Chapter 3 - She's Different, So Is He

Gracie stared into the mirror where she was wearing Justin's ex-girlfriend's clothes.

Who? She thought.

For some reason, she was even curious. Want to know who Justin's ex-girlfriend was so that her things and clothes were even still in the man's apartment.

Justin crossed his arms. He looked at Gracie who was standing in front of the mirror after looking ready to go back to her apartment. In his heart, Flemy's clothes really fit Gracie's body. Even before he offered it, he was just guessing.

"It's Flemy's. And you can have it now," Justin said.

Gracie was surprised again. She turned her body. "Flemy?" She asked, surprised.

"That's her name."

"Oh. Well, I'll give it back. Since it's not mine, I can't have it," Gracie said firmly.

Justin sighed. This time he wasn't going to argue. Because this time too, he couldn't force a girl to wear another girl's stuff. They must have felt that they were feeling inferior, only that Gracie had to.

Being escorted home by a strange man she even just met overnight was strange. This was the first time in Gracie's life. Because if she met a complete stranger, Gracie would just say hi or chat completely. But with Justin, she admitted, she felt different.

"My problem is the same as yours. Abandoned for choosing another," said Justin, who suddenly opened his voice on the way.

"Oh."

"The difference is, I don't cry or look pathetic like you do."

Gracie immediately turned and elbowed him bravely. She became annoyed again when she remembered the ridicule from Justin even though it sounded true.

"Since when?" she asked. She tried to be nice because after all, the man had helped her even by force.

"The funny thing is, it happened the day before we met."

Gracie immediately turned to look at him again. And Justin nodded seriously as well as looking reassuring.

"That's the universe's way of being mean to me. Oh, and to you too," said Justin.

It was indeed funny and an unexpected coincidence. But ignorant? Well, I don't even know if the universe is pranking me. Her mind spoke.

"So we are both victims who were hurt," Gracie responded.

"Exactly."

Grace sighed. She imagined what Justin was going through. She couldn't really compliment him on not crying or looking sad, because she knew how men deal with their problems. Most choose silence and pretend as if nothing ever happened.

Occasionally Gracie glanced at Justin. She noticed that Justin was not a bad man. His face was handsome, his jaw was sharp with a beard that even all the girls–well, might fall in love with. Gracie didn't reject the perfection of it all if she got a man like him.

"Have you stopped looking at me?" Suddenly Justin rebuked her, making her gasp, and then looked out the window.

The corners of his lips formed a crooked smile. Knowing that there was a girl who was watching him secretly, was adorable.

"You're too confident," Gracie replied.

"No. Well, I'm used to being looked at that way by most girls."

But why did your ex-girlfriend dump you? She thought.

The question kept etching in her mind. If perfection is what someone is looking for, then why choose something that even has to leave the perfection that someone already has?

***

She looks different, Justin thought.

After he dropped off Gracie, he kept on being overshadowed by that girl. Maybe it was because of her sadness that Justin had never seen from another girl, that he kept thinking about her.

Gracie Samantha ... Her name kept ringing in his mind. Like a test that he kept memorizing in order to get an answer.

"You said if someone knew your name and address then you would deal with that someone. Well, let's see what I can do for you," he said to himself.

The way to his office continued to be filled with Gracie's name, which suddenly made his spirit on fire.

Justin greeted his employees when he entered the office, and he had never greeted his employees like that before.

"How strange, what's wrong with him?" whispered one of his employees.

"Wouldn't it be nice if he greeted us? At least, it's good, right, after he broke up with his girlfriend?"

"That's true. Let's hope he's like this every day."

Of course, Justin heard the rumors. But he didn't reprimand them because his feelings were warm.

While he was in his office, Justin started writing a quote that came to his mind. He always pours ideas that arise suddenly into a notebook.

No one read it and no one was allowed to read it either. Because Justin would only give it to someone he could trust later.

"What's going on? You look crazy! Smiling for nothing?!" Rany, one of his college friends who works at his company, came in carrying a document and gave it to Justin.

"I met a girl. Her name is Gracie. Gracie Samantha. She's cute, beautiful and I think she's different."

"What? You just broke up and look like you already like that girl."

"I do like her, Ran. And I think I'll try to catch her."

Rany was surprised by her friend's hasty decision. She then left while shaking her head, leaving Justin.

When Justin was not busy, he tried to call Gracie. He had indeed been presumptuous to save her number without the girl knowing.

"Who is this?" Gracie picked up his call and greeted him with the question.

"Doesn't matter. You have four hours from now to meet me at the Foody Drinky restaurant, Gracie. Or else I will come to your apartment or office to pick you up."

The call was cut off by Justin right then and there. He smiled because he succeeded in making Gracie even more curious. And luckily, he was using a private number where the girl wouldn't be able to trace him.

Justin began to feel that he and Gracie were starting something new. He just needed to convince her while healing the wound in her heart, his heart too. Because seeing Gracie, he seemed to see something different, which doesn't exist in any girl.