A Bittersweet Ending

"G-Gia? I-It's really you. Where have you been all this time? Why aren't you answering my call? I'm worried to death."

Georgina couldn't utter a single word when the man abruptly hugged her tight. Her body just stiffened on it's position. It's not sinking yet—the situation she's in. This isn't even part of her plan.

"Why you vanished out of nowhere? I'm looking for you like a crazy man."

"H-Henrick? W-why? Why are you here? Didn't you received the news yet? Everyone knew that I breached the contract. We don't need to get married anymore. You don't need to act."

"Do you think I have time to act at this situation?"

"I'm not going to marry you anymore, just go on and confessed your true feelings to Kiela. Don't think you're still responsible for me, I can take responsibility of myself."

"Why? Do you want to go back with your ex? How about the revenge to your mother? What's even going on? Are you still mad at me because I pushed your ex to became your mother's slave or so whatever?" He asked, not letting go of her. "I did that to get revenge for him from hurting Kiela's genuine feelings."

There's no words came out from Georgina's mouth, she just silently looked at the starry skies—watching the million sparkling stars hid behind the huge formed clouds.

She's lying if she didn't agree to his words.

She's mad to him for making Giovanni's life worst, it even triggered her to gone insane. Nonetheless, she couldn't maintain that madness for so long. Whenever she saw Henrick in his weak sides, Georgina couldn't utter a word or tell the truth. Henrick was her salvation when she was on the brink of giving up.

He came like a hero in disguise, but she'll abandoned him like a villain in the end.

"I love Van. Even if there's a small lingering feelings I had for him, it's still hard to let go of it. I love him with all my heart, throughout this year." She said. "Before you, he was my salvation. He taught me how to love and be loved, he taught me to become me, and he taught me what pain and regret means. He was my everything and seeing him in pain, made me hate myself."

"S-so, you're going back to him? You want him so bad?"

"Y-you're not part of my plan anymore, stay out of it. Live your life the way it used to be before you met a ruined woman like me. In that way, I can live in peace."

"W-what?"

Henrick let go of her and looked in her eyes with confusion, but Georgina just stared back at him. For a few seconds, they stayed at that position until Henrick let out a forced laugh.

"A-are you pushing me away because I'm not useful anymore? Why? Do you hate me to death that you don't want any kind of connection to me? After you made me feel confused about my feelings... Y-you..."

"I told you it's not love that you felt for me. Love is something both people enjoyed to have and feel at the same time."

"Gia..."

"Henrick, I had plans for myself and you're not part of it. Thank you for everything you've done for me, but let's end it all here. I sincerely wished you a happy life from now on, so live to the fullest. Don't get caught up with a woman like me. You're a free man. Do as you wish. I need to go."

She was about to turned her back when Henrick unconsciously held her hand. He caressed it softly until he tightened the grip on it as a tears fell on his eyes. Georgina saw it all and looked away while biting her lower lips. It's the second time. The second time she saw him crying because of her. And this unknown prickling pain stabbing her heart came again like that time.

Under the dark, thick clouds, standing beside the tree house that has a meaningful existence for her and in a place full of pain and happy memories, and amidst her chaotic mind, Georgina realized another thing. The man standing in front—shedding a tears while holding her hands tight added to the lists of her regret.

A man who made her confused about her feelings for Giovanni and also a man who made her feel special in a short time.

"P-Please don't leave me, Gia."

"Let go of me."

"Don't go to him. Don't go anywhere else, just stay with me."

A tears fell on Georgina's eyes as she heard Henrick begging like crazy. With her spare hands, he unknowingly capped his face that made him look straight at her eyes. She wiped his tears away and smiled briefly before pulling him to a tight hug. No words, just pure action took over between the two.

"Henrick, stop crying."

"H-how could I stop if you're trying to runaway behind my back?"

"I want you to smile so bad. I don't know why, but it really pains me seeing you broke like this."

