The Hard But Easy
Chapter 7

For five days Eliza stayed in the room without doing any activities, other than sleeping and going to the bathroom. Eliza's digestion is still not good, she goes back and forth to the bathroom, when she feels nauseous. Several times the girl refused to eat when Carlos brought food into the room, but Carlos forced her. Until finally Eliza gave up and obeyed her brother's wishes.

Eliza now feels better than ever, but she still has to rest. Currently the focus is directed at the laptop that is now in front of him. The girl straightened her legs, squeezing her body on the headboard, with a laptop on her thighs and a pillow as the base.

The girl was browsing the internet, opened youtube and started typing something on a search. A moment later, Elizaters smiled, followed by a familiar voice in his ears.

"Hi, everybody! Jonathan Darrel is here!" Greet the man friendly. Jonathan just uploaded a new video.

"Quickly upload a video." Eliza Mumbles. Unknowingly she smiled shyly.

"You're waiting for me, right?" he chuckled, then he leaned closer to the camera, raising one hand near his mouth, as if to whisper something. "Waiting for me to sing or waiting for my story?" Clumsily.

Eliza exhaled, then she let out a short laugh. "Oh my goodness, Jonathan!" he said a little more.

"Okay, I'd better keep my story at the end, because this time I'm going to bring you a song that I'm deliberately directing to miss winter."

Eliza then heard a guitar from Jonathan's fingers. From the square alone had made Eliza hypnotized. A second later the man started humming long, his voice completely washed away. Whoever Miss was that winter, she must be a special person to Jonathan. Perhaps when watching this video, she would smile to herself, just like Eliza did.

"From the way you smile.to the way you look.... Unlike no other. from the first hello.yeah, that's all it looks.... And especially. we had each other..... And I want to leave you. always be true.... Over and over again."

"So don't ever think I need more, I've got the one to live for.... No one else will.... Yeah, I'm telling you.... Just put your heart in my hands...."

Jonathan Darrell. The man had just made Eliza Fern fall in love with the way the man played the guitar and sang. So sweet. No wonder her fans are so many among teenage girls.

"Promise it won't get broken. well never forget this moment. yeah, we'll stay brand new, cause I'll love you... Over and over again..."

"Over and over again...."

Jonathan ends the song, making Eliza clap. A second later, the girl regained her senses and lowered her hands. He is focused on Jonathan Darrel.

"By the way, I'm not just singing this to the winter lady, but to all of you who are in love. So, enjoy your time with the people you love and care about."

Eliza kept watching Jonathan speak. The man told me about the meaning behind the song and his relationship with the lady of winter. Eliza Fern is convinced that this winter's miss is Jonathan Darrel's first love. For some reason knowing that fact, makes Eliza's heart a little tight. The girl immediately shook her head, shaking off the bad thoughts in her head.

"Well, are you still wondering about miss winter?" He said, then he went on.

"Okay, it looks like your prayers were answered, because I met him again recently. We seem to have some things in common. I also know some facts about him and I think he's here, because of something. Although I'm not sure what it is, but I think he has a secret that he can't reveal, just like me or maybe you guys out there who have a big secret.

This may sound strange, but I want to tell him my secret, a secret that is completely unknown to those closest to me, even my own parents. I have a reason why I trusted him with this secret. Not because I'm blind to love, but, because I think we have something in common and I want us to be open to each other in the future, whatever it is."

Hearing Jonathan's words, Eliza felt full. Jonathan was right, at least he had to be honest with the people closest to him about the secrets he had. Rather than worrying about herself, Eliza was more worried about Jonathan. What secret did the man have until he kept it all alone?

Jonathan Darrel turns into a mysterious figure in Eliza's eyes.

"Well, maybe I've talked a lot, you guys are bored, right? I'd better deal with it. See you in the next video, thank you." The man is seen waving his hand, before the video stops.

Eliza exhaled slowly, then placed the laptop next to her. The girl began to pensively, for some reason her chest felt tight. Why would Joanthan Darrel suddenly make Eliza feel this uneasy?

...-οΟο-...

Eliza Fern came down one by one on the stairs in the studio. He intends to accompany Carlos downstairs, because he is very tired of staying in the room. His body condition has also improved considerably, especially after seeing and hearing Jonathan sing. It sounds silly, but Eliza feels better after seeing Jonathan's face. The man was able to hypnotize the women to fall in his charms.

