The First Curse of Love
54. Quarrels After the Meeting

The fairy tale reading activity of the day was finally finished. During the recording process, Danny just focused on staring at Qiara's face on the camera. Some questions about Qiara's calm demeanor when faced back with him after so many years, inevitably annoyed Danny.

How could Qiara keep smiling and laughing like that, in this time Danny even had trouble breathing? How could Qiara look into her eyes without any turmoil, as Danny tried desperately to hold the shakes in his eyes so as not to scatter tears? How could Qiara be able to restrain herself in such a good way?

Thinking about it, it re-ignited the tightness in Danny's chest. After all these years he lived in regret, was that punishment still not enough for him? Or what was Qiara, already able to completely erase all about Danny from her heart?

"Your appointment was at the bookstore? We need to talk." Lirih Danny as Qiara approaches him after he is done with all his affairs.

At that time, the time had already shown at nine o'clock in the evening.

Qiara sighed softly. Other than because he already had no gap to escape anymore, Qiara did not want to do so. He should talk to Danny.

"Okay, let's talk." Qiara replied with resignation. He then walked out ahead of Danny.

As Qiara was about to open the door of her car, Danny said to her, "you let me screw."

"But, Dann—"

Danny immediately stopped his steps, he then turned and looked at Qiara sharply, "for three years I have followed the rules of your game, including today. So at least for tonight, you follow my rules. Understood?"

"Danny—"

"NOW!!"

From the past even now, Danny's commanding tone hasn't changed either. And even now, Qiara had never been able to refuse anything Danny had told her. That was why, now Qiara was sitting behind Danny who was riding his scooter in a position that was a bit far apart. Qiara would rather put both her hands on her thighs than hold on to Danny's waist.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at a simple eatery located by the roadside with the name 'Old Shop'. The Old Shop itself is a fairly famous store on the island of Banu.

They sat face to face at a table that was right next to the window. From now on, all Danny did was stare at Qiara with both hands folded in his stomach. While Qiara, he stared blankly out the window, not knowing what to say to Danny. Even after their ordered food had already been served on the table, Danny was still reluctant to turn his gaze away from Qiara.

"So, you've been hiding here all this time?" Danny finally opened the conversation. He asked a question that he had been holding up since.

"I've never hidden from anyone." Denied Qiara briefly without returning Danny's gaze.

Danny laughed cynically, "of course. Of course you never hide from anyone. Everyone knows you're here, except me. EXCEPT ME, Qiara!"

"Honestly, I did communicate with Arga several times with Windy. But they don't know where I am, because they never ask me anything. That's why I said, I never hide from anyone."

"Then why did Windy give me a clue to come here? Hm?"

Qiara did not answer. He waited a while to neutralize his feelings. Nah! He was not at all angry at Windy's actions. Qiara realized, once he set foot on Banu island, sooner or later he would definitely meet Danny. But still, all of this was still too shocking for Qiara.

"I've only been here six months, Dann. Before this, I was in Brisbane."

"It turns out you were the artist to escape from me. You promised me, Qi. You promised that you wouldn't leave me, but once I opened my eyes in the morning, you weren't there next to me. I've been looking for you everywhere. I asked them all, but none of them would answer me. Do you even know what I went through after you left? I was in an accident and I was in a coma for a month. And the reason why I escaped death back then is, since I still want to see you, I still want to fix everything with you. But you weren't there for me at the time."

"I don't leave you, Danny."

"Keep what?" Danny's Lick. His eyes were shaking and slightly reddening. It was obvious that anger and sadness were fighting there.

"I'm just letting you go. I don't want you constantly forcing yourself to stay with me."

"What rights do you have to judge my feelings? After everything we've been through, why do you easily come to the conclusion that I forced myself to be with you?"

"You don't love me. Not once have you had that feeling for me. From twenty-three years ago until the day we parted, I was just a friend to you. And I realized, that I would never be able to exceed that limit even though as hard as I tried. The end result, we'll just be both hurt."

