The next days went very quiet. We never talked about what happened that night. His silence made me feel a lot more guilty. I knew that he doesn't talk much but it feels like he has gone even quieter after not carrying out the plan successfully. I looked at him while placing the plates on the table. It's just me and him in the apartment right now and my friends were in the cafe. His eyes are focused outside the window, I bet he's looking at the birds on the balcony.
"Let's eat," I said. It made me even more uncomfortable talking to him now or saying things that I have to say. It's been going like this for 4 days.
He didn't answer and quietly picked up the spoon and the fork and examined the food as he always does. We still work at the club despite what happened. Up until now, I am still wondering why he isn't talking about finding a way to go back to Armania without the core just to save his friends. But he's the Prince and there's no way he's going to save his friends first who were caught while on duty and abandon the small chance of taking the core back for the people.
"How's work last night?" I asked him trying to build up a conversation despite being very awkward.
"Just fine," he answered. His reply was very short and made me feel like he doesn't want to talk.
"I-I see." I stuttered. Silence took over the place and it made me even more uncomfortable. I don't know what he's thinking this whole time after the unsuccessful plan to take the core back. "Uhm..Abou--"
KNOCK!* KNOCK!*
I was about to start talking when someone suddenly started to knock on the door. Our eyes went to the door right away. I gulped while standing up to see who just stopped me from talking about something very important. I opened the door and a pretty old lady was there holding some papers. She smiled at me sweetly when I opened the door. "Good morning!" she greeted me.
"Good morning." I greeted her back.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. My forehead crumpled when she said th
at.
"Mind if I ask what it's about?" I asked her. But she didn't answer and looked at me smiling from ear to ear. I found it very weird so I decided to just come out and talk to her.
It turned out that she was looking for someone who'd buy her newly invented soap that costs 20$ each. I tried to stop her but she just won't stop talking and I am afraid to make her think that I am rude because I found out that she just moved into the apartment right beside ours.
The talk went on for about 20 minutes and I ended up having one because she said that she'll decrease the price to 15$ because I am her neighbor. I rolled my eyes when I went inside holding the soap in my right hand. When I looked at the table, he was no longer there. I missed my chance to talk. I sighed deeply and continued my meal.
I always tried to talk but I always end up missing my chance. Whenever I try to talk while we're both having our meals, someone would come and suddenly knock on the door or a squirrel would suddenly start scratching our window.
At the end of the day, I miss my chance to talk.
Saturday came and we were walking home on the street. Despite the time, the streets have been this lively. I don't go out much and check on something on the streets, I don't know how it feels like walking on the streets leisurely, I only go out when I go to work or I need something. Even if I have the money to spend on something a lot more interesting than food sometimes, I'd rather spend it on something that the people in the apartment could use or benefit from.
I was walking with Alexander with my hands in my pocket. The air really gets cold at night I had to bring a coat even though it was warm when I left the house. I was walking peacefully when I remembered I was walking with Alexander and I suddenly felt like he left or something. So I looked back and found out that he did leave.
"Alexander?" I called out while looking through the crowd passing by the streets.
'I'm off somewhere.'
"What the--" I stopped when I realized that it was Alexander talking in my mind. I looked around once more. I'm not even sure about asking where even though I am very curious about where he'd suddenly go to.
While walking home, I was thinking about where he could have gone to. Maybe he found a place he'd want to visit. I thought it'd be nice if he'd go to places alone and take interest in something on earth while he's in here. He's free to look around if he wants to. I scoffed the worry out of my mind and went back home as soon as possible to avoid the last incident to happen again. Though it looks like I already walked past that dangerous place.
-----
After last night, I remembered I haven't shown him around the place since he went here. I decided to walk him around. I knew there was a park near our area so I decided to bring him there just to let him see the place but things didn't end up as I expected.
"Look, those lights look amazing," I said while pointing at the lights that are hanging around the park. The place is not so crowded and very quiet. There are lights everywhere and there are a few stalls scattered around the place. I looked at the lights from trees to trees that looks like it was made in some romantic movie. But it's not fun at all.
I brought him here because I thought that he would like the cozy vibes of the place but looks like he didn't.
"What about it?" he asked. It doesn't sound sarcastic but I couldn't help but glare.
I've been trying to make him try things out but he always ends up comparing them to those in Armania.
"It's cozier than staying in the apartment right?" I told him as I walk down a downhill path so I could go near the waters of the lake. I looked at him still looking around the place. I looked at the lake waters reflected by the light from the posts and lights from the buildings near the park. I could say it's best to come here during the night.
