Cold Feet (COMPLETED)

Morning Glory

Photo :  Matthias Rhoads' manilamatthias Instagram Account

Good morning my dears. Now that you know about Richard's past heartbreak, let's see Dei's own back story with Andrew. Anyone will agree that their first relationship usually shapes the way they would view future relationships. If your first relationship was traumatic, chances are, it will burn you and make you think twice before getting into another relationship again.

See how Dei's first relationship paved the way for her low self-esteem and lack of confidence. The choices we make either help us grow or retreat further, and in Dei's case, she allowed her experience to work against her.

Enjoying your thoughts and feedback so far, I hope I keep getting you engaged in the story. Please feel free to express your ideas, let's see where this story leads us :)

Dei walked into Vanilla Bean, looking for him, her go-to in times when she needed guidance. She walked around the café, looking around till her eyes settled on a tall and slim guy with chinky eyes and a well-toned physique.

"Andrew," She said fondly, coming into his welcoming arms.

"Dei.....hello stranger, haven't seen you in ages! Come on, sit..."

They sat across each other and smiled affectionately. Andrew has been Dei's friend since college days. Theirs was a complex friendship that would have some people shaking their heads, wondering how to make sense of this closeness, because it was actually this same Andrew, who was her first boyfriend, the one who broke her heart.

They met when they became seatmates in college, and Dei was drawn to Andrew's personality. He was quiet and mysterious, he kept mostly to himself. She imagined him to be lonely and needed a friend, so she was nice to him and made sure to talk to him during vacant periods. They developed a friendship and were teased a lot, with classmates and friends assuming that they were developing into a couple.

Andrew was affectionate and touchy-feely with Dei, fueling her secret attraction for him. It was second nature for them to walk around with his arm across her shoulders, or their arms linked together. At every student gathering, it was automatic for Andrew to take her home. There were times when they would even sleep beside each other, falling asleep while talking, relaxing in Dei's bedroom during times that her dad was away on business trips and Andrew would accompany her at home because her sister was also away.

It came to a head one day when they were playing truth or dare during a weekend at a friend's beach house, and it was Andrew's turn to spin the bottle. The bottle pointed to Dei, who was a bit tipsy from wine coolers they were drinking.

"Dare."

"Ok Dei, since you and Andrew won't reveal what the real score is between you two, we dare you to kiss him on the lips. Ten seconds, come on, no cheating because we'll be counting."

Dei froze, she'd never kissed a man before, and it was doubly awkward because Andrew was someone she was attracted to. Andrew looked embarrassed, and Dei, who was seated slightly higher than Andrew, leaned slowly down to brush her lips lightly against his. Their friends counted ten seconds, dragging on the last five, until she felt Andrew's hand steady her nape to avoid her losing balance. It only made the kiss deepen, and she felt his mouth open slightly.

"Ten seconds are over, you two! You can stop now."

They broke away from each other and smiled awkwardly. After the group dispersed, they took a walk along the beach, both lost in thought. At a certain point, Andrew stopped walking and faced her, willing her to look at him.