***

Stephanie just got out of Christine’s home when someone texted her. “I remembered how you told me I can have one of your shoulders to cry on.” It was a messaged sent by Robi. She got what he meant.

Few minutes and she arrived at his pad. She was about to knock when she noticed that the door wasn’t locked. She knocked 2 times and helped herself inside.

“Robi?” She called as she found the living area empty of him. She tried walking inside, making her way to his bedroom. There she saw him, curling himself beside the bed, holding a bottle of alcoholic beverage in one hand. There were already 2 empty bottles around him

“Rob.” She rushed on his side and cleaned the mess beside him. “Okay. It’s enough. You’re drunk already.” She took the bottle that he was holding and placed it away from him.

“Am I not capable enough?” Robi said as he was almost closing his eyes. “Didn’t I give her all that I can?”

“It’s not like that, Robi.” She said and sat beside him. “It’s just that… sometimes the person we really love doesn’t seem to see our efforts because they are looking on a different direction.”

Robi looked at her in silence. “You know, they’re busy looking far away, that they don’t even realize the one that can make them actually happy is just beside them.” She sighed. “But that’s how life goes. It’s fair for some people, but there are those few who experience the unfairness of it.”

There was an obvious silence after what she said, both understanding the meaning those words deeply in their hearts.

“I know it’s painful, but when you that the chance of winning the fight is really low, then you have to let go, admitting that you lost, and try to move on.”

“I can’t let her go…”

“I know.” She answered. “I know how much you love her. I know how much you can’t her go. But if you don’t force yourself to do it, then you will only be miserable forever.”

She gently pulled his head and placed it on top of her shoulders. “If you love her the way a person loves someone in a right way, then you should set her free if you know that’s what she wants.”

“You’re not even in the position to tell me that…” Robi said, trying to be contradicting to what she was saying.

“You don’t know anything.” She tried to smile. “If you only knew… I experienced pain gazillion times more than how you are feeling right now.”

“Impossible.”

“For years, you don’t know how painful it has been to me every day of my life.” She admitted. “I lived my life being heartbroken, but I stood by it because I love him that much.”

“Tell me the story… I want to hear it.”

“It’s not like I am the one problematic here…”

“I just want to hear it.” Robi insisted.

“The only time that you saw them together was in the picture. You never experienced how to see them in real life, holding hands, walking the same way, smiling at each other, knowing the reason why they are happy is because they are together.” She sighed. “I secretly wished for him to smile because of me, but unluckily, she is the only person that can make him smile as how I want him to.”

He got up from leaning on her shoulders and looked at him. “You were experiencing that all along?”

She nodded.

“Does he know about it?”

“He won’t be too happy if he knows about it.” She smiled. “I didn’t sacrifice everything just to make him worry in the end. If I want to make him happy, then I would never want him to see me sad, knowing that the reason is him.”

She held his hand and pressed it tightly. “That’s why you should start doing the same. She’s also having a hard time. It was not her intention to hurt you, and she is also hurting to see how painful it has been for you because of her. It is not that she lost her love for you. It’s just that… someone came along and made her realize she could even love him more.”

He bowed his head because he knew she has the point.

“Letting go doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It’s one way of telling her you’re brave enough to put her happiness before you. That’s how powerful love should be. Willing to lose that one person because you know that’s for her better.” 

-=Author's Note=-

I hope you're gaining some sights about what Stephanie was saying. I mean, come on, life is not always fair to every people... Along the way, whether we like it or not, we will be hurt, and the thing is, we will be in pain right after giving every bit of ourselves just to make the one we love happy. Oh yeah ~ Drama mode for me. BRB WHILE I GET SO EMOTIONAL ON THE SIDE.