Trapping the Mate

MJ - I'm Friends!

Galendra sat at the dining table together with Giselle and Cleo. Although awkward, but earlier Giselle did not refuse when Galendra stepped into the house.

With a bowl of soto betawi in front of each other, only Galendra and Cleo occasionally engaged in conversation. Giselle was more silent, only nodding a few times when her name was called.

"Once I eat, I'm going to RT's. Gal, can Giselle stay at home until I'm back?" Cleo passed her sentence without any guilt, and paid no heed to Giselle who was already coughing.

"Sister!" reprimand Giselle for a moment after gulping her white water.

"Huh?" Gosh, out of nowhere Cleo's stupid pretend talent came from.

"I'm not a kid, I don't need to be in everything." Giselle glanced in annoyance at Cleo.

Cleo glanced at Galendra from the end of her eyes. "Oh, jaudah. I thought you weren't alone at home. If you dare joint-"

"It's okay. Let me get Cle!" Galendra cut Cleo's words fast.

Responded with a sharp gaze from Giselle, and Cleo's small smile.

"What do you want to do to Mr. RT's house?" Galendra hastily switched the conversation, not giving Giselle a chance to throw her protest.

"You need to take care of the moving letter. We've been here for almost two years using domicile letters. Want to move all ID cards." Cleo's voice now sounds sad.

Never once did he imagine , would change his identity to a new address, in a city far from Jakarta.

Galendra nodded his head. Little did he know about Cleo and Giselle's life journey of the past two years. There is no harm in staying here, after all, the two of them also do not want to return to Jakarta.

Giselle's gloomy look on her face, Cleopatra knew her cousin's sister was still feeling guilty.

"Some of us are also at home here, Gal" he said hurriedly with a smile, not wanting Giselle to be fixated on her guilt. "Well, Gi?" Cleopatra turned her gaze to Giselle. "I didn't expect, to be able to live a decent life with less money here. The money that I spent in Jakarta in a month , here can make both of us live four to five months." Cleopatra chuckles. "And it's worth it. Not to save that way. You know, I moved out a long time ago, let's get rich." Cleo chuckled again at the end of her sentence as she shifted her already empty bowl.

Galendra laughed. "Now you are rich. The proof is two years here and not working but living a decent life." Galendra narrowed her eyes.

Cleopatra chuckles. "Yes, yes, too. Therefore want to move ID card, abis it looking for work. Udah quite barge feet, long time I bosen too especially now Giselle was busy college." He stood up, stepped away from the dining table. "I'll stay first."

Galendra nodded while still smiling at Cleo until she disappeared behind the dining room and living room divider. Afterwards, he turned to look at Giselle who was sitting beside him.

"I wait on the porch yes, if you eat it around I think it's difficult nelen." Galendra looked up at Giselle's sharp gaze and walked away to the porch.

Giselle sighed, then devoured her soto to the toilet. Galendra was right, almost twenty minutes they had dinner and Giselle's bowl had only reduced slightly, but after Galendra had moved away 'she could spend the rest in just five minutes.

After waiting for a few minutes, Giselle finally came out onto the porch with a cup of black coffee - which Galendra was used to drinking - and placed it on the table.

"The coffee, brother."

Galendra. "Thank you." He's cleared his throat. "You're still awkward with me? Because of my love statement last week?"

In the end Giselle nodded. He turned his face away so as not to meet Galendra.

"It's okay. I like it when you're awkward, which means I have a chance." Galendra. Right no? Awkwardness is another word of wavering, hesitating to accept but not wanting to resist as well.

Giselle snorted, this man beside her somehow since when did it become a part of her days. Suddenly he came, filling one of the empty places by his side, which he never thought would let anyone occupy him.

"I'm no longer kidding when I ask you to be my girlfriend." Galendra's tone of voice was passing, a sign that he was serious. "So don't hesitate for nonsensical reasons."

Giselle frowned, daring to look at Galendra.

"Maybe Gale's just joking, for example." Galendra confirmed his sentence.

Huh. This man is psychic? Why did he know Giselle's heart? While it was true, there was a corner of Giselle's heart that said it was likely that Galendra was joking. Although the other corner part like desperately reminding himself how Galendra's expression at that time, when expressing his feelings. No joking around there.

"We've just known you, brother." Giselle lowered her head, linking the fingers on both of her palms.

"Eight months is enough for me to get to know you, Gi. I know, you're a good girl." Galendra's throat is choked, good girl? Is that really what he thinks of Giselle? Galendra bit himself on his lower lip.

Giselle grimacing. Himself? Good female? Ah, this guy doesn't know what he was like a few years ago. He likes to demean people, insult , cursing. All the bad he did.

If now she no longer does it, it does not mean she turns into a good woman. He just lost his gun. That's so?

"You don't know my family, sister" said Giselle.

Galendra nodded her head. "You're the youngest of two sisters, Cleo is your cousin's sister, your mother is dead, your father and your biological brother are in custody. We can meet later."

Giselle bit her lower lip while her hands were squeezing her dress on her thighs.

"I-i"

"Gi, I don't want my feelings to burden you. Forget about me first. I realize you haven't made peace. With yourself, with the past, with your family."

Giselle looked up, venturing into Galendra's eyes.

"Not you who made a mistake, why suffer like this, hum?" Galendra returned Giselle's eyes.

"On Andreea, it's not just Father and Brother Rachel who are guilty. Maybe even 'I hurt Andreea more than my father and brother." Giselle bit her lower lip. Talking about Andreea, it never ends well. There was always pain and pain in his heart.

Wasn't it! Giselle is not hurt because her friend imprisoned her Father and Sister. It was precisely Andreea's treatment of him, making the guilt in Giselle's heart even more so. There was a pain, each remembering Andreea's kindness to her.

Galendra held Giselle's hand. "Let's heal! I'm with."

**