Hearing his question, made Hannah stop. Turning around, she faced him with her wide eyes, to express her surprisement.

"Y-You mean.. my ex-boyfriend?

" Ellen averted his eyes to stare at her after her strange voice entered into his ears,

"Yes? Why? Did something happen?

"

"N-no. Why did you even pick it up?

" Mumbling this, she kept the package of the biscuit back in the cupboard. Instead of eating it, she already lost her appetite after the name of the certain person was brought up.

"You were sleeping and I didn't think about disturbing your sleep. So I picked it up and went to the other side…

" Ellen's voice turned timid with the time. His eyes were smoky upon seeing her expressions, where she looked really shocked.

'Why is she behaving so strange? As if.. she is actually going through any trauma?' It was unknown to him yet this made him slightly curious. After all, he is living with this girl..

Hannah moved back to the couch and sat there in a daze. Her hands were locked into one and subconsciously rubbed both her palms. While Ellen just noting her expressions and actions, he can't help but feel slightly alarmed.

"Hello? Is there something wr-

" he wasn't able to even finish his words when the fun-loving voice of hers was replaced with coldness,

"I had a break up with that man… and you shouldn't have picked that call..

"

Why? Ellen had the time to ask but held himself at bay. The voice of hers spoke the tale, unfortunately, he isn't good at reading the past tale with a face.

The silence covered the room when neither of them uttered a single word. The heaviness that drowned around both of them was also making their heart tremble.

Yet Ellen held the courage to ask her further,

"Did you also feel that you need to just escape everything? The breakup which... you talked about.

"

"It was a cage. A toxic relationship where you are tortured mentally and physically, every day.

" Her reply made him quite shocked. Taken aback, he stared into her face to find the numbness.

'Can a girl like her.. be actually in a toxic relationship?' It was almost impossible in his eyes since no girl, especially like her, will allow any man to vent out his anger. The statement of her was making him more eager despite knowing that it might not really help him either.

"So… how come you land yourself out of it?

" his question bought a faint smile over her lips when she replied instantly,

"By walking away from that man.

"

"That is the bravest thing one does, to leave behind the person with whom you thought you will spend your entire life.

" She agreed with whatever he said.

At this stage of her life what she is engrossed in her own messy relationships with everyone and her own turns of actions. Neither can she deny that that being in the wrong relationship, and loving the wrong guy already broke her into pieces.

"I..I. just turned around to pick my broken pieces and assemble them once again..

" till this point her voice was already replaced with a soft tone. A similar to any girl who was already at the tears of the bay, of letting her eyes not drop any tear.

Ellen didn't say anything immediately. He rubbed his hands while staying in the memory of thousands to recall his own past,

"It is.. hard to do so..

"

"A lot. Everyone says that it is too difficult but the ones who go through the one, are the ones who realize the same. Moving on isn't as easy as we all talk so.

" At this point, Ellen's eyes traveled to see her almost soft face.

Her legs were squeezed into each other, when she was constantly rubbing her hand near her biceps, as if she was scared of the past, which was probably haunting her from time to time,

"Don't be scared.

"

A light sigh escaped Hannah's lips when she only nodded which made her eyes turn into a crystal moon when the soft and sweet tone she used to say,

"I'm not scared. Just that man....he was horrible.

"

Nodding His head, he can't help but say, despite his attempt to shut his mouth,

"Some are jerks and till the time we realize that… we think it is already too late to do so. Good that you didn't marry that man and have the courage to walk away.

"

But his words were easy as well, which gave the slight hint that he must have gone through, probably similar to her. 'He isn't young either. May be older than me… but why does he also have his share of past to share and the feeling of hurt?'

It was hard to guess but her tongue was never crowned. When she was staring at his face, he stood on his toes and made his way to the fireplace, keeping some logs of wood inside it.

She just observed him doing this act perfectly without uttering a single word. Keeping quiet throughout, he never let that awkward silence take over. Instead, she sensed this was much better… where both of them were the broken vases,

Adding the logs of wood in the fireplace, he lited a lighter and was able to start the fireplace. The warmness that was evoked in the room was already felt by her when the coldness reduced in her body

"This is effective.

"

"Hmmm come, you can sit by.'' was all he said before he signaled her, as she also sat on the chair opposite to his, near the fireplace.

But the silence was enough to make her all curious to ask further,

"Ellen… You are also not young are you?

"

He lifted his eyes, where he poured the tea for both of them,

"I'm old enough.. as compared to you.

"

"Right..

" She doesn't know why but asking directly anyhow made her feel slightly awkward. There was no reason to feel so yet the heart never allowed her to do it.

'Cmon Hannah, he asked you a similar question, so why don't you do the same?' This ran in her mind where she was conflicted to decide.

At last, Hannah took one of the shawls from the side tables and wrapped it around her shoulders. Without thinking twice, the word slipped out of a moth.

"Did you also… go through something similar in your past? Which made you so deeply connected through my wounds?

"