Danny was stunned when Qiara convinced himself that he had never loved Qiara. The anger in his eyes gradually dissipated, leaving only a radiance of sadness. "Why are you saying that I don't love you?" Danny asked slowly, but with strong emotions in every word.

He does not accept. He strongly denied Qiara's accusation.

"You never said it."

"Then don't you feel it?" Danny dodged vehemently, breaking all the assumptions that Qiara had created himself over the years.

Qiara finally trembled. Danny's eyes said everything with honesty. From the radiance as well, Qiara seemed to be able to see the flashbacks of their togetherness in the past. Everything Danny has done for him, every second of every second they spend together, all re-spinning, calling forth the extreme bitterness when one reality hits him; that he never once believed Danny's feelings.

But now it's too late.

Danny and Qiara stared at each other in silence. Ever since their meeting back a few hours ago, they had started to get used to dialogue through eye to eye. A little while later, Danny nodded his head slowly as he began to understand what Qiara had felt to him since Danny proposed to him three years ago.

"Qiara's..."

Qiara did not reply, and just waited for what Danny would say next.

"You never trusted me, did you?"

Qiara started to feel her gaze blur. But he knew that at that time he could not let the glass in his eyes crack just like that, and let the clear crystals plunge freely to strip everything he felt so far. At least. not for now.

Once again Danny nodded. After the years passed, he finally knew, that Qiara's trust was the only thing he failed to have. But just like Qiara did, Danny also tried desperately to keep his tears from betraying him. Danny's gonna lock his way out.

"Qia..."

One call from a voice so familiar to their ears suddenly rang out, breaking the silence that smothered Danny and Qiara.

They then looked at it simultaneously. In front of them now, Dean stood upright, looking at them in turn with an illegible look.

In the blink of an eye, Danny felt like he was being betrayed.

"Well, that's amazing!!" Danny murmured, having previously breathed in violently.

He stood up from his seat, and again threw his glare at Qiara who was looking guilty.

"Hahaha.your revenge is successful, Qi."

That was Danny's last sentence, before finally deciding to leave the place feeling devastated. Danny didn't even heed at all when Dean asked him not to go.

...****...

During his journey, Danny spilled all the tears he had endured since. Still clearly imagined, how Qiara looked at Dean when Dean came to the tavern. It still remembered very clearly as well, how did Dean call out Qiara's name.

Not only that, his memory when chatting with Dean in the rooftop of his apartment some time and again crossed his mind, when Danny asked Dean's girlfriend at the time. Danny even lightly suggested that Dean marry his girlfriend immediately. Danny laughed bitterly for the umpteenth time.

Once again, the universe reveals that Danny was wrong.

His haughty mind that thought that Qiara still loved and was still waiting for him as he had been doing all this time, turned out to be a big mistake. She slumped for the second time when she discovered that she was no longer a painful love for Qiara, that she was no longer the main character in Qiara's life.

And it turns out, this is the reason why Windy gave him instructions to come to Banu island. Let Danny know what's really going on. For Danny to stop expecting Qiara to return to his arms. Windy wants Danny to realize that there is no way for them to get back together again.

...****...

"Qi, are you okay?" Dean asked as carefully as possible Qiara who was sitting next to him while staring out the window of the car Dean was driving in.

"Hm." Qiara muttered softly.

But his hollow gaze was still fixed on the outside scene. Danny's face when crying this afternoon, also shakes the voice of Danny who tried to hold back his crying while in the store, not also want to go from his heart and mind.

And Dean realized that. That who was currently beside him was only Qiara's body. His heart and mind were far away wandering into another look. The place that has been the center of all his longing and waiting –Danny.

"Do you even know what I went through after you left? I was in an accident and I was in a coma for a month. And the reason why I escaped death back then is, since I still want to see you, I still want to fix everything with you. But you weren't there for me at the time."

Qiara closed her eyes, trying to endure the pain from the piercing stub in her chest as Danny's words flashed.

