It's been a week since they went to an amusement park, but what happened is still vivid into her memories, as clear as water. Since then, she'd try not to cross Giovanni's path except inside the classroom. She rolls over on the bed and buries her face in the pillow.
Back then, after they leave together, she thought they'll go back to where the other is but went straight to a familiar park. An old park, which they consider part of their life too. Inside it, there's a tree house where they hide a lot of memories includes their promise to each other. Just seeing it again brings back a nostalgic feeling, but Georgina couldn't take a single step near the tree house. She still remembers the promise they made before and to come here with this kind of feeling she already knows why did he bring her here. Despite of it, she can't take a step to fulfill the promise. She knows well, they can't move forward when there's still something that might connect them in the future. But just the thought of ending it, right here and now, seems a nightmare that makes her runaway in fear.
In the end she rejected him to fulfill the promise and runaway in a hurry with full of tears in both eyes. She can't do it. There's no way she can let go of the last bit of hope they hold until now. She turned him down twice without considering his own feelings, but she's the first one who can't let go. And keep dragging him back to the past.
Amidst of thinking deep of what she needs to do, the door abruptly opens. She saw Warren with his messy bed hair.
"Are you deaf? Auntie Sita keeps calling to your name downstairs. Someone is searching for you outside. Go out and check for it." He said before walking back outside.
Georgina stares at nowhere with a confused look, try to remember 'what day today?' 'Did she promise to meet someone?' Rather than asking such a question, she stands up and fixes herself. After a few minutes, she walked down and saw Auntie Sita talks to someone in front of the door.
"Auntie Sita, are you calling for me?" She asked. It made her flinch in surprise.
"Oh, Georgina. There's someone here searching for you. She said, if I'll tell her name to you, it makes you remember her."
She frown and peek a sight in front. Both eyes widen when an angel like smile came out from a child who looks familiar to her.
"It's me, Sis Gina. I miss you a lot." The child run towards her direction and give her a tight hug.
"A-Akisha... H-how did you know my house? Who are you with?" She asked in confusion, squatted down to level on her.
"I'm with brother Jin, since big bro won't let me see you." She answered.
A force smile escape from her mouth as she tuck the child's hair behind the ear before caressing her left cheek. She looks in front when another person came. He's Jin Carson from yesterday. He looks in a hurry and bothered. She stands up, tries to look behind if there's someone, but he's alone.
"Auntie Sita, can you bring food for them? Guide Aki to the living room, too." She nod and takes the child to the living room while Georgina and Jin left alone in the front door.
"H-hi, did we disturb you?" He asked, scratch the back of his head in shyness.
"Tell me what's going on? Did Van know you'll come over here?"
"N-no? Aki insisted to come see you and even beg him since we came back, but Van didn't let it happen. She's on a tantrum for a week so, I take her here." She rolls her eyes, touches her temple in disbelief.
"Look Jin, Giovanni and I are not in a good terms until now. If ever he notices you'll come here with his sister, then..."
"I'm sorry Gina. Promise, we'll leave before he notice."
She heaves a sigh and looks in Akisha's direction, who sits on the sofa like an obedient child. "Fine. Get inside."
They walk towards the living room; she sits beside the child while Jin is on the single sofa. Akisha talk, tells her a lot of stories and frustration about her big brother. This child is Akisha Javier, seven years old younger sister of Giovanni. Since back then, they're attached to each other. It's the reason both of them are comfortable even though it's been a long time since they last met. The child didn't know the fact about what she did to her brother makes Georgina's guilt arise more than it is now.
"Sis Gina, why didn't you visit me in our house? Didn't my big bro told you I came back?" She asked. It made her and Jin look at each other.
"W-well, I-I'm busy at school duty. I'm a Student Council President," A force laugh escape her mouth while caress her hair.
"Big bro is rude. Whenever I'm asking him about you, he always scolds me and reminds me to not mention your name again. He loves you, right? You still love my big bro, right? I can't understand him."
No words came out of her mouth. She looks away with a hurtful look, tries to not make unnecessary emotion in front of the child. She'll lie again so, it's better to not open her mouth.
******
After an hour of talk, watching TV and playing around together, they heard a continuous doorbell from the front door. Both Jin and Georgina look at each other in shock and turn to the wall clock. As their gaze met, they realized the person ringing the doorbell, and it's been one hour since they came. It's a lot of time to sense they've been gone for a long time. She stands up and excuse herself to open the door. But luckily, Akisha is immense in her play.
The moment she opens the door, a death glare of a man she tries hard not to meet for an entire week welcomes her. She freezes, gulp in nervousness as he looks inside with madness. He's about to step inside, but she stops him out of instinct.
"What are you doing? Get out of my way. I'm here to pick up my sister." He blurted out without breaking the death glare. "Akisha! Akisha! Let's go home."
He pushes her aside and walks straight inside. No words came out from her mouth as she watch him drag the child with force. A loud weep echoes inside the house as Akisha tries to remove her brother's grip.
