Tess observed Alfred as they drove looking for Taylor, he inhaled and exhaled constantly and tapped the wheel continuously, Tess thought him more worried than herself
"You look more worried than I thought you would be" he glanced at her but quickly concentrated back on the road
"You look less worried than a friend should be" Tess chuckled
"She ran off because of you.... even while coming she wasn't stable because she knew she would meet you....she can't even deny that she still loves you....but just like Mario you're a dumb jerk" Alfred glanced at her and was to say something but he saw a girl sitting on the elevated walkway crying and wiping her tears, he immediately recognized her
"Taylor!.....". He parked the car and opened the door but paused, Tess had already come down and ran to meet her, he closed the door and watched them through the side mirror
"Taylor i'm here" Tess said walking towards her, Taylor got up still crying and ran to hug her, they released each other "oh stop crying.... you'll make me sad" Tess said wiping Taylor's eyes, she nodded and stared at Alfred car, Tess turned to the car and looked back at Taylor, she wandered if Taylor would go with them if she knows it was Alfred who was driving
"You brought a car private car?" Taylor realized "hope you didn't disturb Med about this? Is this Darwin's car?"
"Of cos not....I won't want to put her in worry with all the stress in the party....someone helped me" Tess said helping Taylor to the car
"Really?...that person is really nice" Tess glanced at her but looked away worried, she opened the back sit door
"You should stay in the back to rest well" Tess said smiling
"Thanks" Taylor replied smiling also and entered the car, she lost her smile immediately she saw it was Alfred, he adjusted himself on the driver sit and stared at her through the mirror, he felt his heart was pounding and would pop out, he quickly looked at the road, Tess entered and shut the door, Taylor looked from Alfred to Tess who didn't want to look back at her
"Taylor I can explain" she said feeling Taylor's deep gaze "there was no taxi around and tim was going....I was worried and the only person I could think of was Alfred....besides you said it yourself that disturbing Med was not a good idea"
"You should have" Taylor said calmly, she couldn't hide her tears as they fell freely down her cheeks
"I insisted on helping" Alfred said and started driving, Taylor just cried silently while Tess thought she wouldn't have told Alfred to help, meanwhile Alfred couldn't focus completely on the road, he stared from it to Taylor, he wished she didn't cry so much, he wished she was by him and he could hold her hand to comfort her, but then, it was all his fault that she was like this, he exhaled heavily and increased his speed.
******************************
They finally reached the party in silence, Alfred parked the car properly
"Let's talk...." Taylor said now calm and commanding "Alfred" Alfred thought his heart skip, Tess came out and walked away, Taylor came out of the car and entered the front sit, she turned to look at him and cleared her throat "since you decided to throw daggers at me with your eyes throughout the party,and then you helped Tess find me...." She cleared her throat, I'm going to be straight forward on the topic, Alfred stared at her for awhile then looked away "why did you breakup with me" he knew that was the question, he thought of an answer but couldn't find any sensible one "and don't tell me I'm less intelligent than you are cos that's the most stupid reason to break up with me cos I'm actually very intelligent" she raised her two brow still looking at him, she observed his every movement, he was nervous, he sighed deeply and continuously tapped the wheel of the car, she released her eyes
"I just don't feel the way I felt about you anymore....I don't want to be around you either and...I want you to let go of me" Taylor could feel worse pain than she felt when he told her to breakup with him, what kind of talk was that, she knew he was lying, but why was what she did not know, he could hear her sob calmly but did not look "I'm sorry but I can't be in a relationship with impure love"
"I still love you Alfred" he looked at her, she bent her head and cried like a baby "I don't....I don't want to be separate from you....I want you....to stay with me and talk with me...." She looked up now "I'm going through a lot in my house...my parents are getting devoiced, my baby brother won't just stop being irresponsible, I'm the one always representing my parents in the police station and school...the stupidly huge amount of debt papa owes that makes me encounter different tugs and leaving in fear trying to protect myself and my baby brother....that's why I skip night classes and I'm always around people in school" Taylor cried harder and bent her head again, Alfred thought he could hold her in his arms and comfort her, but he just looked away "lecturer says it's affecting my grades and because no one knows about all this they think it's because of you" she raised her head and wiped her face "and you say you can't date me because you don't feel the way you...." She looked away and tried calming herself down, Alfred waited for her to say something but she did not and just sobbed.
It was already five minutes and she had not said anything, then he looked at her and was to say something but she signalled him with her hand not to
"You're not just caring...but I know you love me....the way you look at me hasn't changed....but this will be the last time I ask you or trouble you again...I gave US...
chance to be together again several times....you were the one who lost Alfred....not me" she said without looking at him and came out of the car then walked away, he watched her leave but could not do anything, he wanted to chase her but did not, he already regretted asking for a breakup, but now he regretted being who he was, he brought out his cigarette and lighter from his trouser pocket and lit the cigarette then started smoking, he thought of what she was going through alone and what she said last
"She didn't even look at me" he said and rested his head on the wheel and cried.