What Qiara could not tell Danny was that when Danny had an accident and was declared into a coma three years ago, not a second did Qiara leave. Qiara was always with him, accompanying him through the intersection of life and death. Pray for Danny's recovery every night, read a book every day, faithfully invite him to talk even if there is no answer, cut him nails, shave his mustache, even wipe his body. Qiara did it every day tirelessly. Until finally a month passed, God granted the prayers that he always prayed every night. Danny was aware of his coma.

However, at that very moment Qiara knew that it was time for her to leave. He can no longer be the reason for Danny's destruction.

And beyond his will, Qiara began to sob softly. Over time the slow sobbing sounded stronger, until the crying broke out uncontrollably.

Dean hurriedly pulled over his car, released his seatbelt, then without saying anything, he hugged the fragile body of Qiara that trembled in his tears.

The hug may not have healed her, but Dean hoped, that the hug was enough to at least tell Qiara, that no matter what, Dean will always be the first to embrace all his wounds and pains.

...****...

Augusts, 2018...

Upon receiving the news that Danny had an accident, in the early hours of that day, Qiara immediately went to the hospital to catch up with Danny. Panicked and in too much of a hurry, Qiara did not have time to change her sleeping piayama. Qiara was not even aware when she was only using her bedroom sandals. One of the sandals was somehow missed because Qiara ran hard into the hospital building from the parking lot, but that was clear at that time, as Qiara was running fast, Qiara was just wearing next to her sandals and successfully made her the center of attention of several people in the hospital.

"Sister Dean, Danny... Danny's..." Said Qiara sobbing while trying to set her airway in disarray.

Dean held both hands of Qiara. Dean's heart was filled when he accidentally saw Qiara's quite heartbreaking appearance at that time.

"Danny's in surgery. He's had a brain injury, but the doctors haven't been able to confirm anything before the surgery's over."

Qiara's body instantly collapsed before Dean. Her crying was getting louder and uncontrollable. "It's all my fault. If only I hadn't left Danny, Danny wouldn't have had to be this broken. If only I hadn't been selfish, Danny wouldn't have been lying in the operating room risking his life. I've lost Papa and Mama in a car accident, and now I don't want to lose Danny for the same reason."

Dean sat before Qiara holding both shoulders and stared intensely at the woman's eyes, "Qia, hey! Look at Dean's brother, hm?"

Because Qiara did not follow her request, Dean raised Qiara's chin until their eyes met each other. Dean rubbed Qiara's tears with his thumb, "Danny is strong. Danny is much stronger than we know. Danny's gonna be okay. You believe in Danny, don't you, Qi?"

Not long after, Sadewa and Faradina also arrived at the hospital with a condition that was no less frantic. Dean now turns and tries to calm his parents.

Actually, Dean's just as screwed up as the others. Dean was afraid of the worst possible thing they had to face about Danny. But Dean knew that he could not show his weakness and had to strengthen everyone. For now, only Dean can do it.

Dean was out of the hospital for a while before he returned with a paper bag. Dean's gaze immediately led to the figure of Qiara who was waiting for Danny who was still betting inside the operating room. Qiara bowed lethargicly in the waiting room with both of her vibrating shoulders holding back her cries. Without lingering any longer, Dean walked up to him while opening the jacket he was wearing and then put it on Qiara's body which was only in pajamas.

Qiara did not react at all. Even as Dean sat crouched under him and put on a shoe, Qiara still did not show any reaction.

Yes, Dean went out for a while to get Qiara's shoes at her house.

After finishing pairing the shoes, Dean sat down next to Qiara and sighed softly. In that situation, Dean chose not to say anything and waited in silence like the others.

After waiting for hours until the morning, a doctor came out of the operating room. Qiara did not quite catch the Doctor's explanation on both Danny's and Dean's parents. However, his entire world is shattered when the Doctor tells him that Danny is in a coma. Again Qiara collapsed with a crumbling feeling. Her tears flowed profusely with sobbing sobs of tears.

And from that day on, since Danny was declared in a coma, not a day did Qiara move from his side. Qiara even thought, that if he could replace Danny at that time, then he would replace that second as well.

To Be Continued...^^^