"How many times do I need to tell you not to come here anymore? Are you stupid? Don't make me more mad and just come in silence." Van lectures her, but the child cry out loud.
"I don't want to come with you anymore. You're bad!" the child shouts in the middle of her sob.
"Tsk. Come with me."
"A-argh! I-it hurts..."
Georgina flinches when Akisha complains in pain. Her eyes turn to both of them, who's about to leave the house. She saw how tight his grip was to the child. It will make a mark if he didn't let go.
"I-it hurts..."
She grit her teeth before she decide to stop Giovanni. "Can't you hear your own sister? She's in pain." She said, looks direct to his eyes.
"Let go of my hand. I can do whatever I want. She's my sister."
"It's not an issue here. You'll hurt a mere child in your stubbornness."
"Stubborn?" He chuckled. "As far as I know, you shouldn't involve yourself in any of my family matters. Who's the stubborn and stupid one here?"
Those words made her speechless, beside on the child cry there's only an awkward atmosphere surrounds them. Until the child pushes her brother, she looks at him with anger.
"Why are you talking like that to Sis Gina? Don't you love her anymore?"
"Love? Yeah, I used to love her, but the word never existed between us anymore. You're still a child to understand this matter so, let's go back home."
He force to carry the child in a sack like style. They can still hear the shout of Akisha while hitting her brother's back. She keeps calling Georgina's name, but she didn't stop them anymore. All she can do is look down as her tears fall non-stop. His words hit a bull's eye. Some part of her heart hurts a lot to make her cry in those simple words.
"I'm sorry about this Gina," Jin mumble, tap her shoulder. "Van will not hurt Aki physically. Besides, he's still the same man, you know."
Jin apologizes again before he follows the two outside. A moment of silence came until she heard the car engines and in just a split of second their car vanish from her sight.
"What a sight? Are you crying because of what he said a while ago?" She got startled when someone came beside her.
"Marga? I thought you're not here." She wipes the tears falls from her eyes.
"I never went out. So, you still have feelings for him? It's my first time seeing the two of you get close beside in the classroom." She chuckled.
"Tsk. You can report to that witch, do whatever you want. Don't bother me."
Without a word, she go back inside to help Auntie Sita arrange everything in the living room. Even if she tries to distract herself, the tears never stop from falling down—made her sight blur. His words echo inside her head.
"You should cry if you want to cry." Marga said, mumbling the words. She got the tray in her hand and put it down again.
"I-I t-told you to stop bo—"
Before she can finish those words, Marga pulls her to give a hug. She burst out crying like a river. It hurts. Those words hurt, his gaze full of anger and rude attitude towards her. All of it hurts a lot. If she can turn back the time, she'll choose not to hear any of it.
"You're doing fine Gina, cry as long as you want. Despite of your mature attitude, in the end you're still a child in heart." She taps her back. "I don't know what the two of you struggle since before, but the obvious thing is... Both of you are victims."
She cried for half an hour, like a child. It took that long to calm herself and go back to her senses. Both of them are on the sofa, sits side by side. The time she calms down, she wipes her tears away and composes herself without looking back to Marga, who keeps being silent until the end. But luckily, Warren is not here because she can't cry like that when he's around.
"Are you calm now?" She asked.
"I won't thank you,"
"You don't need to but Gina don't you think it's time to let go of your ex? Look, I'm telling you this as a cousin not as a dog of someone else..." Marga grab her shoulder and force to face her side. "Giovanni will never love you again. Find someone else. Try to open your heart with someone. There's somebody out there who can fulfill the void space inside you beside him."
No words, just a silence, she answers her with silence. Marga was about to speak when her phone ring. She removes her hand and picks the phone. It's Janna, her friend is the one who calls, based on the screen name displayed. Once again, she clears her voice before answering it.
"Janna, why did you call?"
"I'll remind you again, we'll go shopping at 3:00 p.m."
"Y-yeah, I'll come... See you later." She heaves a sigh as she ends the call.
*IN MALL*
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Georgina came to the mall. Since then, they walk around the shop inside like they plan. She expected the two to be active and hyper throughout the shopping but didn't expect in just an hour she'll get exhausted before them. Now, they went inside the jewelry store where they sell a different jewel in a variety of designs. Janna and Maila look amazed while looking around, but she just watch them with a bored look.
"I'll look for an earring over there. I want to buy as a gift for my niece." Maila said.
"Sure, don't take too long."
Maila walks towards where the earrings displayed while Janna wanders around and Georgina left on the entrance alone. Since she can't leave the two alone, she tries to look around until an infinity design necklace catches her attention. It's a small infinity design in a sapphire stone. A simple but elegant to stare at.
"Miss, how much is this?/ How much is this?" She startle when someone pop-out beside her and asked the same thing, in a same time in front of the woman who look confuse.
"A-ah... Ma'am, Sir, this is the last set of design we have." The woman looks back and forth between the two. "May I ask if who's between the two of you will get it?"
"I'll buy it/ I'll buy it,"