“Tristan Quartararo, where are you going with that handsome look?”
Aurora, from the doorway of her room, rebuked when she saw Tristan, who looked down the stairs. If you look closely, it seems like someone who is about to leave the house. As the woman had mentioned earlier, Tristan looked presentable tonight.
Wrapped in semi-formal clothes with messy undercut hair, the man seemed so perfect. Ah no. Tristan is always handsome in every appearance.
“I want to go to dinner,” he replied as he stopped right in front of Aurora’s room.
“With Sophia?”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Tristan answered with a nod. Before long, he saw Aurora’s face slowly turn sullen. He pursed his lips as if he wasn’t happy with what Tristan had just said.
“Why are you so sullen?” reprimanded the man then.
“You should have taken me to dinner, not Sophia,” said Aurora meaningfully. Gazing into Tristan’s blue eyes, she nailed it.
“Don’t we always eat together every night?”
Aurora chuckled and pursed her lips. Why is Tristan so insensitive to what he means? If usually eat, you don’t need to ask. Almost every day, at breakfast and dinner, the two always spend together. But that’s not what Aurora meant.
“You never take me to a romantic dinner as most people do. I guess you didn’t give me anything this Valentine’s night, did you?”
Tristan chuckled, seeing Aurora, who kept on frowning. He looked at her with gentle eyes. Reaching out, Tristan immediately ruffled Aurora’s hair with excitement.
“Why are you so happy to frown, Princess? Who said I wouldn’t give you a valentine?”
“Gosh!” squeaked Aurora. “Have you prepared a present?” The woman’s eyes narrowed immediately. She was disappointed with what Tristan had just said.
Tristan nodded. Carrying his right hand, he grabbed a white envelope from behind the blazer he wore. Then give it to Aurora. “For you,” said the man.
“What’s this?”
“Please open it. So you can see for yourself what’s inside.”
Aurora obeyed Tristan’s orders. He opened the tape attached to the envelope, then took something out of it. “Frozen 2 tickets?” Aurora muttered in disbelief.
“Yes.” Tristan nodded. “Midnight Shows Disney Frozen. That’s your favorite, right?”
“Oh my, Mr. Quartararo! You are hard to pin down.”
Aurora shouted and then hurriedly threw a hug towards Tristan like a child who had just been bought a toy. It’s really fun because tonight is the first time Tristan has invited you to go to the cinema together. Even the selected film is Aurora’s favorite. Even though she’s an adult, for some reason, she likes that one Disney movie.
“Okay … Okay. You look very much like a child,” Tristan complained as he unraveled Aurora’s arms. “I have to hurry to Aqua Shard to meet Sophia. After we get home from there, we’ll just meet at the theater. How about it?” the man asked for sure.
“Deal!” Aurora answered without thinking. “I’m going to be as pretty as I can tonight.”
Instead of agreeing, Tristan shook his head. “No … No … dress up as natural as possible. I don’t want your beauty to be enjoyed by other men out there.”
“You scumbag!” squeaked Aurora. “Then, see you later. Don’t forget to catch up as soon as your show ends.”
“Okay,” said Tristan. He kissed Aurora’s forehead briefly, then walked away. Spurring on his sports car, Tristan arrived at Aqua Sharp at precisely eight o’clock in the evening. Taking a simple step, he was immediately directed by the restaurant waiter to directly sit in the VIP area that he had ordered in advance.
There were so many high-class couples who also celebrated Valentine’s Day together. Sitting quietly, Tristan chose to watch the twinkling streetlights from above. He glanced at the Vacheron Constantin wrapped around his wrist, hoping that Sophia would come to see him soon.
An hour just passed. Instead of seeing Sophia’s arrival, one of the waitresses came back to Tristan. “Mister, shall we serve the food now?”
Tristan seemed to consider for a moment, then he nodded. “Yes. It doesn’t seem like a problem.”
He thought serving what he had ordered wouldn’t hurt since it was already nine o’clock in the evening. So when Sophia came, they could immediately enjoy the food while talking.
When all the food was served perfectly, again, Tristan was made to wait. Even when it was almost 10 pm, Sophia didn’t even show the bridge of her nose. Don’t even call to give news. It was seen that Aurora suddenly contacted her via telephone.
“What’s the matter, Aurora?” Tristan asked on the phone.
“Nothing. I just wanted to remind you that the schedule for the movie we are going to watch starts at 11 pm. Please come on time. Please don’t ruin my happiness tonight,” the woman remembered.
“Of course. Don’t worry. I won’t forget that,” Tristan replied confidently.
“Okay. See you later. For fear of traffic jams, I will leave in a moment.”
“Yes,” said Tristan. “Then be careful on the road. Let me know when you get there.” Aurora ended the call.
Meanwhile, Tristan glanced at his watch again. Seeing no sign of Sophia coming, he decided to get up, ready to leave. He thought she might have chosen Edward over him. It’s okay, Tristan thought. Even if he couldn’t repay the Adelaide Family through Sophia, he could still carry out the plan he had laid out directly to Alfonso.
