LOVE BUG

CHAPTER 59: FIGHT FOR IT

Maybe she should have let him hear her heart? If she had said 'I love you', would it have changed something? She doubts it, seeing the way he has watched her fall apart before his eyes without even flinching.

He has sworn to not let anyone hurt her, and he has broken his promise along with her heart. Does he even love her, then? When he has given up so easily? While her love for him is strong enough to move mountains, and now, she is left crushed under its strength.

Maybe they are just too different...

"Anastasia?" A soft voice pulls her out of her torturing thoughts, and she turns to meet the woman who has joined her by the tree.

"I offer you my sincere condolences," Anastasia immediately says as she crosses the dark and watery eyes.

Rose Carter, Mr. and Mrs. Carter's daughter, Anastasia has met her a few times when she has been visiting her parents, and even if she didn't know her, it would be easy to guess, as she has the same eyes as her father, and she is the spitting image of her mother, with fewer wrinkles, of course.

"Thank you," Rose replies with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "At least, now he's where he wished to be."

Somewhere beyond the dark clouds, judging by Rose's glance up at the sky as she is imagining where he must be, though as Anastasia follows her gaze, she can only see the impending storm that may not wait until the end of the ceremony.

"But before he left, he wanted me to give you this."

"Me?!" Anastasia gasps before even knowing what it is, and she does it again when she catches sight of the white envelope Rose is pulling out of her black bag. "Are you sur–"

"Yes, yes, my dad always knew was he was doing." Rose smiles, this time more truthfully as if remembering memories.

The memories are replaying in Anastasia's head too, but it draws out a frown on her face, especially as she recalls the last time she has seen him. She has been with Nathaniel, and Mr. Carter – Alex, like he has wanted to be called – has caught instantly what there has been between Nathaniel and her. He has acted like he had known so much more... He hasn't replied to her 'see you soon', and he has given them the blank-covered book that has made her realize so many things, things which Alex has already known.

She is sure that whatever is in this simple envelope has an important meaning too, and that's why her hands are shaking as she takes it.

"Um, I have to go back." Rose nods to the group of people that is starting to scatter near the grave, bringing Anastasia back to the time and place as she offers her a small smile and a 'thank you' in return.

For an instant, she has forgotten where they are. She hasn't been in that morose cemetery, but somewhere lost in the memories of that day, replaying everything that has been said like it could be a clue, when all she has to do is opening the envelope to find out. Why is it so hard? Maybe because that day brings her back to Nathaniel.

At the time, she has been fighting what they have had, and she can't think of all the way they have come to end up like that. Nothing much has changed; she is still fighting, although it is against her broken heart.

Now, she is even battling against her trembling fingers to bring herself to open the envelope as her deep frown and focused gaze don't give her more information. There is nothing written on the white paper, and from the light weight of it, it must not contain more than a piece of paper. But she can't guess anything else, except for the gut feeling that it is linked to Nathaniel, to love...

As if echoing the word, a thunderclap is rumbling right at this instant to pull her out of her paralyzed stare and urge her on.

A storm is coming, and the rain will soon follow. So also sensing she will lose her courage if she waits too much, she rushes her fingers to open the envelope. Yet what she doesn't expect is for the tempest to happen so soon, and inside her chest, when she uncovers a single piece of paper.