Love Is Symphony |✓

| 36 |

Please read the author's note below

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"Go on, talk to them," the woman said with an encouraging smile. I made a step to walk toward Imogen and Kristoff—toward the newly found piece of my heart, but my steps faltered, my feet froze.

Maybe I couldn't do this. Shit. I couldn't.

Sensing my apprehensiveness, she crossed the small distance between us and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I know you're as nervous as a freshman in high school on her first day. But you gotta do this, girlie."

"I-I don't know. I don't think I can."

"Yes, you can!" Her golden bangles clacked when she clasped her hands together. "This is exactly what I tell the students—a winner is just a loser who tried the second time around." Her smile turned wistful. "Jay Shetty always say that."

"Okay," I said, trying to immitate the stranger's will. I could do this. I let out a breath and formed my hand into small fists of determination and borrowed courage. A little unsteady, but I've finally took my first step, then I took another one, and another one, until it felt natural again. As if walking toward my friends was something that I never stopped doing. Pleased with myself, I turned to look back at the woman. She had her thumbs up in approval and I grinned back at her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she mouthed.

"I hope it's not too late to ask for your name."

She smiled the same smile that never failed to brighten her face and the whole room. "Eun-ji. Eun-ji Lindsay. Remember that name in case you'll need it again."

Eun-ji.

"Serenity," I said back, "Serenity Templeton."

Her smile morphed into a huge grin and she tilted her head to the side, letting the tips of her black hair dip into the V of her pink shirt. "Nice name. Now make sure you live its meaning."

I nodded, almost laughing at the irony. With a determined heart that longed to have another piece of it back, I made my way to my friends. Imogen was rolling her eyes at something Kristoff had said. It seemed that they were having the usual banter that we used to share whenever Infusion was lacking customers and time had a lot of spaces to fill. It used to be us—the three of us, but it was my fault why our group had been reduced to a duo I couldn't seem to tap into. It almost faltered myself when I realized that I was so obsessed with the idea of not being left behind that I ended up leaving the people that mattered to me.

Imogen opened her mouth, a smile streched over her red-coated lips, but the words never made it out when she saw me standing there looking at them with blinking eyes. Just like in the movies, that small almost imaginary, opportunity where I thought she would smile at me disappeared. The bubble popped and the droplets that once made it whole were now nothing but wet patches that landed on my skin.

"Hi?" I shifted my weight from one foot to another, nerves eating at my slowly dwindling courage. Kristoff shared a look with Imogen before he granted me a small smile.

"Hey." He scratched the back of his neck. "What's up? Long time no see."

"Yeah. I had been gone for awhile."

He nodded. He smiled painfully. "Yeah, you have."

My lips pursed. I didn't know what else I could say to lengthen my time with them, how long could I keep them talking to me when not too much long ago I had been doing everything to keep them off my back.

"Okay." Imogen tucked the rug into the pocket of her apron. "I'm outta here. Got a rag to wash."

"Wait," I said. She can't leave. If I let her leave, I wouldn't get a chance like this again. She turned to look at me, but her eyes weren't the same green set that I was familiar with. They used to be bright, lively and infinite. Now... they were unfamiliar green eyes that showed no trace of interest nor empathy. They were eyes meant for someone a person used to know.