15

I won't lie. I did feel a little jealous when he said she was his world.

I was happy that he was opening up to me. I wonder who the 'she' he was talking about was. And what happened to her?

Why is he not with her anymore?

"Girlfriend?" I asked, not sure if he would answer or not.

"Best friend." His eyes shined when he talked about her.

So many questions had clouded my mind, but I didn't ask him. She sounds like a tough subject for him. He was in a happy mood. I didn't want to ruin it. So, I kept my mouth shut.

He glanced at me, and as if on cue, he started answering my unasked questions leaving me wondering how he read my mind.

"She was my best friend. She was the most beautiful girl in the world and still is. Her big brown, innocent eyes were full of life. She was full of life. A Sunshine in human form. With her kindness, she had won everyone's heart." He spoke and gulped, his voice laden with pain, which stirred feelings of pity in me. He grew more miserable with each word he spoke; I was about to suggest him to stop—if he wished—but he went on, "She pulled me out of the darkness, made my hell of life feel like heaven-worth living. She saved me in every way that a person can be saved."

I gulped, trying really hard, not to let him see the volcano of jealously forming inside me.

Wait...

I shouldn't be jealous; you aren't even mine.

He rubbed his nose and smiled like he remembered something funny.

"She was very naive. One day, I bought a hamster for her. I asked her to open her palms and close her eyes, which she did. Then, I placed the hamster in her hands. Shocked, she jumped, causing the poor hamster to fall to the floor. When she picked him up, he wouldn't open his eyes. Thinking she killed an innocent hamster, she cried for two hours straight. She told me that we should bury him with all the respect. I agree with her because I just wanted to see her happy. But when we were going to put him in the grave. The hamster opened his eyes and ran away. Turned out he was only sleeping." He chuckled at the end. I laughed, imagining the situation in my head. My head started feeling strange, but I ignored it.

"She sounds funny," I said. Though I was jealous, I like the girl he was talking about.

"Yeah. Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes memories."

His phone rang, and I looked at it, the name Derek flashed on the screen.

He got up and offered his hand to help me. I stared at it for a while and took it. His hands were chilled from the atmosphere, rough and large in contrast to my own, which were small.

Our hands fit in each other perfectly.

It felt good.

"Come, Derek's here." He said and started walking, still holding my hands. Maybe he didn't notice that he was still holding. It might not affect him, but it affected me.

The Heat started spreading across my cheeks with just the mere contact.

Stop thinking about him. There is no chance that you both.

He is madly in love with that girl. I agreed with my inner voice and pulled my hands without him noticing it.

I should stop overthinking.

We sat in the other car that Derek had brought for us. The car ride to my home was peaceful but all the way, a question disturbed me.

What happened to her?

I wanted to ask him, yet I couldn't muster the courage. I don't wish to appear desperate, and above all, I don't want to see him in pain. I'm uncertain about what tomorrow holds, but today is a day that will remain in my memory forever.

Today, I witnessed an entirely different side of him.

Yeah, you saw the reality too.

Hope you stop feeling special from now on. because you are not. My brain spoke, and I agreed with it.

I better keep my distance because I know I can't have you.

You are over exaggerating. Stop feeling things which are not even there, you aren't in love with him. It's just little attraction which will soon disappear once you stop thinking and daydreaming about him all day. A voice came from brain.

Yeah, you are right. It was nothing. I motivated myself.

The car stopped in front of my house and I looked outside unbuckling my seat belt. I looked at him and he was already looking at me. I opened my mouth and closed it like a gaping fish while searching for the words to speak.

"You look like you wanna say something. You can." He passed me a smile encouraging me to speak. But words were not coming out of my throat. Instead, I looked at him and ask the thing which I didn't want to ask. Or perhaps, I was really curious.

"W..What happened to her?" I asked gathering my strength. He breaks eye contact and looks outside at the empty roads. I should not have asked him that.

Why do I even care?

Just curiosity, I guess.

Realizing he hadn't responded, I whispered an apology and unbuckled my seatbelt. I nearly stepped out of the car when he grasped my arm.

I settled back into the seat and met his gaze. He exhaled deeply and released my arm.

"You don't have to say sorry. About her...I will tell you some other day." He spoke in a gentle voice looking at me. I smiled at him and nodded.

I got down from the car and thanked him. Then he started the car and disappeared into the darkness.