Started with Goodbye

Chapter 15

I was still inside that cafe, waiting for Asher because he told me on the phone earlier that he would come on my location and I just let him do what he wanted to do, because I do not feel like I wanted to meet him elsewhere.

Of course, I ordered a food that I could eat while waiting for him, because he told me that he might take an hour before he could finally go on this cafe, and I just agreed with him because after all, I was the one who invited him to have a ‘date’ with me.

“Date,” I mumbled to myself as a smile started to crept up on my lips, and I did not even noticed that I was smiling so big that when someone would see me right now, they would think that I was a crazy woman thinking of something out of this world, when in fact, I was just so happy because of the thought of my first date with Asher.

This is the first time that I would go in such ‘date.’ Though I doubt that this was really a date because for me, it was too sudden, but then again, I would go with my ‘boyfriend’ so I guess that it was alright for me to call this as our first date.

I smiled even brighter than it ever was before because of that thought. My first boyfriend and I would have a first date today, and I could not even get happier because of that. It seems like I could not control my excitement anymore because of the things that I had in my mind that we could do all this day.

Maybe, I should thank my co-worker who just attacked because of something I still could not point out? After all, if it was not because of her, I would not be able to have a one day rest that my boss quoted as my ‘needs’ because of what had happened in the past week.

I shook my head because of that thought as I started to write again, because I knew that this would be the only time that I could focus on this story of mine that I have been anticipating to finish for almost a month now.

I continued to write, with a small smile on my face, as I was looking at my watch from time to time to check if how long I was in there, and I was sometimes looking at the entrance of the cafe to check if Asher was already there or not.

An hour later, I felt someone tapped me on my shoulder but I did not pay any attention on that person because I was so focus on typing, not until I heard that person cleared his throat to get my attention and that made me stop on whatever I was doing and looked at the person that was standing on my side.

“Hey.” It was Asher who greeted with a smile on his face, wearing casual clothes.

I just smiled at him as I turned on my laptop again to save the document of my story, so that I could give all my focus on him. Though I did not greet him because I just wanted to save it, before I would turn to look at him again.

“What are you doing?” he asked me as I hummed and wait for my laptop to shut down. “I found you inside of this cafe, looking so focus on whatever you are doing on your laptop.” I finally turned to keep my laptop on my bag as I heard him say, “I thought that your boss gave you a one day leave? Why are you so busy right now?”

I laughed a little because of the confusion on his voice, so I decided to turn my gaze at him and smiled so brightly at him. “I was writing a story,” I explained to him, a grin was still seen on my face.

Asher, on the other hand, just frowned at me as if he was confused over something. “A story?” he asked me, confusion was evident on his voice.

“Yeah,” I said as I nodded my head at him. “Our story to be exact,” I added and I could see him stop moving and a sad smile started to be seen on his face.

“I see,” he said to me, and I tried to remove that sad smile on his face that I saw as I nodded my head at him again.

“I thought that it would be fun if I would write something that had happened on my own life,” I told him with a small smile on my face as I turned my attention at nothing in particular. “And I thought that it would be a great start for me if I would write our own love story.” I then turned to look at him again, and I saw that he had that unexplainable smile on his face.

Actually, I have been thinking of this story for such a long time because Aiden who suggested a s*lly idea on what if I would write a love story based on my experience. I first thought that it was impossible, though I have been considering it as soon as she gave that suggestion, but now that I had Asher, the person who gave me an idea about the meaning of love, I thought that it was never impossible for me to write something based on my own experience.

“I thought that it is such a great idea,” I told him as I looked at nothing in particular again. “After all, the two of us met in an odd way and I guess that alone would make people believe that destiny and fate really do exist, and that a person can change you for the better.”

“Yeah, we really did meet on such an odd way,” he agreed with me that made me look at his direction, but I was taken aback because of that almost sad look on his face, as if he was trying to stop himself from crying about something that I do not have any idea what it is. “And I guess that it is the most precious thing about our relationship.”

“Yeah, you think so?” I asked him as he nodded his head at me as his usual smile returned on his lips. “I thought of that too and I guess that it would inspire people that love is for everyone, and it is not just for a person who believes in it.”

We started discussing about the story I was talking about, and I was so engrossed on talking to him that I did not notice that sad smile returned on his face again. We continued to talk until Asher finally decided to leave the cafe, and that we should now go to the places that I wanted to go because after all, this day is for our first date.

“Why don’t you choose our first destination?” I asked him as soon as we step outside of that cafe and as I finished checking if all my stuffs were inside of my bag. “After all, I want you to also enjoy this day.”

He hummed as he considered what I just suggested to him, and it did not take long when I saw him nod his head at me, slowly, as he agreed with what I just said. He even gave me a smile, an excited smile to be exact.

