Free Goddesses Don't Get Sick by Victoria Bauld Page A

stammered nervously.
    Tuyen smiled gently and waited for her to collect herself, unconsciously chewing his bottom lip. After a few moments, Angela looked up at him and tried again.
    “I…I like you, Tuyen. You’ve been a wonderful friend since I met you that night, and you’ve done so much for me, put up with so much…I honestly don’t know how to thank you.” Smiling nervously, Angela held his gaze for a moment before she dropped her head again and continued to speak.
    “The thing is, I don’t want you to just be another guy in my life. I know we agreed to just stay friends. I know you have…concerns because of your job, but…I want more, Tuyen. I…I think I love you.”
    Swallowing, Angela bit her lip and stole a glance at Tuyen, trying to read the closed expression on his face. When he didn’t answer, she started talking again in a rush, stumbling over her words.
    “I’d understand if you weren’t interested in me at all, but I think you are. You wouldn’t have put up with so much from me if you weren’t even a little interested. I mean, if being my friend makes you so nervous about being caught or whatever, you must have a reason for continuing to hang around. But I don’t understand why you won’t let us be more than friends, just because of a job. If you feel the same for me, what’s stopping you from just quitting and getting another job?”
    Angela took a steadying breath. “I graduate next month, Tuyen. And with this internship, I’ll be earning more than most graduates. I think that, if we kept to a budget, I’d be able to earn enough for both of us until you found something…” Trailing off, Angela watched Tuyen and waited for him to respond.
    He’d barely moved throughout the entire speech, and sat now with his chin resting on his knuckles, eyes downcast and completely unreadable.
    “Please say something?” Angela whispered softly, causing Tuyen to finally rouse himself from his thoughts with a sigh.
    “I don’t know what you want me to say here, Angela,” he spoke softly, refusing to meet her eye. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say without hurting you.”
    “Well…you could start by telling me whether or not you like the idea…” Angela swallowed and looked down at her hands. “Whether you even wanted to try or…or if I was just imagining things…”
    “This has absolutely nothing to do with how I feel, Ange, you have to understand that.” Finally, Tuyen looked up at her and held her gaze for a moment with sad eyes.
    “I’m sorry, Goddess,” he murmured. “I think…maybe it’s best if I just go.”
    Stunned, Angela watched in disbelief as Tuyen got up from the table and walked out of the restaurant, his figure oddly diminished. She sat at the table in shock for a moment, mind blankly trying to make sense of the situation. What did I just do?
    Forget what you did , a voice inside her cried angrily. Why are you still here? You’re just going to let him walk out of your life again? Just lie down and take it?!
    “Like hell,” Angela muttered to herself, rising from her chair and all but running out of the restaurant after Tuyen.

EIGHTEEN.
    EXITING THE RESTAURANT, Angela stood outside in the cold, scanning the streets for Tuyen. Recognizing a hunched figure in the distance, she let out a yell and began to chase after him as he disappeared around the corner.
    “Hey!” She yelled breathlessly, voice cracking slightly in the chill air. “Stop running away from me, damn it!”
    Rounding the corner, Angela saw Tuyen standing at the end of the street beneath a lamp, facing her. Everything about his stance and air was guarded, as if he wanted to wait for her, but also wanted to run. Slowing to a pained walk, Angela closed the distance between them, limping slightly in her heels.
    “What the hell is your problem?!” She yelled, taking grim pleasure in seeing Tuyen wince slightly before she continued. “I lay my heart out on the table for you, and all you can