Middle Row ♪ Hemmings | ✓

Epilogue

"And then, you were there. Holding my Bintang cap with a panicked expression," kata Luke sambil tertawa, mengenang pertemuan pertama mereka.

Velvet tersipu. "I was shocked, really. It was a kind of mini heart attack."

The way, you held me, I wish that I had put you first
I was wrong I admit, numb from your kiss
While you were slipping through my fingertips

Luke meraih tangan gadisnya itu erat-erat. "I liked it. The way you looked. The way you kept cursing. Hell, I told you to stop but you refused."

"I didn't refuse!" elak Velvet. "It happened naturally, Luke. Believe me."

Taking every breath away
With all of the mistakes I made
From all the letters that I saved
This is everything I didn't say
I wish I could've made you stay
And I'm the only one to blame
I know that it's a little too late
This is everything I didn't say

"Whatever." Luke memutar bola matanya. "You were different, Vellie, did you know?"

Velvet menggeleng lemah.

"That's why I could easily find you among the crowd," ujar Luke sambil tersenyum.

Whoa, whoa
This is everything I didn't say

Wake me up now, and tell me this is all a bad dream
All the songs that I wrote, all the wrongs that I hoped would erase from your memory
Holding onto a broken and empty heart
Flowers I should've bought, all the hours I lost
Wish I could bring it back to the start

"I never thought that it would end up like this," kata Luke sambil menatap papan bertuliskan 'Departure' di hadapannya.

Velvet hanya bisa tersenyum pahit. "Neither did I. Just let it happen, Luke. Maybe this is how it supposed to be."

Taking every breath away
With all of the mistakes I made
From all the letters that I saved
This is everything I didn't say
I wish I could've made you stay
And I'm the only one to blame
I know that it's a little too late
This is everything I didn't say

"If you ever forget, I love you, Vellie."

"Never, Luke. I will never forget. And I love you too."

I hope you know, for you I'd sacrifice
To make this right
Someday, I'm sure
We'll pass each other by
Until that time

Luke mengecup kening Velvet sekali, lalu menghirup aroma sampo favoritnya di puncak kepala perempuan itu. "I promise I'll call you as soon as I get there."

"Sure. Safe flight, Luke," kata Velvet sambil berusaha menahan air matanya yang hampir jatuh.

"I promise I'll come back here to see you."

Taking every breath away
With all of the mistakes I made
From all the letters that I saved
This is everything I didn't say
I wish I could've made you stay
And I'm the only one to blame
I know that it's a little too late
This is everything I didn't say

"I promise, Vellie."

This is everything I didn't say

Semua orang di situ berteriak, menjerit histeris karena solo dadakan Luke itu. Terkecuali Velvet yang mematung dengan mata yang belum kunjung lepas dari mata Luke. Tanpa bisa dibendung, air matanya turun perlahan, disusul dengan air mata Luke yang juga mengalir —terlihat jelas di layar raksasa.

"This one is for you, someone in the middle row," kata Luke setelah selesai menyanyikan lagu itu. "I'm sorry it took a long time."

—

"Dave, help me to find her, please," kata Luke seusai pertunjukan.

Dengan buru-buru, ia melepas peralatan manggungnya, meletakkannya di sembarang tempat lalu keluar dari backstage.

Dave masih terbengong, menatap Luke bingung. "But you're not allowed to get outta here."

"I don't give a shit!" seru Luke sambil mengambil hoodie dan masker, lalu memakainya. "Come on, Dave. Help me!"

Pria berkepala plontos itu akhirnya mengangguk, lalu keluar backstage bersama Luke yang panik bukan main. Satu-satunya yang ada di pikirannya sekarang adalah: ia harus menemukan Velvet.

Mereka berpencar. Luke ke kanan, Dave ke kiri. Dengan posturnya yang tinggi, Luke jelas saja mudah untuk mencari orang lain. Tapi gadis yang satu ini, seperti ditelan bumi —ia menghilang begitu saja.

Dengan perasaan kalut, Luke kembali ke backstage, di mana Dave ternyata sudah lebih dulu menunggunya.

"What the hell? Didn't you search for her?"

"I did," kata Dave sambil menyerahkan secarik kertas pada Luke. "She's nowhere to be seen, so I searched for her seat, and I found this."

Luke menerima kertas itu dengan lambat, seperti mode slow-motion dalam sebuah film romansa. Dave meninggalkan Luke sendirian, lalu mata biru laki-laki itu mulai membaca.

Luke Robert Hemmings,

I got this feeling that you'd check my seat up so here is my little note to you. Not really little I guess, but yeah. You'll find out.

It's been six years, Luke. Funny how time flies so fast, eh?

How's your life going?
Do you still snore when you sleep?
Do you still dance to Adventure of a Lifetime?
Do you even still remember me?

I have lots of questions popped up in my mind but I'm not going to ask you about all that. I might be sound so irritating. Ugh, or I already am by writing this to you?

Luke, I don't miss the accent you make when you talk. I don't even miss the way you sing me to sleep with your arms clutched on my waist. I don't miss your eyes when they're locked to mine. I don't miss your lips when you press them against mine. I don't miss your fingers when you casually intertwine them with mine. I don't even miss our morning ride, or our little talks, or our Indomie sessions, or our kisses-on-cheeks war. And yes, I don't miss you.

But Luke, my mum told me that I was a big liar back then when I was 8. And all the things I wrote above, I lied.

Let me tell you the truth then.

Luke, I'm so tired of waiting.

Luke, I'm so tired of having high hopes.

Luke, I'm so tired of feeling completely ignored.

Luke, I'm getting over you. Just like you seem to do, over me.

I hope you'll live a happy, beautiful life. I hope I'll live mine too.

I hope someday our paths will collide again.

I hope we'll meet, on the street, in the grocery, or anywhere.

Because I need to make sure that you don't lack anything in your life; I need to know whether you're alright.

And when that day finally comes, greet me, Luke. Wave your hand and say hi. Greet me, but not in a romantic kind of way.

Greet me, as an old friend.

Best of luck,
Vellie

Dan air mata Luke jatuh tepat mengenai bekas air mata Velvet yang mengering di kertas itu; hanya itu jarak terdekat dengan gadisnya yang mampu ia capai.

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