Angel on a Mission

Chapter 13

Gabrielle's POV

"You really couldn't listen to me, could you?" Alexander remarked with a frown, his expression clearly showing his frustration.

"I’ve already promised Bella that I would be there for her," I replied, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me as I spoke to him. "What do you want me to do?"

Alexander continued to frown, his displeasure evident.

"Don’t even think about taking a detour or coming up with some kind of excuse," I warned, my voice firm. "If you try anything mischievous, I'll end up being late." I noticed an idea suddenly appear on his face, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

Alexander looked at me with a mix of surprise and guilt. I let out a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

"You really don’t know the guy you’re about to meet, do you? How can you be certain that he’s not some sort of criminal or something?" Alexander asked, his skepticism clear.

I laughed, glancing back at him.

"I trust Bella. That’s all there is to it," I reassured him, though I could see him hesitate as he sighed in response.

After that exchange, Alexander remained silent, but it was clear there was a lot on his mind.

Eventually, we arrived at the location, and I stepped out of the car while checking my phone.

Just in time, I thought to myself.

"Martinez, wait!" Alexander interrupted me, gripping my arm to halt my progress.

He had a lot on his mind, I could tell.

"Let me come with you," he said hopefully. I simply nodded in agreement.

"Okay," I replied, and I noticed the confusion etched on his face.

"Let’s go," I said, leading the way to the restaurant where I was supposed to meet Bella’s date.

As I scanned the room, my brows furrowed in confusion when I didn’t see him.

Is he late?

But then I caught sight of a familiar face seated at one of the tables, and my eyes widened as I hurried toward him.

Our gazes locked and his expression mirrored my surprise.

"Gabrielle?" he exclaimed, and a wide smile spread across my face as I rushed in for a hug.

"Art!" I squealed, and he chuckled as he opened his arms, welcoming me.

I dashed to him, and he lifted me off the ground, spinning me around, causing me to giggle.

"You’re here!" I said, as he gently set me back down.

"I am! But what are you doing here?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, a friend of mine asked me for a favor, and I’m about to meet someone—her blind date, to be precise," I explained.

"A blind date? Wait a minute. Is your friend’s name Bella?" he queried, his eyes sparkling with recognition. I nodded enthusiastically.

A smile blossomed on Art’s face.

"Then you’re meant to meet my friend. But he had a last-minute emergency and asked me to meet your friend instead," he explained, leaving me nearly gasping.

"Then does that mean..." I asked, looking at him with curiosity.

"I’m your date for today, yes," he confirmed with a radiant smile.

*ehem.

We both turned our attention to Alexander, who was looking at us with a decidedly annoyed expression.

"You know him?" Alexander asked, pointing an accusatory finger at Art. I glanced between Art and Alexander before nodding.

"Fortunately, yes. I do know him," I responded cheerfully.

A slight frown creased Alexander's brow as he frowned a bit more.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Art inquired, looking from me to Alexander and back again.

I glanced at Alexander, who was watching me with anticipation.

"Well, I’m not exactly sure. But he is my friend's brother, right, Alexander?" I stated, seeking affirmation.

Alexander shot me a smirk of dissatisfaction in response.

Art chuckled and playfully ruffled my hair, which only elicited a grin from me.

"Okay, then," Art said, turning to face Alexander.

"My name is Art Cuevas. And you are?" he introduced himself, extending his hand.

Alexander stared at Art’s hand blankly for a moment before shifting his gaze to Art’s face.

"Alexander Smith," he replied, keeping his introduction short and succinct.

Art laughed good-naturedly and returned his hand to his side.

"Nice to meet you," Art said warmly, then turned back to me.

I looked at Alexander, wanting to ease the tension palpable between them.

"You can go on ahead now since I'm no longer meeting an absolute stranger. I'm completely safe with Art. I’ve known him for a long time," I assured Alexander, who looked less than convinced.

His brows remained furrowed, and I noticed his jaw clenching.

"No worries. I’ll keep Gabrielle safe from any harm. Thank you for accompanying her here," Art added with a reassuring smile.

"Sure," Alexander muttered, his expression still tight as he turned back to me.

"I’ll get going. Text me when you need me to pick you up," he stated, a hint of reluctance in his tone.

"You don’t have a car?" Art interjected with a quizzical look.

"I do. I just left it since Alexander insisted we take his car," I answered truthfully.

"In that case, don't worry about it, dude. I’ll drive Gabrielle back to her place," Art offered, his demeanor friendly and informal.