It could be said Eliza Fern is the luckiest person because she can meet Jonathan, can even talk to the man. However, Eliza also could not cover up the tightness in her when she heard Jonathan telling her about Miss Winter. In her head, Eliza kept thinking about who the Winter Lady really was. That's why Eliza's down now. Behind his intention to accompany Carlos, he also wanted to ask more deeply about Jonathan.

Eliza now arrived at the bottom floor, the girl went straight into Carlos hideout while calling the man. However, instead of appearing, the person who had been called before did not show himself. Eliza frowned, where did Carlos go? Tumben didn't tell Eliza.

The girl finally came out of Carlos' hiding place and went to the front of the studio, maybe Carlos was there. But when he went there, Eliza also did not find Carlos. Her cousin really left. The girl also chose to sit behind the reception desk, while propping up her chin watching the entire studio. Although Carlos lives alone, he is able to keep his studio clean. How careful he was to clean the paintings displayed on the walls of the studio.

Not long after, Eliza heard someone open the studio door, she reflexively turned her head while exclaiming, "Carlos, where.... Uh?" He was a little surprised to find a girl standing at the door and looking at Eliza in confusion. At first he thought the one who opened the door was Carlos. "Sorry, can I help you?" Eliza said as she got up from her chair.

The girl approached Eliza with a smile. "Hello, you're Eliza, huh? I'm looking for Carlos, is he there?"

Eliza slightly furrowed her brows, who is this girl? Her thought. "It looks like Carlos is leaving, and I'm looking for him too. He didn't say where he was going. If you can tell, who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Amelia Chloe, Carlos' girlfriend. Carlos told me he lives with you." He said with a big smile. "I also know Jonathan, we live next door." Connect Amelia.

"That means, you used to be a neighbor to Carlos?"

"Yeah, that's it." The answer. "By the way, I'll wait for Carlos here. Do you mind if I stay here for a while? We are all acquainted."

"Of course, no problem. I'm so glad I have another friend."

"I'm also happy to meet you, I hope we can be good friends." Amelia's Sahut. "By the way, have we ever met? Your face is like a stranger."

Eliza also scrunched her forehead. "really?"

"Yeah, or maybe it's just my feeling." Amelia looked at Eliza's face.

They were silent for a moment, both thinking, where the two had met. A second later, Amelia plucked her finger, until Eliza flinched.

"I remember! you've bought flowers at my flower shop, haven't you?"

"Eh?"

"You bought a white lily." Amelia assured. But seeing the astonishment on Eliza's face, Amelia again said, "my tree is at the end of the road, not so far from Carlos' studio."

"Oh, I remember now! It was you." Eliza cried with a laugh. "Yes, my gosh, the world is so narrow." His word.

"I'm not so sure, but I can recognize people even if I meet one time. Maybe because I'm often face to face with buyers." Amelia.

"It's good to see you again, Amelia."

"I'm also happy to see you, and I just found out you're Carlos' cousin's sister." Amelia. "Oh yeah, are you going to come home anytime soon?"

"Good! I want to take you for a walk, some kind of girls time?" Amelia laughed short. "Yeah, I don't have any friends to play with. I'm too busy taking care of my mom's florist, I don't feel good bothering Carlos who's been busy lately." The girl's timpal.

"That's great, I want to! I really want to enjoy the winter in New York." Eliza Seru. "Here I don't know anyone but Carlos and Jonathan."

Amelia laughed short. "Where are you from, by the way?"

"I live in San Francisco."

"Wow, it's a long way, up here."

Eliza nodded. "That's how, I really want to enjoy winter ter⸻ah, no." In a hurry Eliza shook her head.

Amelia did not understand Eliza's last words, but she kept smiling and nodding her head.

"Oh yeah, do you want me to do something? A tea? The syrup? A coffee? Or...."

"I want tea, let's make it together." Sela Amelia with a smile on her face.

...-οΟο-...

Amelia Chloe is a kind, sweet and caring person. That's how Eliza marks the girl who has the status of Carlos' girlfriend. It's not wrong that Carlos knew Amelia. From what Eliza heard, they first met when Amelia who lived with her mother⸻because she had divorced from her father⸻ gave food to Carlos and Jonathan who then happened to live next to Amelia. At that time, Carlos was a student and Jonathan was not clear about his job.

In the past, said Amelia, Jonathan is not like now. The man's life is pretty miserable and he does part-time work to get on with life. Eliza slightly gasped at hearing that. It turns out that Jonathan Darrel, who he knew, had felt the difficulty of life. But how difficult the suffering he was going through was certainly no worse than Eliza.