"T-then, don't leave."

"I need. If I stay here nothing will change for me, you and Van. Please, listen to me. Trust me this time." She said. "If fate sided on us, then we'll going to meet again. Until then, let's settled this confusion about our true feelings."

"What if you go back to him before we meet again?"

"It's worst for you."

Georgina chuckled before letting him go. She took a step back and stared straight to his eyes.

"Henrick, you're a wonderful and talented singer. You have a dream to achieved and I have a revenged I want to succeed. Let's do our best in our own way." She said.

"P-Please, stay here. Stay with me."

"Henrick..."

"A-at least tonight. Stay with me tonight. Please. I won't ask for more, just tonight."

Georgina bit her lower lips as she stared at his hands shuddering while holding hers. "F-fine. Just tonight. I'm running out of time, you know?"

***

It was already in the crack of dawn, but Georgina couldn't sleep a wink. She was lying in the bed in silence whilst staring at Henrick's peaceful sleeping face. Has it been two or three hours since he finally fell asleep? There's no even doubt that Giovanni and him shared the same level of stubbornness.

A chuckled escaped from her mouth as her index finger traced the bridge of his nose before poking his cheeks.

"You stubborn man, don't torture yourself when I'm gone. I know Van might understand me sooner or later, but you... I doubted it." She said. "You're not part of my plan, but for unknown reason you became part of my life."

Georgina chortled before moving closer to him, hugging his body tight and burying her face into his chest. She stayed on that same position for quite a while, not until she felt a warm hand patting her head.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Hmm..."

"You're going to meet him, am I right? I heard you talking to him over the phone. You asked him on a date."

"Hmm..."

"Now that I realized, we never had a proper date. It's a pity."

"I-I'm..."

"You love him and that man still loves you."

"Van and I... We went through a lot just to love each other. Not once we had a proper breakup or makeup. Until now we're still complicated." She said. "We love each other, but at the same time we hated it too. We're afraid to let go, but we also know it's the only answer to everything."

"It hurts to hear that from you. There's no way I could compare whatever feelings I had for you to that man."

"But V-van and I..." Georgina said, stopping midway as she bit her lower lips and tightened the hug on Henrick. "W-we're done. We're already done. Neither him nor I could salvage the relationship we had from before. W-we're done."

"Is it the reason you cried after the phone call?"

"Y-you're really awake that time."

"Of course, I am."

A deafening quietude engulfed the entire room after their conversation, Georgina knew that Henrick didn't went back to sleep because he keep caressing her hair whilst hearing his calm breathing near her ear.

"I'm jealous of the relationship you had with him. It's as if even though you both decided to cut the ties that connecting you, there's still an invisible string left somewhere else—leading you back to each other." Henrick said. "Some says, it's easy to find the entrance door in a person's heart, but there's no easy way to find the exit on it. They're right."

"What are you saying?"

"You're not ready to let other people came inside your heart and you still find it hard to open the exit door for the only person occupying that space. I understand, it's not our time yet."

"Henrick."

"I'm decided. You're free to go wherever you want to."

Georgina's eyes widened as she looked up to him in confusion, but Henrick gave her an assurance smile before caressing her left cheeks.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I'm going to achieve my dream and be a well-known artist along with my band, so while I'm doing it, make sure you succeed on your revenge. However, the next time we saw each other, please don't run away. By that time, at least I already found an answer to what I truly feel for you. Do you understand?"

"What if we didn't see each other anymore? What if I came back to Van?"

"As long as you're alive, we will see each other again. But if you came back to your ex, I'll snatch you away. So, be ready."

"You're unfair."

"You're the unfair one. I'm enduring it, so at least wait for me. Hear my answer before you decide to go back to your ex."

"F-fine."

"Let's stay like this, until the sunrise."

"Hmm..."

"It's really a bittersweet ending for us." Henrick said, chuckling as he kiss her forehead.