Till The End

Chapter 32 - A Withered Tree

"By the way, where's Winnie?" I ask Emi.

"I don't know, I haven't seen her for long". I wonder where she might me. She knows that last night I was with Jim. I hope she doesn't do anything wrong. I guess I should call her once but I drop the idea since I'll find her eventually. 

"Where are you lost", Emi waves her hand in front of me.

"No no. Wait, Emi. Do you know what happened last night?" I gush.

"Yeah, you slept with Jim", she teases. 

"No, you idiot. I am not talking about me. It's about Sarah", Emi is staring at me and I knew she had no idea. Sarah didn't tell us yet about her and Keith being together. I guess she didn't get the chance. But I can't wait anymore to tell everything to Emi.

"Sarah?"

"Yes. Last night.. Keith proposed Sarah", I say hastily running the last three words.

"What?" Emi shouts.

"Yupp. It was 2 at night when I saw Sarah going out and Jim and I followed her. There we found Keith bending on his knees proposed Sarah with a bouquet of Roses", I explain every single detail to her while she enthusiastically listens them.

"That's not fair. You guys are hiding everything", Emi sounds irritated. "First it was you and now Sarah. I must tell Rochelle everything. You wait", before I can say a further word Emi hastily goes out of the room leaving me behind. She is probably going to Rochelle I guess. I go near the window to have a last view of this amazing place since we're leaving today. But there I see Winnie sitting alone in the backyard. He gaze is fixed to a bird on the branch of a withered tree. I know what she's thinking right now. Guilt again takes over my face but I should talk to her. Immediately I go downstairs and finally reach Winnie in the backyard. Seeing me she stands up,"Why are you here?"

"Winnie.." I try to approach her but she moves back.

"Stay away from me Eila", her voice is rude, loud and filled with pain. I deserve this. But I didn't want to hurt her.

"Listen to me please", I try to go near her and this time he is not moving back. She's standing still. "I know you're hurt. I have hurt you", I am finding it difficult to say. I am clueless of what to say next since I never expected this to happen like this.

"You know? I thought you forgot what you've done to me", her voice comes out way too rude and filled with utmost pain. Tears roll down my eyes as I face her. But the next moment I look down.

"I'm sorry", the guilt is clear in my voice. "But Jim does not love you", I don't know how I managed to say while she's studying my face. She's not saying anything. Neither do I have to say anything further.

"If Jim does not love me then that's because of you", she cries and shouts at the same time. But that's not because of me. I didn't force him to love me.

"No", I defend in a loud voice. "You're getting it all wrong. He loved me since the beginning. He never loved you and you have to accept that rather than punishing yourself like this", I wanna console her. Yet I know, my words are unaffected. No matter what I say, she's not gonna trust me now.

"You snatched him. He would have loved me if you were not there in his life". I find it hard to believe that she's the same Winnie who advised Jia about love and relationship when she had a break up. The words she said that day are so much different than what she's saying right now.

"Winnie, you have to realize the reality. I never forced Jim to love me. But still he loved me. In fact he told you before that he doesn't love you", she keeps staring at me and this time anger visible on her face.

"You ruined my life Eila", her words came out like thorns. 

"I didn't. You are the one to ruin your own life and you have understand this that JIM DOES NOT LOVE YOU", I say stressing the later part. Winnie's not at fault. I know it's natural for her to behave like this right now. But the sooner she realizes this, the better it will be for her. I am tired of all these now and I guess so is she. Winnie sits on the large flat rock where she was sitting before. I sit beside her though there's a gap between us. This gap is reflecting the mental gap which took place between Winnie and me.

"Eila", she addresses and I look at her.

"Don't you think it's weird. Two girls fighting over one boy", her eyes still facing the withered tree. 

I let out a smile,"It is."

"Right now I'm left here alone like that withered tree with no leaves left", Winnie says with her eyes fixed on that tree. I look at the tree for a while and then face her. "I'll never forgive you Eila", this time she turns at me and I see the pain mixed with anger on her face. I have nothing to say. Without saying a word further I leave the place while wiping the tears off my face. Entering the cottage the first person I face is Jim. I try to hide the stress from my face but immediately he hugs me and asks,"Are you okay?"

I hug his back more tight since this is what I needed right now. This comfort and peace which I feel only when I'm with him,"I am okay."

"You're not. What's wrong?"Jim asks me as we release and he's holding my shoulder.

"I talked to Winnie", we both just glare at each other. Just then we see Winnie coming into the cottage with her eyes fixed on us. I awkwardly try to release Jim's grab from me. Releasing my shoulder he holds the palm of my hand tight. I know why he did this. Winnie ignores this rushes back upstairs, maybe to her room.

When she's gone I turn to face Jim. "In movies, love triangles were so interesting. But this is the most worst thing in real life", I say while he just keeps looking at me wishing to let me complete. "I never thought situation would be such. I hate these love triangle. One of the three is destined to go through the pain of heartbreak. Why life's never simple?" I question with tears jamming at a corner of my eye.

"Life is not like what we see in movies", this is what he just says. He's right. We should never compare our lives with those of movies. Reality is always more harsh than we  imagine!  

I hug him digging my face in his chest letting out all my tears while he keeps caressing my head.