Another Love Awaits

"Enough!"

Her hand lifted as a sign that she no longer wanted to hear any excuses. She grabbed the haphazardly placed shoulder bag on the table, then walked away without looking back at her interlocutor. Her steps were brisk as she headed towards the visitor cafe's parking area, where her beloved automatic blue motorbike patiently awaited with its white-striped design and Bugs Bunny sticker.

Yes, only the blue automatic motorcycle with the cherished Bugs Bunny sticker faithfully awaited her, never thoughts of infidelity or deceit. It was the only companion accompanying her wherever she went without demanding elegance or a beautiful dress with high heels.

"Celine!" the man she left behind in the cafe shouted.

"Celine, wait!" Since Celine showed no intention of turning, the man called her name again, hurrying to catch up with the girl.

Celine held back the tears with all her might, not wanting them to spill now. Not now, she thought. She couldn't afford to appear weak in front of that jerk. She had to seem solid and unaffected, even though it contradicted the reality. Walking quickly, almost running towards the parking lot, she suppressed the tears that had managed to escape her defenses.

The parking area was quite empty. There were about seven motorcycles and two cars on opposite sides. Reaching her motorcycle, the man, Leo, finally caught up with Celine and grabbed the girl's hand, stopping her momentarily.

"Listen for a moment," Leo said, trying to get Celine to listen to his explanation briefly. But Celine ignored him. Instead, she turned her face away and tried to find the keys in her shoulder bag.

"We're not breaking up, Celine. We can still be together," Leo said again. This time, his effort succeeded in capturing Celine's full attention.

Spontaneously, Celine turned and cast a piercing look at Leo. If a sight could kill, Leo might have dropped dead instantly. The tall, slim man frowned and attempted to avert his gaze but was hindered by his pride as a man. Was he terrified of a woman? That's what his mind was saying.

"So, you think I'm angry because I can't hang out with you anymore?" Celine asked with a scolding tone. She had run out of patience dealing with Leo. Her voice rose a few octaves due to suppressed emotions. Her earlier heartache had instantly turned into high-level anger. How could Leo think she was that naive?

"Well, then?" Scratching his non-itchy head, Leo struggled to find another defense.

Celine shook her head in frustration with the sheer audacity of the irritating man that, unfortunately, she had thought she had loved wholeheartedly recently.

"Listen! Is there any girl who wouldn't be hurt if her boyfriend told her that he had hanging out with his ex-girlfriend? Are you crazy or something?!"

"But she's my first love, Celine. It's hard to forget your first love just like that. Besides, I've been honest with you. Isn't that a good thing about me? If I didn't say anything, you wouldn't know, right? And we don't need to fight like this." Leo expressed his opinion casually, implying that Celine was overreacting, even though he had been honest.

Celine rolled her eyes in exasperation. Her annoyance had reached its peak. If she continued dealing with Leo, her blood pressure might suddenly go so high.

"I don't care! Whether she's your first love or your puppy love. What's clear is that you cheated. And I want us to break up. That's all!"

She slapped away Leo's hand that tried to hold her arm. She quickly got on the motorcycle, put on her helmet, started the engine, and zoomed off without paying any more attention to Leo, who was still trying to stop her.

"Crazy guy! Asking for understanding, huh? Does he think I'm a stupid girl or what? He cheated. And what did he say earlier? Should we appreciate honesty? Seriously, he's brainless."

Celine muttered to herself as she rode the motorcycle. She liked to vent her frustration on the bike. Driving at a moderate speed, accompanied by a relatively strong wind, allowed her to grumble throughout the journey without worrying about anyone else hearing. She glanced at the side mirror several times to check if Leo was chasing her. She was disappointed not to see anyone behind her. Ah, she was that insignificant in Leo's eyes.

Despite the past six months of feeling perfect with Leo, being near him, she always made her proud, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. Love often blinds those who experience it. All her partner's flaws seemed to be overshadowed by the greatness of her feelings.

Continuing to sob, Celine finally arrived at her home. It is a small, cozy house with a black iron fence and the number 76th perched on the pillar of its wall. The house looked different from the others around it because a small shop was attached to the main house. Its black gate was always half-open, serving as an entrance for buyers.

Her mother's shop sold various groceries and other household necessities. Therefore, many neighbors usually gathered there, chatting for a while or a long time as they shopped. Homemakers usually enjoy chatting for a long time. There was always something to talk about, from kitchen prices to sometimes discussing each other's family matters.

Celine was grateful that there were no customers when she entered her home's yard. At least she didn't have to greet or engage in small talk with them. She was not in the mood for it at all. After parking her motorcycle on the front porch, she wiped the remaining tears and fixed her makeup. Not really makeup, though. She was the girl who only needed a thin layer of powder and a swipe of lip gloss to go anywhere. I ensured the reflection in her side mirror didn't look too puffy.

She certainly didn't want her family to realize she had been crying. Her mother could suddenly become hysterical. Moreover, with her often misplaced curiosity, her younger sister would only make Celine feel even more uncomfortable. Indeed, the matter would be discussed repeatedly until a clear explanation of what made her cry. Celine didn't want to discuss it with anyone now or maybe forever.

Let her keep the heartache to herself. Only those who have experienced it can understand how painful it is when loyalty is betrayed and how heartbreaking it is when genuinely trying to love but being deceived. Just as she was about to open the living room door, she was startled by her younger sister—Gina—who, as usual, couldn't resist being mischievous.

"Gotcha!" she shouted from behind the door, making Celine, who was already in a bad mood, instantly furious.

"Gina! What's wrong with you? Scaring me like that!"

Gina just laughed, seeing her sister angry. Four years younger than Celine, the charming girl always carried herself cheerfully, humorously, and as if she never had life burdens. Celine shot an annoyed look at her sister. Instead of apologizing, Gina continued to tease her.

"Oh, getting mad like that, huh, sis. You'll age quickly, you know!" Gina said, intentionally pouting her lips.

"Look at that, so many wrinkles on the forehead, tsk tsk ... Sister Celine is getting old, oh my," Gina continued teasing her sister while pretending to scrutinize her face.

"Hey, you just cried, didn't you?" Suddenly, Gina's face changed slightly, showing concern after noticing her sister's swollen face with slightly reddened eyes.

"Celine!" Their mother's call was heard. Celine cringed in surprise.

"Oh, this gonna be bad!" Celine mumbled with tightly sealed lips.

***