The girl sighed. One more fact that Eliza knew about Jonathan. The fact is so astounding, fortunately life has a wheel that is always spinning, so that humans are not only above and below.

"Jonathan has a good voice. He was even offered to start recording for his debut as an artist, but he declined I don't know why he turned down that good offer." Amelia.

"Maybe he doesn't really like being exposed to paparazzi." Eliza Sahut.

"But seeing his popularity now, makes me feel relieved, because Jonathan has gone through the rigors of life."

"That's right. Moreover, he's got you and Carlos. He must have been very helpful for the encouragement you gave."

"I'm glad to see others happy. That's the only principle I hold. My mother always said that to me."

"I'd like to see your mother sometime."

"May, my mother must be very happy to meet you. You're a nice and fun person, you have a lot of topics to talk about."

"You're overreacting." Eliza said with a small laugh. A second later, her laughter faded, replaced by a hard-nosed, "Mm, Amelia..."

"Yes?"

"I'm actually hesitant to say this, but.... Have you ever heard of Jonathan having a girlfriend or is he into someone or......?" Okay, Eliza's starting to think that Jonathan Darrel's first love is Amelia Chloe, Carlos' girlfriend. But, is it possible that Jonathan was the one who ate his own friend?

"I've never heard of that. Jonathan never said anything. All I know is, he's busy working, it's impossible to think about women." Amelia answered, and then the girl smiled. "I know, you must be curious about the people Jonathan tells in his videos. Not just you, I was curious. As long as I knew Jonathan, he never once talked about the woman he liked. Looks like Jonathan just met the girl recently. That girl is not me." He said it ended in a slap, as if he knew what Eliza was thinking.

Although only careless, but in the heart Eliza felt calm and relieved at the same time, because her question was answered. But Eliza still wonders who made Jonathan Darrel fall in love for the first time? Truly an amazing girl.

Amelia took a sip of her tea, then said again, "Carlos told me a lot about you. Carlos also said that he introduced you to Jonathan on purpose." This time Amelia chuckled.

"Yes, he likes to be overdone. But I love knowing Jonathan, I've learned so much from him about life." Answer Eliza.

"Actually in this world, you can learn many things about the lives of some people around you, because everyone certainly has their own problems."

Eliza nodded. "You're right." Then he smiled. "I'm glad I know you."

"If you need a friend to tell me a story, you can tell me, Eliza."

"Thank you." Eliza returned to smile, a second later she returned to drinking her tea. "You're so good."

"I just want to help you, I think I really need a girl friend to tell you about women's issues." Amelia chuckled.

Yeah, without feeling like their chat is going anywhere, whether it's about Carlos, Jonathan, their favorite, and many more. Female chatter is unpredictable, always flows like water and ends up becoming familiar.

From there Eliza felt really comfortable with Amelia. Although the first time to meet, but Eliza can consider Amelia as the closest person, in addition to Carlos and Jonathan.

Not long after, the sound of the door opening, making Eliza and Amelia look directly at the door to see who came. It turned out that the person who had just opened the door was Carlos.

"O, Carlos!" Eliza Seru.

Carlos immediately turned to Eliza and Amelia, he realized that his girlfriend was in the studio.

"Amelian? Been here long?" Instead of greeting his sister, Carlos walked over to Amelia. While Eliza had held back a smile, seeing how much her sister loved Amelia, until she forgot to say hello to herself.

"Lumayan. By the way, I've been chatting a lot with your sister."

The man looked at the sister, then he walked over to Eliza, as if he realized that Eliza was there too. "Eliza's." He muttered while stroking his sister's hair. "Have you felt better? Already eaten?"

Eliza nodded, her head looking up at the elder sister. "I'm fine."

"I've bought something, you can eat it. I'm sorry I went to see my customer." He said while handing out a carton bag containing a food box.

Eliza took it, and the girl moved from her place to her room. He said he didn't want to interrupt Carlos and Amelia's courtship. Arriving in the room, Eliza did not immediately open food from Carlos. The girl chose to sit on the bed with her head looking at the ceiling. I don't know why today he feels relieved, calm, and yeah, it feels so light. The pain suddenly disappeared.

But Eliza did not want to continue like this, because she was sure, surely this feeling only lasted for a while. In the future, there must be something bad coming to him. That's certain. Eliza was just waiting for her time to come. I don't know when he can hide this secret from those closest to him, especially his parents and Carlos.

Eliza doesn't want to think about it, just let time flow, surely one day they'll all know without Eliza telling.

...----------------...