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T
he next morning when Angela woke up, David was already up. But she couldn't hear any rattling of utensils in the kitchen, which meant David was caught up elsewhere. She left the space and walked outside the room. David was sitting on the patio, in front of the round coal fireplace. The snow had just fallen, but the fire made the temperature bearable. She went ahead and sat next to him and then rested her head on his shoulder.
"Good morning, love," David said and kissed her forehead. The morning was quiet and silent. You could hear a pin drop from miles away. And in that silence of the morning, David and Angela planned how they'd move to Europe and live on an obscure farm away from the hustle and bustle of the city. But not for the rest of their lives, or forever, but any time they would get a chance. Even after this was over, Angela still wanted to go forth with her lawyer duties, and David had his whole work-life setup here.
David said no word to anyone and asked a few people on his team to look at real estate in Vienna or even Champagne, the less polished cities of Italy.
"You know I have to go lodge a case against you today? And ask for the proceedings to be accelerated? And they probably give a very prolonged interview to some press and media members who will have a field trip today," Angela said out loud. She wanted to bite her own tongue saying that. Even if it was planned out and fake, it made her stomach turn into knots that she was making David go to trial.
"Well, you are not lodging a fresh case. You are just reviving an old one. One which would've gone to trial anyway. It's better to get ahead of it. Right?" David said.
"Yeah, but I just want to apologize in advance because this has the potential to get very messy. There will be extremely negative headlines, name-calling, and news reporters dragging your name through the mud and whatnot. So just don't let that all get to your head? Alright? Stay strong and persist. Don't give in to the noise.
Stay away from news channels as much as you want to. We can't let this affect your brain. If it starts to affect you, we stop. I don't want to lose you in the process of saving you. Do you get me? Stay firm in your stance. Don't let the background noise get to your head. You can't do anything rash. Actually, why am I even explaining this to you? You've had media training for years now!" Angela scoffed and then laughed; she then continued saying again, "Also, when I'm in court, I put a really mean game face on. I am brutal, and I'm very headstrong. So, if I'm ever slightly mean to you, please don't take it personally. Don't be mad at me, is what I mean to say," Angela concluded.
"Yep, I was just about to say that. You really don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine. In fact, I'll be more than fine. I know how to keep a straight face when the world is all turned against you. And how could I get mad at you or hold you responsible? You are the one who's saving me from all this mess. I can't be mad at my guardian angel," David smiled and went in for a kiss.
"I love you too," David said afterward. That was the first time in a long time that the two had said those words to each other. It made Angela all giddy inside. These words actually held weight and couldn't be thrown around lightly. To know that the words meant something to David and to Angela gave Angela a sigh of relief.
As the bell rang, Angela made her way to the door and found Toby waiting on the other end. He greeted with his usual crooked smile and spoke, "Good morning, Angela! Are you ready for the day?"
"Yeah, kinda, sorta. Well, I have to be ready. It's not going to be easy, that's for sure. But we must be smart and not let on too much. Mentioning the bullet wound, the bullet case, or the place that you were taken to, are all facts that could let the NYPD know what's happening behind the curtains.
All you mention is that you were abducted, and you freed yourself from the car. That's it. The doctors who operated on you are David's personal surgeons, so they snitch on us. Moreover, May texted me saying how the wound must've healed by now, and there would barely be a scar, so we should be good in case they ask to examine you. Is everything clear? And has your wound actually healed?" Angela told Toby.
"Yep, the wound’s healing just fine. So, mention when I was abducted, where I was abducted from, and then don't let on too many details except I escaped myself. Got it. Noted. So how did you convince David? Because last night it felt as if he was against the whole idea, to begin with," Toby asked.
"Umm, we put our minds against each other and made the plan more airtight, so the margin for error diminishes even further. And things could go more smoothly. After David was assured that the plan was spot on, he gave the green light to everyone," Angela explained.
"Awesome. I'm already excited to see how things go from here. So, when are we leaving?" Toby asked.
"Easy there, champ. We'll be there at 10. So, like 30 minutes, yeah. I'm going to go grab my coat; it's freezing outside. And say goodbye to David. We can't be seen together once I lodge a complaint. In fact, I can't even come here. All communication through burners, remember? So yeah, I'm going to see him off, and then we can leave," Angela explained and headed towards the room where David was.
"Hey there. Umm, I just wanted to let you know that Toby is here, and we'll be leaving in a while. So, you know, this is it. This has been it for a long time now. I won't be coming here anymore until all this is over and behind us for GOOD. I hope.
Till then, keep the place clean. I don't want messy sheets." Angela and David both chuckled. And then Angela continued again, "So yeah, stay safe. Stay patient and calm. Don't miss me too much. We are always a call away. And we can meet elsewhere if not here. The plan is set in stone, so it shouldn't be too hard to follow it," Angela concluded.
Without saying anything, David walked up to Angela and wrapped her in his arms. He gave her the tightest bear hug he could give. Angela felt as if her bones might get squished; after all, David was quite tall and broad. But the strength of the hug also made her feel safe, as if she was being shrouded from the outside world. They kept hugging for a long while, and then David kissed the top of her head for a long time while smelling her hair.
"Your hair smells of lavender," David remarked.
"Oh, does it now?" Angela laughed.
"No. It really does. No joke. You know I'm going to miss having you around? You are my comfort place. And things are about to get astronomically crazy now. With all this, not having you around me will suck. So, if it ever sucks for you, and you want me around, you know where to find me. I'll always be here waiting for you, no matter how things pan out. Remember that. And remember that I love you, even if things are going haywire," David said the last few lines while looking directly into Angela's eyes.
No more words were exchanged as David and Angela shared a long and passionate kiss.