I sat on the grass as I planned to. I looked around and saw a few groups of people doing the same. I hugged my knees as I look up to the sky. There are no starts tonight. I could only see the moon alone and I find it very mesmerizing. I heard his footsteps coming toward me and when I looked up, I saw him looking at me with his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. "Sit down," I told him. He did so too. His arms are on the back and his legs are almost straight. I saw him look up at the sky like I did earlier.
I almost opened my mouth to talk about not getting the key back and his silence about it but I let thought about making him enjoy the scene first before talking. I did the same and we stayed there for minutes and minutes. Neither of us talked and the silence felt like peace for me.
A few minutes later, we heard a bang from one of the group of people a few meters from us. We both turned our gaze to those people. One of those men stood up from sitting on the ground and said something to the girl who was just sitting with him earlier and left. I can't hear what they're talking about but the girl started crying after the guy left.
"Break up?" I asked though I knew he doesn't have any idea about it too.
"Break up?" he asked me back. I looked at him in surprise that he doesn't know the word. Then I realized..
"Ahh, it doesn't exist in your world," I told him.
"What is it?" he asked. I have never seen him this curious before.
"People meet and part ways you know," I told him. "Those two were a couple and looks like they broke up. They're parting ways from now on." I said without looking at him. He went silent so I turned my gaze to him and saw no emotion on his face.
"The other one is leaving far away?" he asked without any emotion. The curiosity has faded.
"It's not always like that. It's like-- they once loved each other and the love faded and things go back to what it used to be when they hadn't met each other." I said. "The love was broken," I explained. He didn't say anything and turned his gaze somewhere. "People don't break up in Armania right?" I asked him.
"They don't," he answered his gaze still on the other side of the lake.
"Hope it's the same here," I said and smirked. "It's you and the Princess right?" I asked out of nowhere. He didn't answer when I asked. I looked at him and waited for a response but looks like he ignored my question.
Silence filled the atmosphere again. Then I thought this is a perfect time. "About the key--"
"You always feel bad about it every day," he said. 'You keep telling yourself to find the right time but I hear your thoughts anyway." He said and looked away after telling that to my face.
That means he's been reading my mind all this time.
"That's creepy you know," I told him but he didn't answer and scoffed. He went silent again and thought the plan of having a serious conversation is a failure
.
Suddenly, I heard something fall on the grass and when I looked at it, it was a ziplock with a silver chain inside. I looked at him and he was not even looking at me. I knew he was the one who threw it at me. "Mine?' I asked him but he didn't reply.
I took the small ziplock and took the necklace out. A silver necklace with a bluestone. It's not blue, it's just like the sky was placed on a necklace pendant making me think the sky is mine now. "Pretty," I said and raised the necklace higher to take a better look. "Where did you get this?" I asked him.
"I used the amount of money the boss gave me," he replied. I clenched my teeth. he could've just given me the money.
"Thanks," I said.
"I can hear your thoughts, stupid," he said without even looking at me and making it more annoying.
YEAH RIGHT
Silence filled the place again and I was about to say that it was time to head back. "Thank you." he suddenly said. Shivers went running down my spine I couldn't help but look at him surprised by what he just said.
"F-for what?" I asked while stuttering. He looked at me.
"I shouldn't have brought you into this. It's my fault that you feel sorry every day," he said right to my face. I couldn't speak I just feel like I couldn't say anything. I don't know why his words are suddenly making me sad "It's my fault. I'm also apolog--."
"N-no." I said. I want to tell him that it's nothing like that.
"You don't want to do this at first. I made you do this," he said.
Hearing his words made me realize that I've been making him feel sorry for me every day. I agreed to do it so it's all on me. They did pursue me to do this but since I said 'yes' I take all responsibility for what's about to happen. It's no use blaming himself because of what I feel every day.
"It's not like I regret helping you, you know," I told him. "I said yes so you don't have to feel sorry."
"I just want to tell you that."
I was silenced because him suddenly thanking and apologizing to me.
"Why? Are you leaving?" I asked him. I almost cracked my voice up when I asked him that. He looked at me with no emotion on his face or his eyes. "To Armania?" I asked. Is he planning to go back now?
I never really wanted to help them at first. I told them to bring me back to earth at first but after helping them and spending days with them, I suddenly feel very sad about the thought of Alexander leaving me wondering if those times did happen to me. It's so short that I can't believe that it's ending.
He didn't answer and looked at me as if he were examining my face. "It's late." he suddenly said ignoring my question. I felt like something is in my throat and I couldn't talk. He didn't even after me after taking too much effort of asking him even after feeling so weak and sad.
He took my hand and lifted me up. After a split second, We're already inside the apartment. I am looking up at him fighting with tears that I don't even know why they are falling. He didn't answer and faced his back on me and went into the room. I was left in the silence of the whole apartment.
That night, I started crying without knowing why but convinced myself that it could just be me that he was leaving. But later that morning, Alexander was nowhere to be found.