Take Me Back To Paddington (SERIES)

Chapter 33 - The Date 2

"What do you mean the other Lisa?"

"I mean, I'm already used to get rejected by you before" She explained. "But I'm not used to you being nice like this, that's the thing I want to know"

Breathing out hard, I felt some sort of relief when she meant a different stuff than me being a different Lisa in the same body.

"Is it that obvious? The difference?" I tried to drag the question just to buy myself more time to prepare the answer. I wasn't even convinced that I could answer to things I didn't do, especially bad ones, but it wasn't like I had any other choice either. This kind of thing happened when I had to share one body with another soul. "Am I that bad to you before?"

It was Chae who couldn't answer me as quick as she could this time, probably thinking of what to say since she wouldn't want to offend me or make me felt bad about myself, even though I deserved to be educated with harsh words if that could make her felt any better from the heartache she was enduring.

But that wasn't her style. I knew she wouldn't even take a chance on the nice Lisa to satisfy her pain.

"No, it's not about that. It's just you being nice is much more appealing to me"

I smiled instantly, thinking about the Chae who was so good in words and used her brain before she spoke.

"Can you forgive me? For treating you really bad?"

"Lisa, it's not that bad. You don't have to," She looked guilty in a split second once she heard me apologising to her. "I'm just-"

"Confused?"

"Yeah, and suddenly you are like this"

"You don't like it?" I teased. "Do you like the bad Lisa more?"

Chae covered her face as she began to whine, probably thinking that I had mistaken her sentences.

"Lisa please, you are not bad" She placed her hand back on the table. "I didn't mean it that way"

"I know what you meant, Chae" I pushed my hand towards hers slowly just to see if she would flinch or withdraw her hand in response to my attempt.

She didn't.

Her fingers wrapped in between mine that still had a slight hesitation, still being careful. She could be thinking about me being harsh to her all of the sudden since the last time we held hands was in a cinema hall. And the movie hang out didn't work well for her.

But she still accepted my touch even with the doubt she had in her.

"I'm just really sorry, Chae" I continued when she looked like she was stunned by my gesture, wasn't able to say anything. Her heart was probably hitting her chest, just like mine at the time. "Please let me make it right"

She ran her eyes down like she couldn't look at me any longer, giving her attention to my thumb that was stroking her skin.

"Why, Lisa?" She still got some confusions in her mind that needed enlightenment. "It's nothing, really. I'm not offended or anything"

"Because I really like you, Chae..." I confessed my heart out even though it wasn't what I actually meant.

I really love you, baby.

She brought her head up again, darting her eyes at mine with massive amount of surprise in them. At that point I knew best that her mouth was sealed by my confession that was surely contradicted with the action showed by the Lisa she had been chasing for.

It was because she was chasing the wrong Lisa.

It was because she was living in a wrong place.

If only I could take her back into my universe, I promised I would spoil her with all the love I could give. I would let her take control of my life. I would let her be in charge in my house.

Everything, for you, my Chae.

And I wouldn't let any Lisa, or simply anyone, hurt her anymore.

No other Lisa deserved a woman like Chae than me.

"Do you mean that, Lisa?"

She could finally give her respond no matter how hard it was for her to do so. Even her hand that I was holding had started to shake a little.

"Every word, Chae" I tightened my grip to stress on how serious I was with my feelings that she didn't come to know yet. "I like you so much"

"But, you never called me before the movie" She still entertained the bafflement in her thoughts. Because in all honesty, I would too if I was in her shoes. "And I can't text or call you after that day"

"Chae, can you do something for me?"

I replied her question with a question instead.

"Yeah?"

"Don't look for me after this" I requested and it gave another pound of surprise to her. "Don't even call or text me. I will come to you, alright?"

"What's wrong, Lisa?"

That was my Chae. Instead of asking why did I put such conditions for her to follow, she asked if everything was fine for me. That showed a lot about her priority; always other people first than herself.

"Nothing's wrong, Chae. Just don't find me, can you?"

It came into my mind about the only problem I had in this universe; that culprit Lisa. She already blocked Chae's number and didn't come to the stall again, which was good. I knew that she wouldn't be hurting Chae anymore in that case.

But it was Chae's effort that I was scared of.

I didn't want her to look for the Lisa she loved because she would not meet the one who loved her back; me. It was me who accepted her heart and it was me who wouldn't hurt her in any way. And I needed more time to figure out about the time system here so that I would travel and arrive at the exact time that I wanted.

"What if I want to see you?" Chae vocalised her concern as she held my hand with both of hers softly.

"I will find you, Chae" I gave out a suggestion with hope it would get accepted. "I will come to your stall and we can have dinner together like this after work"

She took a moment in her stare, probably trying to process what I just told her and making a yes or no decision at the same time.

"Is that going to be in another 3 weeks from now?"

"I'll try to come by every day" I chuckled when she was worried about not seeing me for a long time again. "You trust me, right?"

Chae nodded with a smile even though it wasn't a wide one.

"I'll wait for you then, Lisa" She tightened her hold on me. "Just promise me you would come"

Smiling to the only beautiful woman I knew, I gave her another convincing statement that I wished I could fulfill later on. "I promise..."