The Colors In Her Voice

☆Chapter 51☆

"How have you been?" A simple question but we both know how deep it actually was. It's not the 'we met after a day' kind of thing for us anymore. It was much more than that. It held the answers for all those years that we'd spent apart.

The rekindled love came rushing back to me like a fiery force. All those beautiful memories came flooding back and my eyes started pooling with the unshed tears. I couldn't believe that he was really standing in front of me. That it was not an illusion.

"Wow," he said under his breath, still walking toward me but his steps were tentative as if I might run off in the other direction. "You look… you look beautiful." As soon as he said that, I cracked a smile despite myself because that was the first compliment he'd ever passed on me during my first round of the singing competition all those years back. "And different," he finished.

"Thank you," I said with an unwavering smile. I had wanted to sound full of attitude but I couldn't bring it in me to do so.

"You didn't answer my question," he said and I noticed that his voice had changed. The years passed on but he still managed to look good. His countenance told me that he was referring to the text messages as well that I hadn't replied to.

"Because there is no answer," I told him honestly and he looked down at his feet, licking his lips.

"Yeah… I am sorry," he whispered, staring into my eyes. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You… you wanna go somewhere?" He asked me reluctantly when I didn't reply to his apology.

'Say no. Say no. Say no!' I chanted in my head. I wanted to go against him but my heart wouldn't let me. Even if I was wounded, my heart was still strong and beating fast in exaltation. Which is why I ended up agreeing to him.

"Only if you relieve me by becoming a part of my band," I told him, crossing my arms across my chest. I don't know what compelled me to say that but I instantly regretted it. I hadn't meant to make any demands but it just happened before I could stop myself.

"Why do you think I did all of that?" He smirked, pointing to his drums and I shook my head in amusement.

"I don't know, to impress me or something, I guess?" I joked and he laughed softly. It was like we hadn't even been apart from each other and were talking like old friends. I just wished that it was as easy as that.

"I like your confidence." Within seconds, he stood in front of me and wiped my cheeks. I didn't even realize that I had been crying. Before I knew, the floodgate opened and I released a watery laugh. "Love your new haircut, suits you."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, someone had motivated me to go for it some long time back."

He nodded his head ruefully. "And you're missing out on your sneakers." He chuckled.

Glancing down at my heels, I looked up again, feigning a frown. "You have no idea the hell I had to go through to fight for my babies. I lost though."

His lips split into a razzing grin at my comment. He offered me his arm and asked, "Shall we?"

Taking it, I replied with effulgence, "We shall."

I know that I should have been mad at him for leaving me without a proper goodbye or an explanation for why the long distance relationship couldn't work out but it was impossible for me. I really tried because in my head, the scenarios I'd created were all about me shoving him away to prove how I had felt that night. But I couldn't because the love I have for him always conquers the hatred, anger and sadness in me. 

He wouldn't know but our memories together kept me going forward in my life and to never give up. All these years gave me the time to think and reflect on his actions and my anger has faded away into thin air. If we could mend things back and at least try to be friends then I was up for it. Maybe, we're just meant to be friends. Maybe, we were never meant to be lovers.