Chapter 55: Obsessing Over the One You Like

Sitting in a café, Livia felt a tad embarrassed.

She had peeked at his profile before. His phone number seemed to be there.

"What's your cell number?" Livia asked. "Let's exchange numbers to make keeping in touch easier."

"How about you give me yours, and I'll call you?" Lucas pulled out his phone.

After Livia recited her number, her phone promptly rang.

She nodded, saved his number, and then went on to add him on Facebook.

It appeared he didn't realize he had been unfriended.

True enough, the friend request was accepted without a hitch.

She finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Their conversation flowed easily, touching briefly on subjects without dwelling too long on any single topic. It was only with Lucas that Livia felt truly relaxed. His presence was like a soft summer breeze, always calming and comfortable to be around.

There was a moment when Livia thought quite highly of Lucas.

"Excuse me, I need to take this call," Lucas said, picking up his phone. After answering and saying "Mom," his whole demeanor exuded resignation.

After hanging up, Lucas apologized. "My mom can be a bit overbearing."

"From their perspective, they're just looking out for us," Livia responded with understanding.

Lucas shook his head in frustration. "My mom says I need to be engaged by the end of the year."

Livia sympathized with him. Thankfully, her own parents were not in such a rush.

"Then here's to finding the right person and giving her some peace of mind," Livia raised her coffee cup for a toast.

His smile held a hint of helplessness. "I won't deny they want the best for us, but love... it's really all about fate."

Livia saw Lucas as someone unmarked by worldly concerns, not swayed by others' opinions—a man who lived freely.

"I'm sure you can relate," said Lucas, his eyes focused on her behind his glasses.

Livia could indeed relate and smiled, lifting her coffee cup once more. "Absolutely."

Lucas laughed.

It seemed they both found solace in shared experiences.

Approaching 11 o'clock, Lucas glanced at the time. "I've enjoyed our chat, but unfortunately, I have to go. I guess we'll have to meet again some other time."

"Parting is just the prelude to our next meeting," Livia said with a chuckle as she stood. "I look forward to it."

Lucas also rose, pushed his glasses up, and looked at her warmly. "So do I."

Livia walked Lucas to the airport entrance and then stopped.

Lucas turned back for a last look at Livia as he approached the security checkpoint.

Livia smiled and waved.

Suddenly, Lucas turned around and came back to stand in front of her.

"We're friends, right?" Lucas asked cautiously.

Livia nodded, "Of course."

"Can I give you a hug, then?"

Livia paused, wondering if this was the closure to a question asked on the street during an interview.

Still waiting, Lucas's eyes dimmed perceptibly behind his glasses. Livia opened her arms generously. "Of course."

They embraced, a gesture for the friendship they shared.

Deep down, both knew that this farewell might be their last. The world was vast yet surprisingly small. If you don't seek each other out, you can go on forever without crossing paths again.

Lucas passed through the security check smoothly and waved back at Livia one last time.

Livia stood there, watching him fade into the throng.

If only Angelo was a bit warmer, she would have given him a fiery farewell kiss today.

Sadly, that just wasn't Angelo's style.

That night, Livia received the video of the street interview. As she watched her and Lucas's segment, to her surprise, the video ended with footage of her embracing Lucas at the security checkpoint.

The comments were lighting up with "What a handsome couple!" "Are you sure they're not together?" "This guy is so good-looking." "The girl is beautiful too, soft and gentle, like a warm glow - such a delight to watch."

Then, a message from Lucas popped up on her phone.

Lucas: [Seen the video? You're quite photogenic.]

Livia: [You're quite handsome yourself.]

Lucas: [Never thought we'd be caught in the same frame.]

Livia smiled and replied: [Maybe it's fate.]

Lucas: [Yes.]

He followed up with: [The date didn't go well.]

That piqued Livia's interest — gossip was an irresistible human instinct.

Livia: [What happened? Was it looks or personality?]

Lucas: [No spark. Can be friends, but not dating material.]

Curious, Livia asked: [In all these years, haven't you met someone who caught your eye?]

Lucas: [I have.]

Livia quickly responded: [So go after her.]

Lucas: [She's taken.]

Livia sent a disappointed emoji.

'In life, there are countless missed opportunities, but what's truly unsettling is when the one you fancy has someone they fancy by their side, and that person isn't you.'

She considered herself lucky, and all things were accounted for. At least she was still entangled with the one she adored.

Her phone screen changed suddenly - that number flashing up - and Livia thought, finally, he's finished with whatever was keeping him busy and remembered to call her.

After landing, Angelo had messaged her: [I'm here.]

It took her a while to answer the call. "Hello, who's this?"

Angelo took a sharp breath. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

"I didn't save your number."

"Committed it to memory?"

Livia snorted. "You're overthinking it."

"I've missed you."

That caught her. At least her heart skipped a beat for him.

"Do you want to come over?" Angelo's voice was deep and seductive. "I can get you a ticket for a later flight."

Livia wanted to go, but she couldn't, not wanting to give him the impression that she was that easy to get.

"No, I can't. I promised my parents I'd go home and stay with them for a few days."

Silence filled the other end of the line.

Livia remained silent. She couldn't just come running every time he crooked his finger, could she?

Angelo was a committed bachelor, and she wasn't sure if she could ever get him to marry her. If he still hadn't proposed by the time she hit thirty, surely she couldn't just keep things going as they were.

She could come to terms with not getting married, but what about her parents?

Her parents were alive and well, and she couldn't ignore what they wanted for her.

Even if she took a huge step back, how long could Angelo, a man content in his solitude, continue to feel something for her?

Once he lost interest in her, he would surely just leave with no strings attached.

Livia yearned for a real romance, one that would flourish and last a lifetime with him.

Spending a lifetime with Angelo felt like a risky gamble. She knew she'd lose without even having to reveal her hand.