Chapter 11

The incessant buzzing of the phone inside her jeans' front pocket brought Louisa out of her private hell. She had been pacing the corridor outside the suite, fuming, stewing, curdling in her anger and frustration.

How could he divulge something like that without even talking to her first?

He should've asked me what I thought about the damned betrothal before assuming I would just meekly accept it hands down!

But of course, he would assume it. He was so used to getting his own way all the time, he would not think otherwise. Why would them getting married be any different?

Because that's the decent thing to do, isn't it? One shouldn't just assume, should they? One should verify. One should ask questions. One should ask permission!

Her internal monologue was cut short by another series of short buzzes against her thigh. She groaned and took the offending object out of her pocket. It was Angelo.

Another enigma she wasn't eager to deal with yet. She must admit, Angelo's reaction to Gabriel's reckless announcement surprised her. Why did he get mad at his brother? And why did he get mad at her as well? Was it because she did not tell him about the betrothal? Well, how could she when she didn't even know about it either? Not until yesterday, anyway. And even if she had known, she would've assumed he was already privy to it, being Gabriel's brother. Besides, she didn't owe him any explanations, did she? He wasn't her boyfriend or anything.

Swallowing her irritation, Louisa closed her eyes and took a deep breath before accepting Angelo's call.

"What is it, Angelo?"

She winced. It wasn't her intention to sound so harsh.

"Are you still in Papa's suite? Is Gabriel with you?"

"No. I left the room right after you did."

"Good. Can we please talk? I'm here at the lounge, near the front entrance," Angelo said, his voice cracking with tension.

"What's going on, Angel?"

"Please, Louie. I need to ask you a few things. And I can't do it over the phone."

Louisa couldn't understand why Angelo was acting like an ass. Gabriel, she could totally understand. His earlier behavior was typical of him. Gabriel never minced words, even when they were children. He would say what he wanted to say and damn the consequences. She shouldn't have been surprised by the callous way by which he divulged their situation to his brother. It was just how he was made.

But Angelo? Jaunty, bubbly, extremely friendly Angelo? Why did he get mad? She'd never actually seen him get mad until today, which was strange and quite unsettling because she couldn't think of a reason for him to act slighted. Still, she was a curious cat. And the curious cat needed to know what was happening to her friend.

"Okay. I'll be there in a few,' she said, ending the call. Sliding the phone back into her pocket, Louisa leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She didn't want to do this. Confronting Angelo while still in such an excitable state was a recipe for disaster. She could inadvertently ruin whatever little of their friendship was still left. Glancing at her watch, she pushed herself off of the wall and began the long trek down the stairs. Taking the elevator would've been easier and faster. It wouldn't have let her simmer down enough, either.

Ten minutes later, she was sitting across from Angelo at the spacious lounge of the hospital. Angelo had his elbows on his knees, a pained expression on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me, Louie?" he asked, his eyes searching her face.

Louisa recognized the accusation in his voice and it annoyed her anew. Why did she have to explain himself to him? And why did he feel entitled to one? Her rebellious self wanted to jump up and stomp out. It would serve Angelo right for assuming she was under any obligation to tell him anything. Her rational and more perceptive self, however, tamped it down in a heartbeat. This was Angelo. Her best friend. (Well, her second, best friend, technically. Matt would always be her number one). Of course, he would want an explanation for something friends normally told each other. His hurt could be due to his feeling of being left out of such a massive part of her life. Had the tables been turned, she would've felt slighted, too. Maybe not as much as Angelo appeared to be, but she definitely would've acted hurt as well. Perhaps she should try to mend fences instead of bulldozing them to oblivion. As her Mama used to say, one can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Time to bring out her biggest pot.

"I didn't tell you because I myself didn't know about it, Angel. Not until yesterday. Papa said he was hoping he and Mama would tell me together when the time was right. And when she died, well, I don't know, his grief became more than he could handle. I wasn't very easy to handle either, was I?" she said with a smile, hoping it would ease Angelo's chagrin.

It didn't. His intense gaze had never left her face and the deep sadness in his eyes was still there. She was a bit startled when she looked into those eyes. His greenish-gray eyes were so very much like Gabriel's!

How could she have missed that? How could she not have seen the resemblance? Could it be because she never truly 'looked' at Angelo before? It was a disturbing thought. Among the Montoya brothers, she had been closest to Angelo. They used to play together, shared more than enough adventures and misadventures as children. And lately, she had been working with him almost every day. Yet, she never really 'saw' him. Not in the ways that mattered.

She had always seen Angelo merely as Gabriel's brother and, she must admit, that was unfair to him. But now, it was different. She was seeing him as she'd never seen him before.

For the very first time, she was seeing her friend for who he really was—Angelo Montoya, a smart, brilliant, funny, thoughtful, and gentle man. The only one of the Montoya brothers who never failed to take her side, no matter what. The one who often rescued her from her mishaps, the only one who took the time to put a band-aid on her knees or wrap it with his own shirt. He had always been considerate and kind to her. He always had an ice cream cone to cheer her up whenever Gabriel was too harsh on her. If that didn't work, he would nag Rafael into lending her his sketchpad and pencils and sit beside her until she was calm enough to get back into the fray or exhausted enough to ask for a nap.

Angelo was, all in all, a very special person.

He was someone, she could easily fall in love with.

But more importantly, he was someone who would love her for herself, marry her not because she was an obligation or a contract to be honored, but because he wanted her.

If only she had a choice.

If only her heart still belonged to her.

"Will you go through with it?" Angelo asked.

"Do I have a choice?" she answered, shaking her head.

"Do you want to go through with it?"

He emphasized the word 'want' to let her know what he was interested in were her feelings on the matter and not on what was expected of her. The question gave her pause.

Should I tell him the truth? Should I tell him that I had dreamed of this for the longest time but am now having doubts because of what he told me about Gabriel? But to what purpose?

Aside from having conflicting feelings about Gabriel, there really wasn't much to hinder her from marrying him.

Except herself.

Except for her damnable pride.

Except for the fact that she knew how much Gabriel didn't like her.

Yep, not much was hindering her from taking the plunge.

But Angelo didn't need to know all that. He didn't need to know how tormented she was about this whole situation. He didn't need to know why her heart was being torn apart. He didn't need to know about the pain his lopsided conversation with Miguel had caused her. It would only urge his protective feelings for her to the fore. And right now, with the way Gabriel was acting, she didn't know if that would be beneficial or not. To her or to Angelo.

Louisa sighed and opted to be as truthful as possible."I don't know, Angelo. I really haven't seriously thought about it. I'm still trying to understand it myself."

"So, you haven't agreed to it yet?"

"Setting aside the fact that it might not really be up to me, but if I were given the chance to say my piece, I'd ask for more time. This isn't a very light decision to make, as you very well know. "

Angelo nodded, his smile lifting the gloom enveloping him before. He looked deep into her eyes, took her hand, and brushed it lightly with his lips, "That's all I wanted to hear."

Strangely, Louisa was chilled by his simple statement.

Because somehow, the curious cat had stumbled upon the answer to her questions.

And it was not what she had expected.

Much less, wanted.