"No. I’ll pick her up," Alexander insisted firmly, his voice taut.

"It’s fine, Alexander. Art can drive me back. I wouldn’t want to be a nuisance to you. I know you have other things to do," I said gently, trying to alleviate the tension.

Alexander frowned deeply.

"Fine. Whatever. Do as you please," he said in an annoyed tone, before turning to walk away.

"Well, he certainly has a grumpy disposition," Art remarked after Alexander was finally gone.

"Tell me about it," I agreed, and we both shared a laugh over the awkwardness of the situation.

Art pulled out a chair for me, and we settled down across from each other.

"What do you want to eat? My treat," he offered graciously.

I perused the menu before deciding on a salad and a fruit shake.

Art ordered the same, but in a larger serving.

I couldn’t help but notice the curious glances directed our way from people inside the restaurant, but we both chose to ignore them.

"It’s been so long since I last saw you," he said nostalgically.

"I know. We haven’t met in ages. Who would have guessed we’d end up meeting like this?" I replied with a chuckle.

"Must be God’s plan, I guess," he said, and we both nodded in agreement.

"So, since we don’t have anything pressing to do right now, what else do you want to do in the meantime?" he asked, looking interested.

I contemplated his question.

Honestly, I didn’t have anything specific in mind.

After all, I wasn’t here for a vacation or leisure.

"I’m not sure. Do you have any suggestions? You’ve been around here for a while," I said.

Art pondered for a moment.

"We could try ice skating, and afterward, we can hit the arcade. Those are among the few things that I really enjoy doing here," he suggested.

I smiled widely, nodding excitedly.

"Then ice skating and the arcade it is," I declared cheerfully.

It was refreshing to finally spend time with someone like him.

Yes, Art was also an angel.

However, unlike me, he primarily stayed on Earth.

While I was here to accomplish various missions, Art took on the role of a guardian who watches over living beings on this planet.

Angels have a special connection, and we all know one another.

We’re technically like brothers and sisters.

That connection is a large part of why we’re so close.

"They look like such a good-looking couple. Are they celebrities?"

"The guy is really handsome, and the girl is equally beautiful. What an attractive duo!"

"I can’t help but feel jealous. They make such a wonderful couple."

These were just a few of the murmurs I caught from the people around us.

It’s not like I wasn’t accustomed to attention, but it still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Their thoughts were scattered as well, creating a rather distracting atmosphere.

"How long have you been here?" Art asked as our food was delivered to the table.

"Thank you!" we both exclaimed in unison to the waitress who brought our meals.

"Not long. I only arrived and started my work recently," I replied.

"How are you holding up?" he inquired, genuinely concerned.

"I’m fine. I don’t think I have too many problems to deal with. At least, so far, I don’t. Everything seems to be going well for now," I told him.

"That’s good to hear. It’s not always easy to be here. The environment is so different from what we’re used to," he agreed, and I nodded in acknowledgment.

"That’s true. What about you? How have you been doing?" I countered with interest.

"Everything is going well at the moment. I haven’t faced many issues, especially since you guys arrived," he admitted. I tilted my head slightly, intrigued.

"You’ve also met the others?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yes, I met two actually," he confirmed.

"Really? You’re the first person I’ve met since I got here," I said in slight surprise.

Am I just not exploring enough?

"I’m sure you’ll meet a few more while you’re here," he reassured me.

Perhaps.

"By the way, where are you staying right now?" Art asked, shifting the conversation.

"In a cabin. It’s really nice, and I absolutely love it there," I whispered, careful not to let anyone eavesdrop on my personal details about living arrangements.

"You’ll probably need another place for a 'more convenient' stay here," he said, to which I nodded in agreement.

When he mentioned ‘more convenient,’ he meant a place where I could blend in better with everyone else, avoiding any potential suspicion or unwanted attention.

"I’ll ask Father," I replied thoughtfully, and he nodded, a look of approval on his face.

"If you’d like, I have a spare room at my place. You’re welcome to stay with me if you want. I think it would be nice," he offered, an inviting smile lighting up his features.

*thud!

All of us turned our heads in the direction of the noise and saw a man obscured by a menu.

Art chuckled softly and leaned closer to me.

"I don’t think your companion earlier is very happy with our conversation," he whispered teasingly.

I shrugged, a smirk creeping on my face.

"He gets annoyed by just about everything. It’s nothing new for me," I whispered back, sharing a laugh with him.

