“You wanted to let go so I agreed even if that was far from I wanted us to be.”

-x-

It is late one evening. Henry is sitting on a pavement. A pavement that witnessed the day she decided to only be friends. Drinking from his 6^th beer can that night yet he never let go of the ring he is holding the moment he sat down at that pavement.

He stares at the ring as he stands at a spot where he planned to tell her the question he only sees himself asking her.

He remembers that said day that happened three years ago when she asked if they could be just friends, nothing more, nothing less. That was her exact words.

He recalls vividly the moment he held her hand and looked at her before agreeing to what she wanted. He sighed as he looked at her the way he always do and could definitely see the cracks that were caused by that moment, the day that she let go. He wanted to ask her why but chose not to, simply because just maybe, just maybe the reason she would give him would just make him fall in love with her even more and he didn’t want that to happen.

 If you love someone learn to love everything about that said person. He took that idea by heart. He loves everything about her that is the reason why of all days, he decides to go back at that location, thinking of what could have happened if he didn’t agree to what she wanted.

But this time it is different. This time he called her to meet him there.

It is already half past eight in the evening. She definitely changed, he realizes. She is never late not until now. He chuckles as he remembers the times she got mad him for being late. He guesses he could be the one mad at her now for being late.

He then sees her car parked near their meeting place. He waits for another half and an hour and stands up from where he is, and walks towards her location.

He knocks at the car window and watches her every move as she steps out of the car. He grabs her by the hand and places at a specific spot. He stands at the spot opposite to hers, the spot where he was standing three years ago, holding the ring.

“Will you marry me?” He kneels down with one knee.

He stares at her as she stares back at him. “That was what I planned to say the moment you said you wanted us to only be friends.”

He sees a lone tear dropped on Amber’s cheek. “Now you are the one who is crying. Now you are the one who is sad.” He tries his best to chuckle, covering up the fact that he is about to cry as well. “Don’t be. There’s no use of crying over spilled milk.” He wipes her dampened cheek, as he stands up.

“Here. Keep the ring. I bought it for you anyways so why not keep it, right?” His lips too close over hers.

Amber tenses up, Henry notices. “Why are you giving this to me now?” Amber holds on the box tightly.

Ignoring her question, “I should have asked this the moment you turned your back at me three years ago.” His eyes meet hers. “Why?”

“Because I was scared to say no” She reasoned. “I saw the ring back at your apartment. And I knew at that moment that I couldn’t say yes to the question that you would ask me. I imagined that scenario over and over again, me lying to you, saying the opposite of what I really wanted to say, and I know in my heart that’s the last thing that I want to do is lie to you.”

“So you decided to break up with me, to hurt me instead.”

“Either way you will get hurt, at least I did tell you the truth, at least I was honest enough of what you are to me.”

Henry grabs the box from Amber’s hand, and let her wear the ring. “Henry, please” Amber tried to remove the ring, begging for him to stop whatever he is doing.

“Look at it.” Henry tells her.

“Henry, please.” She pleads.

“Look at it!”

“Henry!”

He then embraces her. “If we didn’t break up I could still be the one protecting you from people that are hurting you, making you cry. I could still be here for you.”

“You still can be here for me.” Amber reasons under his embrace.

“I am your friend I know, nothing more, nothing less. That was what you told three years ago, that I am just a friend, nothing more, nothing less.” He sees the need to repeat her reason.

“But I couldn’t be in love with you anymore.” He tells her as he steps away from her. “I am finally letting go like you did.”

“One last thing” He turns around to face her again. “What you see in Eric, you didn’t see it in me?”

“Yes.”

“Same reason why you are marrying him tomorrow” That is why he chose to meet her that night, “You are marrying that guy, Eric tomorrow, right?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Henry was now the one walking away, now he is the one letting go. 

-x-