Kiss Me Not

Cedric was aware that Brione had already left. He was dying to call her but he was too busy, so he just texted her. Brione replied to inform him that she had gone straight to her brother's to have dinner with him and his family.

After dinner with his father, Cedric became available and made a quick call to check on her.

"Are you back in your penthouse now?" he asked over the line. Brione smiled and said, "I'm almost there."

"Rue, can you stop over there? I want to buy some bread," Brione instructed.

"Rue?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah, my bodyguard and driver. I will call you back later. I need to buy some bread," Brione said and ended the call. She put on her hoodie and shades before going to buy the bread from her and Gavin's favorite cafe-bakery in her area. 

"Hello Cali," Brione greeted the owner.

"You're back!" Cali gasped and quickly put the 'closed' tag on the door so Brione could have some privacy as she shopped and besides it was already her bakery's closing time.

"I tried a new flavor for my cakes and it's selling quite well. You should try it too," Cali commented and Brione nodded. 

"Coffee?" Cali asked and Brione nodded again as she started to pick up some bread.

Cali joined her at her table as she personally served her the cake and coffee. 

"How was your vacation?" Cali asked.

"It was great. I really had so much fun, Cali. I have a new drama coming up, you should plan to watch it," she grinned. 

"Of course, I surely will. Hold on, why do you look like that? You've just returned from a vacation, so what's with the long face?" Cali asked.

Brione looked at her and asked, "Earlier, I mean when you were suffering from amnesia after the Dami Bridge incident, your heart… You said your heart never failed you and still recognized Dr. Dee as your soulmate, right? How could you trust that feeling? I mean how do you know if your heart is wrong or right?"

"Hmm, I just felt it. You see there were things that my mind could not remember but my heart… my heart remembered the familiarity, the intense feelings I have for him. Plus, Rui is a dedicated man, someone who didn't give up on me even though I couldn't remember him. That, I guess, strengthened our bond." Cali answered with a smile.

Then her forehead creased as she asked, "Does this have something to do with Gavin's doppelganger? Rui mentioned it earlier and he said that you were able to kiss him?"

Brione nodded with a faint smile. "He too is suffering from amnesia, so at first, I thought he might be Gavin. Things are actually a bit complicated. He says he has these intense feelings for me which make me believe he is indeed Gavin. 

Gavin wrote everything in his journal, like how deep his love for me is,  and how he chose to hide it from me to keep me by his side as he was afraid that when I found out about it then I would leave him.

Gavin always worried about me leaving him and so he built a shield around his feelings to maintain our friendship and ensure that he won't lose me. He wrote about everything he wanted to say and share with me but chose not to,  instead he showed me a person I could be comfortable around. 

He showed me a personality that would best click with me so he could stay by my side. He was happy just staying by my side like that until it came to a point where his greed for more took over. But in the end, I failed him. I disappointed him, causing him to leave… and die..."

Brione's body trembled as she remembered the day when that kiss happened. That kiss… Her, being able to kiss him, had given Gavin the courage to confess his feelings to her and she had behaved like a coward who wasn't honest enough to tell him how she felt about him because she was afraid of taking the risk…

"Hmm, so many regrets… But those will make you stronger and teach you not to make the same mistake again. I bet now you're different. You're braver and follow what you want. Take the risk if it's worth it." Cali winked and Brione nodded.

Indeed she was braver, willing to take risks, and never let any opportunity pass her by. 

The door opened and both women looked up. It was Cali's husband who was also one of Brione's current doctors, Rui Dee. Gavin had introduced her to the couple and since then it was always Dr. Rui Dee whom she would consult about any psychological matters.

"Oh, you're back!" Rui commented, greeting Brione with a hug. He then kissed his wife and sat down beside her.

"I will leave you two to talk while I wrap up things before closing the bakery," Cali said and Brione nodded.

"Do you think I'm totally cured and can accept kissing scenes now?" Brione asked Rui as soon as Cali left the table. She had consulted Rui over a phone call the moment she discovered that she was able to kiss Cedric.

"It's hard to tell as the man you kissed looked exactly like Gavin," Rui whispered. He was curious to meet the Prince Brione had mentioned. He searched for him on the internet, but just like what Brione said, his profile was private.

"You can only find out if you try kissing another man who does not resemble Gavin in any way," Rui added. He believed it was too early to say that Brione was completely cured of her kissing disorder unless she could also kiss other men who did not look anything like Gavin.

He noticed the conflicted expression on Brione's face.

"How about this, picture yourself kissing another man in your mind and observe your reactions. Or maybe you could try kissing one of your trusted colleagues?" Rui suggested. This comparison was necessary for him to declare her completely recovered.

Brione sighed and said, "Alright, I will try and update you Doc."

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Author's Note:

Search "The Doctor Who Loves Me" and add it to your library if you want to read more about the love story of Cali Lua and Dr. Rui Dee. Thanks.