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Two weeks later,

It took Robert Lewandowski two weeks to call Karlie Brandt. He took two weeks to read the journal, full of her thoughts and details of their relationship.

Is it even a relationship? Even he had to ask himself.

Every time he tried to call Karlie his, he felt like he was forcing it, as if saying would make it so. He had to realised that he had been lying for past 6 months. He wasn't sure and even after 2 years he was still blinded by the dead girl's love.

He felt sorry for Karlie. She was genuinely in love with him and he used her. Take her heart and falsely feed it love and then go and smash it down.

He needed to let the little bird go.

They chose the same coffee shop they first met and sat at the same spot they used to sit. And he told her everything. He told her every single details about Elle, details that only he knows and were so special before. Then, he talked about his love for her. He talked it from his heart, no lies, no bullshitting.

'Was it genuine?' She asked and without knowing, tears had dripped on her cheek.

'Karlie.' He mumbled and leaned in, rubbing the tears away.

'Tell me.' She urged, 'I need to know.'

He took a deep breath and shrugged, 'I'm confused. Half of me do and half of me don't. Karlie, I am happy with you.' He leaned in for her hand and cupped it with his large ones. 'I was genuinely happy with our relationship--'

'If it was a relationship.' She cut in and he laughed weakly.

'If it was a relationship,yes. You've changed me, enough for me to see. I became a better man. You've pulled me back up. You've made me happy, but things doesn't always go where it would.' He clutched his palm tighter. 'I love you, I do. But I am not ready for more.'

Karlie didn't explode or threw a tantrum. She is a well educated woman. She has a reputation to be taken care of. She wasn't going to be that desperate girl who is desperate in need of love. She won't let a boy crushed her.

No fucking way.

Instead she smiled and nodded. 'You have been the most unique relationship I've even been in.' She muttered and wiped her cheeks in between her laugh. 'We are like Robin--'

'And Ted.' He completed the sentence and they both laughed.

'We can be best friend.' He said in between his smile. 'We are close enough and I enjoy your company.' She smiled and nodded. 'But don't force yourself. I know you hate me right now.--' He continued and she laughed harder.

'I don't hate you. I would and I could, but I can't. I have love you and I was greedy of thinking that I actually need you.' She cupped the warming cup of coffee in front of her, her finger tapped on the edge of the glass, 'I actually feel better right now. Hey, love doesn't always mean you got to be a pair of lover, right?' She held up her right pinkies and a cheeky smile appeared on her face.

'Bestie?'

He held his pinkies out and nodded, 'Bestie.'

.

.

.

Robert Lewandowski used to said, Elle Hernandez was a mock test and Karlie Brandt is the actual test.

He was wrong.

Life is always full of mock tests. Life and death are something that will certainly happen. When Elle died, God didn't sent Karlie to replace her. Elle was perfect on her own and so is Karlie. Karlie was sent to complete Elle's job of making him a better man. They had showed him how to be better and how to love more.

Elle Hernandez and Karlie Brandt had become his most important lesson other than his father's death.

You will always pick on the prettiest and beautiful flower among a growing bunch. That prettiest and beautiful flower is Elle. The brightest and the best died first. An then another beautiful and pretty flower will grow from the cut off and that will be Karlie.  Karlie came to help him through his journey as his friend, his side kick; his partner in crime.

It has been months, Karlie and Robert couldn't be more closer. They shared laugh and tears, they are two peas in a pod. They supported each other through thick and thin.

Two years later,  he's sitting next to the Brandt family as Karlie walked up to pick her Bachelor's degree.

'Congratulation.' He muttered, pulling the younger girl into her arms with pride. 'I nailed it, bitches!' She yelled and quickly covered her mouth went she realised her parents were close. Someone must have popped the champagnes because soon glasses were passed to each one of them and the one of the suddenly took the microphone to give them a speech. They all raised the glasses, a loud cheer was heard and glasses clinked.

Karlie and Robert would be lying if they said nobody had never went to them and ask if they were dating. They would smile and nodded, 'We used to.' She said and shrugged, 'I guess things are better of left untouched. We are better off as friend.' And he would nod.

'To Karlie Brandt, a soon to be lawyer.'

She grinned, 'To Robert Lewandowski, may Aphrodite blessed you with someone as good as Elle and me.' She added a wink, 'Ohhh, and no more injuries'

'No more injuries.' He repeated and they cheered.

.

.

.

Two months later,

'Hi, hey--Fips. Tell Pep--fuckk.' Robert Lewandowski is late for work. His car decided to break down and he had to run and catch the bus to training. 'No, no. I'm not trying to tell you to fuck Pep. Lahm, please.' He paid the conductor as he listened to the defender laughing at the end of the line.

'Tell Pep, I'll be late. My car broke down, I don't even know why.'

The two footballers continued to argue until the bus suddenly braked, throwing the footballer's phone to the front of the bus. 'Fuck!' He cursed and rushed towards his phone. But the girl on the front seat had took it first and turned around to find the owner.

'Hey, hey, uhh that's mine.' He said pointing to the phone in the curl-haired girl.

'Oh yeah, how can I be sure?' She asked, her eyes squinting in suspicion.

'Of course I am sure because the password is 9999. It's the repetition of the number on my jersey, 9 and the wallpaper is a collage of my whole family and friends and my Elle and Karlie.' The girl still not convinced decided to punch the four digit code and the phone unlocked showing the wallpaper.

'See.' He teased and took the phone from her hand to see the thin tempered glass covering the phone's screen is cracked. 'Well you should be more careful.' She said with an apologetic smile on her face probably for doubting him. 'Well anyway, thank --you?' He muttered and looked up to see the girl is already out of the bus and nowhere to be seem.

'What the--'

'Sir, would you kindly walk back to your seat and sit down?' The conductor muttered, slowly ushering the footballer back to his seat. He sat and a smile lingered on his face. He looked at his phone and ran his finger in where the crack is. He unlock and clicked on Phone and on Favourite and pressed the fourth number on the list. The call was answered in two rings.

'Hello?'

'Kars, you won't believe what happened to me?' He started, with a cheery smile on his face, 'My morning is shitty as fuck as usual but guess what? I met a girl.'

Well, maybe he should take public transportation way more than usual

The End