Four

"Francis"

She called her French nationality friend who was a love expert, holding the phone close to her ear and mouth as she drives back in one hand to her home, with Gilbird resting on her lap.

"I'm...."

Her eyes blurred in tears, but she quickly blinks it away.

"I'm.... I'm giving up on him"

That's it.

"on who? chérie"

he stated on the other side of the phone

She sighs, pulling on her drive way, before turning off the engine and looking at the bird on her lap.

"On Gil... Gilbert"

Heck she can't even bear to say his name.

"I'm giving up on him, Francis"

She said this a sigh, stroking the bird with her free hand.

"Did you confess, chérie? Did he reject you?"

"No..."

"Then. I thought you'll confess to him no mat--"

"For fucks sake! I saw him making out with Elizabeth!"

She burst out, causing the bird to flinch.

She can hear Francis sigh in the other line.

"chérie, then you have to tell him"

She frowns.

"Why would I?"

"Because he has the rights to know. Know why would you start distancing yourself to him, know why would you start not talking to him, know why you would start ignoring his existence"

She gulps, tears on the corner of her eyes. He was right, that's the thing she would do without even telling him. And it broke her heart imagining his confused and hurt face why, she, his true friend left him all alone.

"O-okay"

Her voice cracked

"I will... I will tell him this night, I'll stay at the usual place, then I'll wait... even if he won't show up"

Then she hangs up, preparing herself to face the guy that she has been in love with from the beginning. And to tell him how she feels about him, and how she has been wanting to unlove him, even though she. Herself don't know when, or how to even started doing that.

Francis on the other hand sigh, looking at his gorgeous cat, he said.

"The real tragedy isn't when you love them and they don't love you back or vice versa, it's when you both love each other but for some various reasons, you can never be together"

When she texted him that they should meet up with him the usual place where they always hang out and eat, he was beyond happy.

He dressed up in his usual casual attire, but will wondering where his pet was. But felt relieved when she sent him another text, saying she's with Gilbird and return it into him later.

It was one of the few times where he arrived just in time. And when he stepped inside, his eyes searched for her, then he finds her. He smiled and wave at Claire, and he find it odd that something was wrong with her smile, like it was forced and have you been crying? He thought, though Gilbird his bird was there, rested on her shoulder.

As he sits in front of her and was about to asked what happened to her, and why can't she look at him in the eyes, but she beat him into it.

"Let's order our food first"

She said with another forced smile.

There was uncomfortable silence after the two ordered their food, it seems like both of them wants to talk, but never have the courage to start, soon both of them starts eating. But both of them seems to be just playing on their food.

He then took a deep breath.

"Cla--"

"Gilbert"

She had to cut him off.

Afraid of what he was about to say. Of what he was about to say might cause her to go back to him, her don't want that, her don't want to suffer in this one-sided feeling. It hurts.

She took a deep breath, looking at him in the eyes and said.

"Gilbert, I'm giving up on you. I'm sorry"

And the she stares at him in horror as a tear slip from his eyes, telling her. Someone please tell me this is a joke

telling her something had long ago her had lost hope to hear.