for now." She answered.

    Ryan only nodded... "Do you really wanna leave? Or it's because your mom says so."

   Mia turned to him. "Of course I wanna leave."

     "And forget everything that's happened between us in these few weeks."

    "I'm leaving because that's gonna give me peace. I just can't forget everything because I love...." Mia's ceased talking. She looked flustered.

   Ryan turned to her and frowned. "You love... You love what?"

     "Wh-wh-what I wanted to say is that I lo-o-ve your-your company. Yes, company! I'll miss that." Mia stuttered nervously as Ryan kept staring her down.

     "Oh." He chuckled... "Is that it? Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" He smiled at her.

    "N-nothing." Mia shook her head before trying to scurry off.

    "Hey wait! Where are you going?" Ryan called out to her.

     Mia didn't want to see his face. Dammit she almost told him her true feelings!!! Immediately, she tripped on her heels, falling over to the ground.