Prompt : I wonder when it won't hurt

“Are you alone, miss?” ask the stranger in front of me.

I lift my head to look at the stranger. It’s not the person that interest me nor their voice, but rather than the question itself.

Are you alone?

A question that people always ask whenever they saw me, sipping my coffee by myself in this café. I know that they not trying to approach me but they just want to have a sit on my table, since mine is the only one that has an unoccupied seat.

I didn’t know why such a mere question trigger me a lot lately. It’s not that I’m going to burst out of anger when people ask me, but it make such a chaos inside of me. My heart begun to feel something. A feeling that I want to throw far away from me and to never return.

It hurt me so bad and I just couldn’t fight it. I used to try fighting it but after so many times fighting, I just give up trying because I never once succeeds. I know that there’s no one to blame but myself because since the beginning, I’m fully aware of its consequences. However, I still choose this way. For me to be alone and to feel lonely.

Alone. Lonely.

I used to believe that I’ll never feel lonely, as long as I’m being happy with myself. But, am I happy? Am I really happy? Am I really fine without anyone by my side? I used to believe that being alone didn’t means that I’m lonely. Its two completely different words with the different meaning.

But one thing I’ve forgotten. The most important thing that I didn’t want to believe. Alone and lonel