[68]
Tonight was the last night for Giselle’s team. There is only a three-day break for her to prepare for the continued work that awaits. Brina said that Giselle should use the break very well to lose weight.
“I don’t do much cheating, Brina. Why do I have to follow all these exercise schedules?” asked Giselle in a protesting tone. In her hand was the schedule she had to do before starting work at Masshacutes.
“You’re not cheating much?” Brina chuckled in annoyance. “You should be talking to the wall, not me.”
Giselle pursed her lips. She had already changed her clothes, ready to rest and enjoy the last night of the show, as well as the end of a pleasant vacation.
“Get some sleep. Our flight is at ten tomorrow.”
“Yes-yes-yes.” Giselle pulled up her blanket. Preparing to sink into dreams and let the door to her room close. Even Brina turned off the room’s main light, replacing it with a nightlight. It was confirmed that Brina was also doing the same thing; sleeping.
But Giselle was not sleepy. She was thinking about what had happened in the past few days while she was in this region where many people traveled, especially the night after the show. Andrew and Fania’s wedding invitation. The expression of his feelings for Justin. The conversation over a big meal with Harvey.
Everything is rolling again.
“Nothing is easy as long as we breathe apparently,” Giselle muttered as she pulled back the covers. She also chose to enjoy the night, from high up and adjacent to the window. She didn’t want to hear any more of Brina’s ramblings about the night air being too cold. So she sat by the window of her room. Where she could still enjoy the deep, star-filled night.
“I hope Andrew can be happy,” Giselle said sincerely. “They’re both good people. It’s just the selfishness around them that keeps them down. Tsk! What a pity.” She rubbed the tip of her chin lightly. “Someday if I have children, I don’t want to be selfish like that. Just thinking about it makes my hair stand up.”
There was nothing but the sound of the air-conditioning machine and the ticking of the clock. Unfortunately, Giselle was completely devoid of sleepiness. Was it because she had been having fun at the salon all day? Relaxing with Harvey but should… she be able to fall asleep soon, right?
Remembering Harvey, she remembers the story of his life.
“You’re an adult. I have no right to interfere too deeply. You know what the consequences will be if it continues. All I can say is, don’t let Justin down,” Giselle said at the end of Harvey’s shocking story. But as she says, she has no right to interfere with Harvey’s choices. Especially after she found out what drove the girl to do something that could be considered … quite crazy.
“Until I reach my goal, I won’t stop. And Justin knows where I’m headed.” Harvey smiled slightly. “He wants me, and that’s the price Justin has to pay.”
Giselle closed her eyes for a moment. she felt her heart beating for a moment. It was beating normally, nothing had changed and it should not stop suddenly. Giselle was not ready to meet her mother in heaven. Instead, she felt the pain of remembering what Justin had warned her about.
Everything about Justin was not as simple as it seemed. And after hearing Harvey’s story, where the part that Giselle thought was private, but shared with him with complete trust, made Giselle do the same. How she came to be in SEO, what Justin did to her, and how her feelings ended up with the man who was her boss.
“I expected that from you, Giselle. Seeing how Justin looks and what he does for those around him, it’s only natural that you’d have feelings for him.” Harvey sipped his soda. Most of the food on the table had been devoured unknowingly by both of them. No one was watching how many calories and fat were going in, for them, vacation was a time to eat with no limits.
Especially what they love; chocolate and soda.
“But I think you should do what Justin says. Loving someone else without reciprocation is painful, Giselle. It’s better to find someone who loves you without question, than to have such one-sided feelings.”
“You think finding someone like that is easy?” Giselle chuckled but with a sad voice. She quickly took a sip of the soda in front of her. “Um… I think we should order some wine? Getting a little drunk won’t be a problem, right?”
“Don’t be weird.” Harvey laughed. “Either we get locked up by Justin or worse, we listen to Brina rant about the consequences of getting drunk in a place like this.”
“Ah!” Giselle let out a long sigh. She placed her face on the table that looked free of plates and other dishes. “That sucks.”
Harvey rubbed Giselle’s shoulder lightly. “Such a man was in your life, it’s just that you rejected his existence. And when it was too late, you were completely speechless.”
“Really?” Giselle raised her face again. “I didn’t realize that.”
“Indeed!” Harvey spluttered. “But I’m sure, if you are indeed linked, it won’t be easy to break what God has destined.”
Giselle rolled her eyes in annoyance. “You talk like a poet, like you know best what love is. But look at your life and your choices?”
Harvey laughed excitedly. “Don’t you think about life and what I want to do. Once I’m satisfied with everything and they know I can do the craziest things in the world, I’ll stop.”
“And I hope that when you want to stop, you can’t move at all. Instead, you’re trapped, captive, and have nowhere to go but up with what you’ve already done.”
“Damn it!” Harvey punched Giselle lightly on the shoulder. “Being honest with you makes me regret it!”
“Unfortunately, I’ve already recorded what you said in my mind!” said Giselle smugly.
“Talking to you is annoying sometimes.” Harvey pulled out his chair again. “My one message, Giselle. Forget what’s in your heart. Justin is a man who is serious about his feelings. I don’t blame you at all, but if you keep bottling up your feelings like you are now, you won’t be able to move on. You’ll keep wasting people who come to you sincerely.”
Giselle was silent for a while. “I see, huh?”
“It’s better to be loved than to love, Giselle. It’s nauseating.”
Giselle opened her eyes slowly. The sky out there was still the same. the stars were shining even more even without the moon. In some corners, there were still vehicles passing by. The street lights, as well as some tall buildings, were brightly lit.
“How can I forget someone as close to my life as Justin?” He put his face in his hands. “If being busy at work could help me forget this feeling, it would have been gone for months. But what do I get?” he said with a sad grin. “Ah… I’m so lame.”
Giselle pondered for a while, then let out a long sigh as if to voice what was on her mind. “Looks like what Harvey said was right.” She began to close the curtains. She walked through the room at a slow pace until she got to her bed, which was a bit messy. “I need to get rid of my feelings for Justin.”
She had put the blanket back on but her eyes were still staring at the ceiling. “But… can I?”