Emma & Jackson

9

I can't believe he just said that. He goes inside the house and up the stairs. And I follow him. He stops at the terrace of his house and I'm reminded of the first day we met.

There's no one here and I suddenly realize that it's just him and I. And he's still a stranger. But unexplainably I don't feel scared. I think I decided to trust him the moment I saw him on the hotel terrace.

He had looked so sad and heartbroken.

The weather is cloudy. Looks like it might rain.

There is a greenhouse right in the middle of the terrace. Plants everywhere inside it. The door is open and he enters it. I follow him.

Inside where there are plants, unbelievably is a white piano. I'm amazed.

"So that day on the roof? How did the hotel even allow you to practice?", I ask because this question has been eating me up since the first day.

"Since my house is near to the hotel, I sometimes go there to practice. The guard there is my friend. In early morning when there's nobody. But on that day...", he replies.

"I was there.", I finish his sentence. "But why go to the hotel when you have such an awesome piano at your home?", I ask because I'm a curious human being so naturally I'm not satisfied with his answer.

"The sunrise. It’s beautiful from up there.”, he says.

And I agree but more beautiful was the boy who had been playing the piano that day.

He goes to the stool and sits. Nearby is another stool and he asks me to sit on it. He begins with a light tune but its sweet. Then his fingers speed up. And he is playing a heavier tune. It goes on and on. He plays endlessly. The tune brings tears to my eyes. I can't help it.

He ends it with a final touch and its done. He is a magician. The music he just played was magic.

Finally, he looks up and again he looks like the sad boy from the first day. It breaks my heart. I want to hug him. Make his pain disappear.

Who is this boy? Who is so charming and energetic but also sad and heartbroken at the same time. It makes me want to protect him.

"I have to tell you something", he says and intuitively I know it's something bad. My sixth sense is sharp.

"What?", I ask.

"That day on the roof I thought you were someone else.", he says.

It's raining.

"What?", I ask really confused and also the rain is very loud.

"You reminded me of someone I used to know. Izabel.", he says.

The way he says that name it's clear who she is. His love.

I become numb. It’s like somebody pushed me from a mountain and I'm falling.

"She died two years ago in a car crash. And that day, I was playing her favourite tune and you came up. For a second I thought it was her.", he says.

Oh no. All this time I was thinking everything wrong. His kindness, his stares, his smile. Everything was for the memory of another girl. From the beginning he was being nice to me because I reminded him of the girl he used to love? Not because he liked me.

This truth is very hard to accept. And I'm in shock. I run outside the door of the greenhouse as he keeps calling my name.

He grabs my hand and turns me around. We are both soaked in the rain.

"Why are you running away?", he asks.

"Running away? After all that you said inside, you expect me to stay?", I ask because now I'm angry.

"Look, I know it’s very harsh of me to say all of this. But I didn't want you to know about this later.", he says.

"Harsh?", I ask. Now I'm crying. I can't control my tears. I'm sobbing. My tears and the rain become one.

"Don't. Please don't cry. I can't see you crying.", he says but I don't want to believe him.

"Just stop it. Everything was a lie. It was my mistake. I was the one who assumed everything. And it’s better I go.", I say crying because I just can't stop crying.

He grabs my hand again. He looks so desperate.

"What do you mean? You don't feel anything for me? So, what, you're just going to leave? You're not going to give us another chance?”, he asks and now he looks angry.

"Us? There was no us. I never liked you." I say this because I'm angry and I know it will never be true.

"Please. Don’t.”, he says but he has let go of my hand.

This time I don't turn around or wait. I run.

I run until I'm out of the gate and just once I turn. And there he is watching me. I turn back and leave.