Leaving the restaurant just like that, Tristan dragged his feet towards the parking area. Feeling disappointed, he steered the steering wheel of the sports car he was carrying to go after Aurora elsewhere immediately.
However, just as he was about to step on the gas pedal, his blue eyes caught the presence of someone he knew so well. Sharpening his eyes, Tristan was sure of what he saw. He turned off the car engine again and immediately got out. Walking slowly, I approached a woman who was now sitting on one corner of the sidewalk in a state of crying.
“Sophia… how can you be this stupid. If you like it, why didn’t you just say it yesterday?” the woman muttered to herself while sobbing.
“Now? What can you do? He has even left you. And from this moment on, you will no longer be able to see that man,” she continued with a sob. Tears were running down her smooth cheeks.
Tristan, from where he was standing, was holding back a laugh. After he was satisfied listening to the chatter of the woman in front of him, he took another step forward to get closer.
He took out a handkerchief from the pocket of the blazer he was wearing, then handed it to the woman who was crying.
“I think you need this to wipe your tears.”
The reprimanded immediately raised his face. As soon as she saw that Tristan was standing in front of her, Sophia immediately got up and, without hesitation, immediately hugged the man tightly. Shed her tears again. He didn’t care about the people around him who watched them both.
“Gosh, Sophia. Why are your crying voices getting louder? People who see us will think I just hurt you,” Tristan teased as he gently stroked the woman’s loose hair.
“I thought you left me,” Sophia replied, still crying. Instead of being emotional, Tristan laughed. As he stretched Sophia’s arms, Tristan spoke again. “I even thought you’d never come to see me because you chose Edward over —”
“No!” interrupted Sophia, shaking her head. “I love you, Tristan. Now I believe that I love you.”
Tristan smiled. He grabbed Sophia’s body again. He hugged her tightly for a moment until the crying subsided. When he calmed down, he asked him to leave. “Since it’s late, I’d better take you home. It’s not good for a beautiful woman like you to come home late. For this failed dinner, I’ll reschedule it later,” Tristan offered, to which Sophia immediately agreed.
The two then got into the car. Tristan immediately spurred his vehicle to take Sophia back to her residence. Once in front of Sophia’s house, Tristan intended to go downstairs and open the door.
However, having just finished removing the safety belt and intending to leave, Sophia grabbed Tristan’s arm so he wouldn’t go anywhere.
“Don’t go yet. Just let me stay with you for a while,” she begged softly.
Tristan nodded, agreeing to Sophia’s request.
“So you agree to be my girlfriend?” Tristan asked, starting the conversation after the two of them had been silent for a while.
“Yeah. Besides, I can’t lie about how I feel about you.”
Tristan smiled faintly. He grabbed Sophia’s wrist gently and held it as he spoke softly. “Thank you for choosing me, Sophia. Thank you for reciprocating my feelings.”
“But…” Sophia’s voice was sad this time. It was as if there was a burden that still stuck in his heart. “What about Edward? I worried about the situation. For some reason, I’m also sure she must be very angry, disappointed, and hurt by my choice.”
“There’s no need to feel guilty, Sophia. Edward will be fine. I know who Edward is. We just need to give him some space to be alone. But trust me, Edward will get better after that,” Tristan replied soothingly. Then kissed the back of Sophia’s hand on purpose.
Sophia looked up, then looked meaningfully at Tristan. The anxiety that had been creeping up slowly disappeared from her face. Seconds passed. No words, only silence enveloped the two of them. Until then, who knows who started first? There were two lips meeting. It only took a few seconds to stick together. After that, they both seemed to be racing to move and kissing, crushing, biting, alternating with each other.
Sophia was even so bewitched. Felt how soft Tristan’s lips were that kept on kissing hers. They gasped for breath, and the kiss finally broke by itself.
“I love you, Tristan. I love you,” Sophia said breathlessly as she pressed her forehead against Tristan’s.
“Me, too,” Tristan replied. “There will be many beautiful days after this we will both pass.”
Sophia smiled and agreed with Tristan’s words. Instantly a beautiful image of the future danced in his mind. Tristan hugged him back while whispering happily.
“Whatever it is, as long as it’s with you, I’ll be happy.” While hugging Sophia, Tristan nodded and smiled brightly. I don’t know what the meaning of this smile is. What is certain is that after breaking his embrace, he immediately led Sophia to the house’s front door.
“You don’t want to stop by?” Sophia offered.
“No.” Tristan shook his head. “It’s late. I have to go home soon. We’ll meet again tomorrow. I’ll take you to lunch.”
“Okay then. Be careful on the road.”
“Sure. Say hello to your Papa and Mama.”
As soon as we got to the car and ensured Sophia entered the house, Tristan looked at himself from behind, reading on the car’s dashboard. He grabbed a tissue, then rubbed his lips roughly, which looked red from Sophia’s lipstick.
“Poor Sophia. You just enjoy your happiness first before I turn it into hell. Don’t call my name Tristan if you don’t suffer.”