To my surprise, Alexander stayed close by.

I could tell he was visibly bothered, but I had no idea he was that bothered.

He had changed into a different set of clothes and tried to conceal himself, but it was futile.

At least not against the keen observations of Art and me.

We recognized him the moment we turned our heads in his direction.

However, there was no need for us to expose him now, was there?

Art and I happily finished our meals while chatting about light-hearted topics, including what we had been up to lately.

We avoided delving too deeply into anything personal, especially considering the prying eyes of the onlookers, particularly Alexander.

I didn’t realize he was such a busybody.

I suppose people often have multifaceted sides to their personalities.

Art paid for our meal as we made our way out to his car.

It was similar to mine in some respects.

Electric and environmentally friendly, which was a definite plus for both of us.

It was also a sleek dark gray.

Art opened the door for me like the true gentleman he was.

"Thank you very much," I expressed with a smile as I stepped inside.

"You're welcome, madam," he replied playfully as we both laughed.

Once we settled into the car, Art started the engine, and I couldn’t help but glance at the side mirror.

I pursed my lips and let out a sigh.

"Is that your friend’s brother's car?" Art asked with an amused chuckle.

I nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Is he playing the role of a spy today?

Doesn’t he have anything better to do?

"The guy must be really worried about you. Are you sure you and he aren’t friends?" he questioned innocently.

"He’s not exactly the friendliest person. If anything, I think he actually dislikes me," I replied.

"Hate you? Why would he hate you? I’m certain you haven’t done anything wrong," he responded, perplexed.

I shrugged, unsure.

"Perhaps because he doesn’t trust me. I can’t really say. But he’s okay. We’ve actually been interacting quite a bit after he learned where my cabin is," I explained. Art shot me a curious look.

"He found out about your cabin? How did he react? What did he say?" he asked eagerly.

"Not much. I explained that it belonged to Father," I noted.

"Well, that is true," he said with a nod.

"But I really doubt he hates you. I don't think he'd go to all this trouble looking after you if he truly disliked you," Art pointed out, his voice reassuring.

I simply shrugged again, casting a glance in the side mirror.

I wondered, Alexander, what on earth are you up to?

"Are you really certain he doesn't like you? Because he seems to be acting like a full-blown stalker right now," Art joked, laughing.

"When we first met, he was furious with me, and on the first day of school when we saw each other again, he accused me of being the stalker. Even afterwards, he blamed me for a whole list of things," I recounted.

"And?" Art asked, raising an eyebrow.

"More recently, he actually slept at my cabin because he almost got into a car accident. And just earlier, he insisted that I shouldn’t go on this blind date," I explained.

"For what reason?" Art queried, genuinely curious.

"He just didn’t want me to go," I shrugged vaguely.

"You didn’t catch any of his thoughts on why he was against it?" Art pressed further.

"His thoughts were all jumbled and chaotic," I admitted.

Art chuckled in response.

"Weird," he said, bemused.

"Right?" I agreed, and we both shared a laugh.

"Anyway, what have you been up to these days? Do you have a mission underway, or are you waiting on another one?" Art asked, redirecting the conversation.

"I have an ongoing mission at the moment," I replied.

"What’s it about?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It involves a case of r**e, bullying, s****l harassment, and all those cruel realities. The girl’s name is Jade, and she's a truly wonderful person," I said with a sad sigh, discussing what she had endured.

"What a terrible thing for her to experience. It must be incredibly tough for her and her family," Art said sympathetically.

I nodded in agreement.

"It is hard for them, but Jade is strong and is currently focusing on healing and rediscovering herself. Right now, she’s on vacation with her family. I hope when she returns, she’ll feel a little better than she did when she left," I shared hopefully.

"I’ll be sure to pray for her fast recovery and for her inner healing," Art said with sincerity in his eyes.

"Thank you, Art," I said with gratitude.

"Anything to help," he replied with a warm smile.

"What else occupies your days these days?" Art asked further.

"Not much. I have school, and that's pretty much it. What about you? What do you keep busy with?" I inquired.

"Me? Just the usual stuff. I do what I’ve been doing for years. I help other angels like you with their missions whenever I’m around," he said.

I nodded appreciatively.

"That sounds nice," I replied, genuinely interested.

Art smiled and he glanced in my direction, and I returned the smile, feeling a warmth spread in my chest.

It truly felt lovely to be reunited with him after such a long period apart.