C2 Let's Talk

Alice didn't notice that Kendrick had already left their table. She was left all alone inside the coffee shop. Kendrick didn't even wait for her to answer. She felt a pinching sensation inside her heart, and suddenly she found it hard to breathe.

Three years of her life – that's what she had spent with Kendrick, and she couldn't believe that he could utter those words so easily. What the hell was he talking about? She couldn't believe his reason that he woke up one day and found himself not in love with her anymore. Something might have happened, or probably, he had already met another woman. Just thinking about it, Alice felt like her heart was being crumpled.

She didn't notice that her tears were already flowing on her cheeks. She never thought that she would feel this kind of pain inside her heart. They were happy. They never really had problems that they never worked out or resolved. She and Kendrick never went to bed with problems.

Alice thought they were a picture-perfect relationship, so she couldn't help but feel confused because of what just happened. There were a lot of questions inside her mind, but she didn't know if it was still worth knowing the answers because Kendrick clearly ended everything. He put a period on their relationship.

Suddenly, anger rose inside her chest because she felt that Kendrick hadn't been honest with her. Kendrick might have been seeing another woman; that's why all of a sudden, he broke up with her without a clear and valid explanation. All of his words were nonsense, and she couldn't just easily believe them.

She was about to grab a tissue at the top of the table to wipe her tears when suddenly the chair in front of her, where Kendrick was sitting, moved, and she saw a hand offering a handkerchief to her.

Alice quickly lifted her head, thinking that it was Kendrick and he came back to tell her that everything he said was just a prank. But unfortunately, she was wrong.

"Here," the man said in a baritone voice. His ash-gray eyes met her hazel-brown eyes. She couldn't help but wonder who the person was.

Her eyebrows were knitted together while she was staring at the handkerchief that the man was handing over to her. Even in this miserable situation because of the pain that was brought by what Kendrick did, she couldn't just trust anyone around her. This was her perfect state for them to do something bad towards her.

"Get it and wipe your tears. Your face already has a horizontal black line, so you might want to fix yourself," he said in a calm tone. "People are looking in our direction, and I don't want them to think that I am the one who made you cry. Take this, or I will fix your face for you."

She couldn't help but raise one of her eyebrows because of how the man was commanding her. So, Alice didn't move. She didn't have the time to talk to a conceited man. Who did he think he was? Why would she even talk to a stranger? She held herself from rolling her eyes because she didn't know what this man could do to her.

Again, anger spiked inside her towards Kendrick for leaving her alone in this kind of situation, and she suddenly felt fear because of this man in front of her.

"I am not a bad guy," he said and then he put the handkerchief in her hands. "Go and wipe your tears before you look uglier," he added, making her eyes round. How could he act as if they were close?

"Mr., look, I don't even know you. So, why would I listen to you?" She said; she couldn't restrain herself anymore because of how this man was acting. He was a total stranger, yet he was offering comfort that she never asked for.

"Calm yourself down and lower your voice before you drag all the people's attention to our table," he said while looking at her. Suddenly she felt like her heart skipped a beat because of the look that he gave her. Alice felt like she was melting because of the kind of stare that the man was giving her.

So, she let out a sigh and wiped her face with his handkerchief because it seemed that the man wouldn't stop bothering her until she wiped her face.

"Thank you," she said to the man, even if she was not asking for his help. She was about to stand up when he suddenly held her hand and stopped her from leaving.

She looked at her hand, which was holding her hand. Suddenly, she felt a spark the moment that his hand touched hers.

"Yes, Sir? How can I help you?" She said, looking at the man, wondering, and at the same time, her heart was beating so fast because of fear. What if this man would do something to her? How could she even fight him? The man looked muscular based on his biceps, and he was also tall. She couldn't do anything to defend herself just in case he would do something to her. But, he looked like a decent person. He was wearing a black suit with a tie, so she couldn't think that this man could hurt her in any possible way.

"Let's talk," he said without beating around the bush.