Mr. Right

Fate, illed-fate?

Helyne' PoV,

fate.

That's the word I'd use to describe the situation I was in the moment I entered the café and noticed the familiar face.

Time really flies. it's been quite awhile since i last saw him that day. He looks the same; his long-sharp nose, his rather-pink thin lips, his thick eyebrows, and with his double eyelids and big eyes are still there. His not-supposed-to-be long eyelashes are still as long as I remember him with. But he's taller, paler, and looks more mature now, of course he should be since it's been years. He is him.

Him.

He sat right beside the corridor at the end of the tables reading his type of book with his favorite latte, I bet. I walked in his direction only to stop two tables before his even though I wanted to head over there. I couldn't. I shouldn't. It isn't right.

I'm with a friend, Brad, an old friend who was more than a friend. A friend who used to look out for me, give me a helping hand, because he had a crush on me, that's the least I heard from his friends alongside with his several playful confessions which I always pretend to not notice because he's always a good friend to me and I never wanted to change our relationship. He's the guy I met through social media only to find out that he was in the class next to mine at the private school from my eleventh grade. We didn't talk much at first. He'd just awkwardly ask how am I doing from time to time, then we got closer as long as we know each other. We have a strange connection because of him.

Six months passed by, he always texted even though some times I didn't reply or I took forever to reply. He'd just double, triple, and even more text me until I responded. Or sometimes, he'd just wait and then started another conversation. He's boring but patient. He's playful but timid. He always randomly or indirectly confessed his feeling through his playful conversation but never officially. That's what I don't like about him.

However, he's always there whenever I need, we talked when I'm sad, he'd try to distract me from whatever thoughts that made me sad. He is like a version of me when I'm with Elly.

He never asked for the reasons why i was not happy because he knew I never liked being asked, he understood my silence. He's always prepared on the other end of the phone waiting for me to say a word when I needed to, he's like a phone call away. That's how I always feel guilty toward him.
We somehow started to grow apart as high school ended. I'd moved to the capital and he'd chosen to study abroad for his long-desired architecture dream. It's been three years since we last saw each other, but we always try to keep in touch through Internet.

Brad called this morning saying he's in town and wants to meet up. As I was dressing up for the fake date I agreed to go to, I called Elly in advance, she understood the story right away when I mentioned Brad, because Brad is worth the cost. We haven't met for so long and I missed him. He's worth more than any dates because he's Brad, he's my favorite friend.

And now we're here in the cafe he suggested. Even though it's a bit far from town. I found this place quite amusing for the reality escaping.
I'm sitting with the guy I believe to be the most caring person I've ever known, but my eyes blankly surprised with the figure I'm seeing across the tables.

That's the guy I longed and seek for in everywhere I go and everyone I know. He's someone I've been convinced to never see his presence again for these five years. He's someone I believed to be already forgotten. He's Carl, the one I've stopped talking about.

Five years ago,

Carl, the guy I met when I was on the peak of 16 as we were the volunteers on a school's project. Coming from different high schools, we were unexpectedly connected like a long lost friend. We were assigned to go grocery shopping with the other three members, yet Carl and I were always walking together alone and complete our tasks. He'd help in carrying while I'd buy a lot of mentioned items on the note. We were really boned with one another. Then, we later realized it was love at first sight since we stared a lot at our first projects meeting.

After the project ended, we still found ways to keep one another in circle of friends. We'd email and hangout like how friends would do except for the fact that we knew we were more than just friends.
Six months of flirting, of going back and forth, we realized it should be time to confront the topic, and we did. We became one another half soon after. We really liked each other, we talked and hangout a lot too, we were very happy.

However, the joy didn't last long. We spent half a year of getting to know one another, yet only 23 days to realize that we weren't for one another.

Carl left.

Months spent on wondering of what we went wrong, I cried and laughed at the memories. I kept telling myself to move on and he was not coming back, I convinced myself a lot, yet we all know it didn't work that way. I even went through the depression phase since it was my first love. I hated and liked him at the same time.

After three months, he came back. Of course, I took him back, I still had feeling for him. And he said he'd regretted leaving me alone, he'd change, he'd treat me better. Yeah, he did what he promised, he took care of me, he brought me gifts, he said he loved me every end of the phone call. But that was that, he never swore to never leave again. It was even sadder when i was informed through a text. He said he didn't feel the same, he was sorry he liked someone else, he had to leave.

Twice, I was left soaked with tears and resentment not only for him but for me too. I should have known better not to let the beast back, yet I was too blinded to realize how a dump move we took.

Love, we all know it was wrong to start it, and we both know it was even more wrongful to revoke the old wound, but we still did anyway. We are still not sure whether it was that we were blinded by love or we were just too young to realize that first love wouldn't last.

After that particular day slowly went by, I've never heard of him again until two months later. From his trusted friend's, Steve, unexpected messages telling me how I should call Carl because he's been not himself for all the time we were not together, I coldheartedly ignored, because there was no way I'd repeat the miserable history.

Seeing him again is painful yet relieved at the same time. He looks quite happy and healthy now, hurtful to mention, he's clearly happier. Obviously, he should be.

It's not a big surprise that he doesn't recognize me since I've become different than how I was, I don't wear glasses anymore, I ain't look that nerd anymore, I ain't that young version of me anymore, I've moved on and become whom I always dreamed of becoming.
It's the older version of me, the one who always take her brain with in decision making.

What do you guys think? Will their fate cross once again? For better or worse? Or will this is the real end of it?