Chapter 181: Together Again
“Tomi, are you okay? You look very pale. Are you feeling unwell?” the girl asked worriedly while touching Tomi’s shoulder.
“I’m fine. Are you ready to go?” Tomi asked as he curved his lips into a smile. “I don’t want us to arrive late.”
“Yes, I’m ready,” Sasha replied briefly. “How do I look? Am I presentable enough?”
Tomi’s gaze swept over Sasha’s appearance from head to toe. A sincere smile bloomed on his face, radiating genuine admiration.
“You’re very beautiful, as always,” Tomi praised sincerely. “That dress suits you so well, Sas. You always know how to amaze me.”
At once, a blush spread across Sasha’s cheeks. Seeing that reaction, Tomi only smiled faintly. “Don’t look down like that. I’m just telling the truth,” Tomi teased.
Among the line of ex-girlfriends who had once filled his life, Sasha indeed had the most outstanding physical charm. She was not only beautiful, but also graceful, gentle, and understanding.
“Shall we go now?” Tomi asked again. “The car is ready outside.”
“Wait, Tomi.”
Tomi stopped. He frowned with a questioning look. “What is it? Did you forget something?” Tomi asked to make sure. “Your phone? Or your small bag?”
“No.” Sasha shook her head slowly, then looked at Tomi hesitantly. “Tomi, are you really sure?”
“About what?” Tomi asked back in confusion.
Sasha bit her lower lip, struggling with the doubts swelling in her chest.
“About our relationship,” she said almost in a whisper. “About everything we talked about earlier.”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with our relationship?” Tomi asked in return. “Haven’t we agreed to start it again?”
Sasha let out a long sigh. Since long ago, the man she still loved had indeed often been insensitive to moods and feelings.
“This time, I don’t want to be your escape again, Tomi.” Sasha looked at Tomi seriously, demanding honesty. “Do you still love her?” She paused for a moment. “Tell me the truth right now.”
The question instantly silenced Tomi. He fell quiet, staring intently at the girl in front of him.
“Don’t you trust me?” Tomi asked in a low voice.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t want old wounds to happen again.” Sasha’s face showed deep anxiety. “Back then, you were clearly still in love with Frel, but you came to me just to run away from your feelings. You didn’t truly love me, Tomi.”
“I don’t want to be just a temporary cure for you,” she added softly.
Tomi took Sasha’s hand, his gaze turning sorrowful. “I’m sorry. I can’t lie to you. To be honest, right now I still have feelings for her.”
Those words struck Sasha like a hard blow. Her body suddenly felt weak.
“I know this honesty hurts, Sas,” Tomi continued.
Sasha tried to pull her hand away from Tomi’s grip, but he held it tightly.
“Let go of my hand, Tomi! I already suspected this,” Sasha sobbed.
“Please listen to my explanation first, Sasha,” Tomi pleaded with a deep look.
Sasha remained still, even as tears began to wet her cheeks. The sight made Tomi’s heart ache.
“Please, don’t cry. I just want you to know that this time I truly want to fix our relationship that once fell apart.” Tomi gently wiped Sasha’s tears with his fingers. “I don’t want to see these tears fall because of my mistakes again.”
“You know yourself that Frel loves Kenn, and so does he. Kenn is my cousin. I feel much more relieved if they end up together because I know who Kenn really is. He will definitely take good care of Frel.” Tomi let out a sigh. “Seeing them happy, I’ve slowly begun to let her go.”
Tomi took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m asking you to help me forget her. I’m sure you still love me. I promise I won’t look for another woman again,” Tomi said sincerely. “You’re the only one I need to move forward, Sas. Will you help me?”
“You dare promise not to flirt with other girls again?” Sasha replied in a sulky tone. “Watch out if I see you giving extra attention to girls at school later.”
Tomi smiled faintly, feeling relieved at the change in her attitude. “I promise. With all my heart, I promise you. So, how about it?”
“About what?” Sasha answered curtly, though the sparkle in her eyes couldn’t lie.
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand,” Tomi replied, looking at her amusedly. “Do you want to be my girlfriend again? Please give me one more chance, for the last time.” Tomi waited hopefully. “Say yes, Sasha.”
Sasha fell silent for a moment, weighing her decision before finally nodding slowly. “All right, I will. But this is the last time.”
“Thank you, Sasha.” Tomi immediately pulled her into a warm embrace. “Thank you for giving me another chance. I won’t waste your trust this time,” Tomi whispered in her ear.
When the hug ended, Sasha’s face looked flushed with shyness. Tomi chuckled fondly at her behavior, then gently ruffled the top of her head. “Why is your face turning red like a tomato?” Tomi joked.
Suddenly, Sasha became nervous in front of him, which was met with Tomi’s laughter.
“Now, are you ready to go? We’re going to give Frel a surprise. I’m sure she’ll be very happy, especially after finding out that you’re transferring to Airlangga High School.”
Sasha nodded firmly. “I’m also happy to meet Frel and Dara again. I can’t wait to give this surprise. Let’s go, I want to see them soon!” Sasha exclaimed.
They finally walked away with their hands tightly intertwined. With light steps, they headed toward Tomi’s neatly parked car, ready to start a new chapter and meet Frel at the restaurant that Kenn had prepared.
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