***
Tristan walked hastily as soon as he arrived at one of the shopping centers. After dropping Sophia home, he rushed back to his car to catch up with Aurora, who had been waiting for a long time.
“I thought you were not coming. I even almost threw away the caramel popcorn that I bought.” Aurora chuckled when she found Tristan standing perfectly in front of her.
“How could I not come. I told you, I never break a promise. Especially with a beautiful woman like you.”
Aurora rolled her eyes in embarrassment. In the middle of being annoyed, Tristan even threw a tantrum. “Yeaah … stop your seduction, Young Master.”
While laughing, Tristan grabbed Aurora’s wrist and took the woman. Immediately enter the theater. They spent two hours watching the animated film that Aurora loved so much.
Intending to hurry home, Tristan’s cell phone suddenly rang. From the screen, he could see that Jacob was calling him then.
“What’s Wrong, Jack?” Tristan asked curiously.
“Are you with Edward?” Tristan could feel a hint of worry slipping into Jacob’s words. “Edward?”
“Yes, Edward,” Jacob answered with emphasis. “Since seven o’clock in the evening. But so far, it hasn’t come back. I’ve tried to contact him many times. Even Nicholas had been trying to find some places he might go. But still, we couldn’t find his whereabouts. Who knows he’s with you now.”
Tristan’s eyebrows knit together. He was surprised to receive the news that his best friend had just conveyed. It took him to think about where Edward was.
“I’m with Aurora right now. We just finished a movie at one of the theaters.”
“So you weren’t with Edward? Or do you know where the guy is at?”
Tristan sighed. He quickly answered Jacob’s question. “No, Jack. I’m not with Edward right now. But I’ll try to find out where it is. If there is news, I will call you.”
As soon as the phone was hung up, Tristan immediately invited Aurora to get to the car. Before turning the wheel, Tristan seemed to think for a moment. He was thinking back to where Edward might go tonight. Often spending time together, Tristan knew a little about the places his best friend used to visit when he wanted to be alone.
“You have absolutely no idea where Edward might be going?” asked Aurora, who had been listening to the conversation between Tristan and Jacob on the phone.
“I don’t know. There are actually a lot of places Edward used to go,” Tristan explained. “Didn’t Jacob mention before where Edward was going?”
Tristan shook his head. Then he seemed to snap his fingers as if remembering something. “Ah, I remember. Edward went to dinner with Sophia before. Most likely he must be sad right now because his love was rejected by that woman.”
“Good grief.” Aurora immediately exclaimed, hearing Tristan’s story. “You mean Edward just had his heart broken? But he wouldn’t kill himself, would he?” she asked worriedly. Who knew the man was frantic and then killed his life just like that.
“That wouldn’t be possible,” Tristan argued. “At any rate, Edward wouldn’t be able to do something stupid or reckless like that.”
“Then do you know where he is now?”
Tristan nodded confidently. “I think I know where that guy is.”
When choosing Willys Wine Bar, located in the Fenchurch area, a suburb of London, Tristan found Edward’s presence. The handsome man seemed to be sitting alone in the corner of the Bar in such a chaotic state.
“Jesus, Edward.” Tristan immediately cried out in concern as he approached Edward, who was about to take a sip of the whiskey in his hand. “What are you doing here?”
Edward turned around and then laughed blandly. “You ask what I do?” The smell of alcohol wafted out sharply, piercing Tristan’s sense of smell. He was sure his friend had drunk a lot of liquor tonight. “I should be the one asking, what have you been doing behind my back!”
Tristan took a deep breath. Because he was too lazy to make a fuss, he ignored Edward’s rambling while inviting the man to get out of the Bar.
“Let’s go home. Let me take you right now.”
Edward refused. He pushed away Tristan’s hand, which was about to hold his body.
“Oh come on Tristan. Please answer my question! What don’t I know here, huh? Don’t make me look stupid,” Edward snapped. His face reddened with emotion.
“I can’t explain that you’re drunk like this,” Tristan replied.
“Who’s drunk? I can even hear everything you say very well,” he said without taking his eyes off.
“Why did you betray me? Why did you have to approach a woman I clearly like? Why Tristan? Why!” Edward’s booming voice managed to attract the other bar patrons’ attention, making Tristan uncomfortable.
“Edward, we can settle this matter amicably even with a cool head without getting emotional like now.”
Tristan continues to try to seduce and calm Edward, who is already overwhelmed by emotions. It wasn’t easy to convince the man because he was half drunk.
“No need to explain. Looks like you did all this on purpose.” Edward shot him a look full of hostility. His expression was filled with extreme anger.
“Ed, listen to me—”
“Stop!” Edward then rose from his seat. “Stop your bullshit. It’s best if the two of us don’t see each other for a while. I don’t even know if our friendship can still be continued or not. To be sure, I’m really disappointed in you, Tristan.”
With a stagger, Edward then walked away. Leaving Tristan, who could only be silent when he let go of his best friend.