“Alright,” he said to me that made me smile at him too. “Then I guess that we should go to an arcade because it was such a long time since I last went there.” He walked ahead of me, but he stopped again to look at me with that charming smile of his. “And I guess it would be fun if I will go with you.”

I immediately agreed with what he wanted to do as I said, “It has been such a long time for me too.” We walked side by side and he even slowed down his pace so that he could really walk with me on his side. “I have been so busy these past few months, and I guess that it would be a great time for the both of us.”

He looked at me with a smile on his face. “Then, we should go now so that we can try all the games on the arcade.” I immediately agreed with him and we walked side by side until we reached the nearest arcade in that area.

I did not even bother to change my work clothes because I thought that it would be just a hassle for the both of us, and Asher just agreed with that and we were off to go to the arcade that we first saw.

And just like what he just said to me, we really did enjoyed every little things that we did inside of the arcade. We also managed to try almost all the games that caught our attention, and I could clearly see in his eyes that he was enjoying this date, so far. And I did so too. I was enjoying this time that I had with Asher.

We even won some prizes that he always willingly gave to me without a second thought, and that moment alone made my heart flutter. Of course, I also gave him something, though I know that it may looked so cringe and cliche for someone who witnessed that, but for me, it was sweet that we were exchanging the prizes that we got.

And when we got tired of trying the games that caught our attention inside of that arcade, we decided to go on the nearest mall and continue our ‘date’ there. Asher even offered that he should carry all the prizes that he gave me earlier on the arcade, but I did not budge because I saw that he was also carrying too many things and I knew those things alone were already heavy for him.

He did not argue about it anymore and just let me do what I wanted to do. We just walked on the entrance of the mall, talking about the things that we could come up with, and as soon as we entered that mall, Asher stopped because something, or should I say a*****e, caught his attention.

I got confused as to why he suddenly stopped on the middle of the mall, so I decided to also look at the direction on where he was looking and I frowned when I saw that it was a small jewelry store, and though it was just small compared to the other stores, I could tell that the jewelries inside were expensive.

“Can you wait me on that bench?” he asked me, out of nowhere, as he pointed at the bench that was located not so far from that jewelry store. “I will just check on something, and I promise that I will do it, real quick.” He looked at me and he gave a smile that I could not really decline.

So even though I was so confused on what he wanted to check out, I just agreed with him and sat on the bench he just pointed out. Asher, on the other hand, went inside of that jewelry store that he was looking at earlier, and that action alone made my eyebrows raise.

And even though I had too many questions in my mind, I just choose to wait for him because I knew that he would explain to me what he wanted to check, if he wanted to that is. And I promised to myself that I would not think ahead of something anymore, if I could really do it and I swear that I was really trying so hard right now.

It has been my attitude to think ahead of something, but because of what had happened between Asher and I, I promised to myself that I would not do it anymore because it would just make our situation worse than it ever was. I knew that it would not benefit anyone, but I also knew that I could not easily let that attitude go.

I just sighed and decided to wait for Asher, even though my curiosity had started to rise. i wait and wait, until I saw him, again, and he was now going out of that jewelry store, wearing a satisfied smile on his face. I also saw that he was holding a box, on his hands that was not full of the things that I gave him earlier, and he was looking at it from time to time.

I was about to stand up from my seat, but I stopped because I saw him went near me, still wearing that smile on his face that made me even more confused. He even told me to stay on where I was, and I did so even though I got really curious about what he just bought on that jewelry store.

He sat beside me and he put down all the things that he was carrying on his side, and then he flashed me another smile that made me frown at him, because I thought that there was something about that smile that I could not point out. Or should I say, there was something on his expression that I did not know why, but it pains my heart.

“I bought this for you,” he whispered to me as if he was afraid that someone would be able to hear what he was about to say to me.

I looked down on his hands and I gasped as soon as I saw the thing, or rather should I say the jewelry, inside.

It was a plain gold bracelet but knowing that those jewelries inside were expensive for me, I also knew that jewelry alone had a high prize. There was no design on that bracelet, but it melts my heart to think that he wanted to give that to me.

“Is this really for me?” I asked, still could not believe that Asher was giving something like that to me.

He just smiled at me and nodded his head. “It is my gift for you,” he confirmed that made me look at his face again. It seems like he was about to shed a tear, but then again, he was stopping himself from doing so. “It is to promise you that I will do everything that I can so that the two of us will choose each other until the end. It is to promise that I will do everything that I can so that we will last for another lifetime.”

“Asher,” I called his name because I did not know what to say to him anymore. I looked down on his hands and saw that he had the exact same bracelet that was on the box. “You have one too.” I looked at his eyes again, but he just smiled at me and looked down at my wrist.

I just saw that he was making me wear that bracelet that made me look down at it, and my hear t melted all over again because of how beautiful it was.

I looked at him again, and he did the same too with an unshed tears on his eyes.

“I promise that I will love you even from afar, Hera.”