Chapter 29: Completely broken

Jovanni's aching body turned numb for a moment. Kirt looked at him. A beautiful face was also looking at him. He wanted to run away fast, but his feet were rooted on the ground. Later, he heard the beautiful lady spoke.

"Babe, who is he?" A sweet, annoyed voice asked.

"...He...is my schoolmate." Kirt answered.

Kirt's reply was like a sword that pierced Jovanni's heart. A helpless smile was drawn on his face, but his heart started bleeding. His body and his heart were both aching. Comparing the pain, his physical pain is way better than the pain he's feeling inside. There was a piercing pain in a certain part of his heart. It was painful. Really painful. Jovanni's disobedient tears wanted to roll down immediately, but he held it back. He cannot show those tears here. Not even a drop!

"Why are you here?!" The lady asked, but she had no plan on going down from Kirt's lap.

Jovanni was asked, but he was out of words.

"Why are you here!" The lady yelled. "If you have nothing to say, get the hell out! You are disturbing us!"

'It's too painful! Too painful!' Jovanni's heart was yelling.

"Venice, get down. I have something to tell him." Kirt said.

"No!" The lady stubbornly replied.

Jovanni used all the strength left in him and faced the annoyed lady. "I'm sorry...I was just giving back this key. I am the one Kirt hired to help him with his drawing. Since the final exam is over... I am giving the key back..."

Jovanni felt every drop of blood fell from his bleeding heart as he uttered those words. Kirt was just looking at him, without any hint of guilt. It was too painful.

"Just throw that fucking key in and closed the door! You are disturbing us!" The lady said.

"I'm sorry. If I have known Kirt brought his girlfriend, I wouldn't dare come here." Jovanni said while turning away.

"What girlfriend! I am Kirt's fiancee! Fiancee in capital letters! Did you hear it!" The lady yelled. Jovanni turned his head back to them, he looked at Kirt, but his face was still the same, without any emotions.

Jovanni felt the whole world collapsed on his shoulder. He felt the pain from his heart crept all over his body. He can even feel it on the tips of his fingers.

"Did you hear me?!" The lady yelled again.

"I do."

Jovanni replied softly and closed the door. He slowly walked to the stairs. It was still four in the afternoon. The weather was good and the sun was far from setting, yet his world was already dark. He slowly took the stairs down. His body was too heavy, that even lifting his feet required a lot of effort. He was on the third floor, so he needs to get down three sets of stairs.

Slowly, Jovanni lifted his foot in every step. After landing on the last step on the third floor, he heard Kirt's call.

"Jovanni!" Kirt called, but Jovanni didn't lift his head.

"I will explain to you later. I will call you okay?" Kirt said, but Jovanni fished his phone, took out the SIM card, and broke it in half.

Kirt was looking at the broken SIM card. "Jovanni listen to me. She is the daughter of my uncle's best friend. She was born with heart disease. Three years ago, her family migrated to Canada. She also had her operation there, but she won't go unless we got engaged." Kirt said in a rush. "Don't get mad okay. I am just helpless now. My uncle told me not to upset her because his heart is still weak even after the surgery."

Kirt's explanation wasn't helpful at all. It just added Jovanni's pain. Kirt was engaged, so it means that he's just a pastime. Kirt cannot hurt that lady, so it means that he is the one who will suffer. 'Hahaha... I told you! How can you expect true love from him? How can you expect true love in this kind of unusual love affair? Jovanni dela Victoria, you are nothing but Kirt's exotic craving!' A mocking laugh echoed in Jovanni's head.

Jovanni lifted his feet towards the second set of stairs without raising his head.

"Jovanni..." Kirt called. He was about to go down, but a sweet voice yelled.

"Babe~ What the heck took you so long!" Venice called from the door.

Kirt looked at her, then looked down at Jovanni who was slowly descending. The broken SIM card was left on the staircase.

Kirt looked at Jovanni's lonely figure again before going back inside his apartment.

Jovanni finally reached outside. It was the longest time he spent going down those stairs. Every step was painstaking. He thought that it was probably the last time he will pass those stairs, so he savored every painful moment.

He was walking on the roadside but he felt that his feet weren't touching the ground. His body was painful. His heart was heavy, but he was feeling empty. 'What kind of irony is this?' Jovanni thought.

With an injured heart and body, Jovanni heeded back to his boarding house.