"Daydreaming?" His voice brought her back to reality. She looked at Gilbert, who was now standing with his arms folded across his chest. Haisley glanced at her friend with a shy smile.
"No," she deflected politely. But Gilbert sneered.
"Rest, get rid of your jet lag. I'll call you when dinner is ready," he said, a statement met by Haisley's nod.
Gilbert left the room, closing the door behind him. Haisley didn't know where he went. She simply followed his suggestion to rest and get over her jet lag. Lying on the queen-sized bed, her mind drifted back to the past, to a time when her heart had shattered unexpectedly because of a scene she never anticipated witnessing.
**Flashback:**
Once again, Haisley wiped sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. The weather was scorching today, but that wasn't the issue. The problem was that she was also on the first day of her period, and her stomach was incredibly uncomfortable. She desperately wanted to get home quickly. But the faster she walked, the worse her pain became.
Her sour mood transformed into a broad smile when she saw a car, long untouched by its owner, parked sweetly in front of her house. "Nathan?" she murmured to herself. Her slow steps instantly quickened. She even ignored the discomfort that had been bothering her since earlier.
A moment before reaching the porch, Haisley slowed down again. She even tried to steady her breath so she wouldn't seem too eager to meet her crush.
The door was unlocked. With the intention of surprising him, she silently walked in, looking for the person she hadn't seen in three years. When she saw her father's office door slightly ajar, Haisley tiptoed closer.
"You can't be like this, Nathan." Haisley's steps halted when she heard her brother's voice speaking softly. Haisley held her steps. The surprise was now turned back on her. "Haisley loves you so much, how can you be like this?" her brother continued with an annoyed whisper. Haisley frowned, trying to sharpen her hearing.
"But I don't love her, Crys." That reply instantly made Haisley feel like her heart dropped to the floor. "I just see her as a sister. To me, she's just like Gilbert." The man continued. "You know that the one I've loved all this time is you, not her!"
Boom!
Haisley stared, stunned in her spot. Nathaniel's voice was clearly louder and firmer than her brother's. Her throat suddenly felt constricted, and her eyes instantly welled up. Was this what rejection felt like? Was this what heartbreak was, she asked herself.
"But you know that the one I love isn't you," her brother replied sadly. "The one I love is Juan." He continued firmly.
Of course. Haisley and her entire family knew that. Her brother and Juan had even been in a relationship since high school.
"It's because you didn't give me a chance to show you my love, Crys," Nathan rejected forcefully.
"It's too late, Nath," Haisley heard her brother's voice again. "Juan and I have decided to get married. And it won't be long. So, please, open your heart to Haisley. She truly loves you." Her brother's voice became pleading. "She will be a good wife and mother for you." He stated firmly.
Sad? Of course, Haisley felt sad. Sad and offended. Did her brother have to sell her name to Nathan like this? As if she was some commodity that needed to be promoted.
"I don't need you to promote her to me, Crys," Nathan rejected firmly. And this rejection sounded more painful to Haisley than her brother's words just now. "How can I love her as a woman when, to me, she's nothing but a little girl?"
Is Nathan insulting her? Haisley wondered to herself.
"She may not be mature yet, Nath," Crystal rejected again, in a softer tone. "But she will grow with time," she continued firmly. "If you're asking me to give you a chance to prove your love to me, why don't you do the same for my sister?" Crystal suggested. "Give her a chance to show her love to you. She has great affection and love to give you."
This time, Haisley felt grateful for her sister's words. Crystal knew best how much Haisley loved Nathan. And she felt thankful for her support.
"Enough, Crys!" Nathan snapped, startling Haisley. "If you can't accept me, fine," he hissed sharply. "It doesn't matter to me. But don't stop me from loving you. Don't corner me into accepting your sister's obsession with me. Never interfere in your sister's infatuation with me.
I approve of your marriage to Juan. I pray that you both find happiness. But I'm sorry, I can't be there on your special day." With that, he cut off.
Haisley was instantly shocked and quickly moved to hide behind the wall next to her father's office door. At the same time, she could hear her sister calling out for Nathan.
Flashback off.
No one knew what Haisley had heard at that moment, neither Crystal nor Nathan. Even when her sister finally married Juan, Nathan wasn't there. Although he sent a gift for her sister and brother-in-law.
And since then, Haisley began to divert her attention from Nathan. However, her friend Abigail's words echoed in her head.
Flashback
"Whether spoken or unspoken, love remains love," Abigail said, looking at Haisley and Flavia alternately. The conversation suddenly came up while they were having lunch in the cafeteria. "It's up to you to choose. Stay silent but curious about that guy's feelings. Or express your feelings, even if it ends in disappointment due to rejection. As for me, I would definitely choose to express it."
"But it's embarrassing, Rin. What if we get rejected? We won't have the face to see him anymore," Flavia looked at Abigail with her gentle gaze. Haisley just nodded in agreement. But Abigail, the girl with long straight hair, shook her head.
"The thing that exhausts us the most is curiosity. Disappointment, there's a remedy for that. But curiosity? The only remedy is an answer," she said bluntly. "Don't be ashamed, we're not trying to demean ourselves anyway. But once we know the answer from that guy, we can have the continuation of the story. Whether the love story will end here and we'll change course. Or our love story will continue into the next episodes that might be sweet, but also painful," she replied poetically.
Haisley and Flavia exchanged glances for a moment before looking back at Abigail. "Remember what happened with your dad and Itan," Abigail reminded Flavia. "They will never get married as long as both of them stay silent." She continued.
Flashback Off,
Adhering to that advice, Haisley, who had initially been pessimistic about winning Nathan's heart, felt a renewed determination to pursue her love. Abigail was right; whether she was rejected or accepted, that was something she would deal with later. She had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of Nathan rejecting her. Embarrassment? That would be the least of her concerns. But first things first, she needed to see Nathan's reaction when he saw her.
Haisley blinked and saw Gilbert towering over her. His knees bumped into Haisley's, which were dangling from the edge of the bed to the thick carpeted floor."Sleeping beauty, wake up! Hurry up and change; it's mealtime," he said, sitting down on the room's sofa. "Looks like Nathan won't be back until late, so your longing will have to wait." He said casually, flicking on the TV and scrolling through channels.Haisley searched for her suitcase, which she had only opened earlier to find some underwear and a change of clothes. But it seemed to have disappeared into thin air. "I asked Aunt Jody to sort out your clothes," Gilbert pointed to the wardrobe on the other side of her bed. Not exactly a wardrobe, but a protruding section of the wall fitted with wooden doors. Haisley opened it and found her limited collection of clothes neatly arranged, along with shoes and other items."Thanks," she said, then picked something from the wardrobe and headed to the bathroom. She emerged wearing kne
"In that case," the girl extended her fingers adorned with beautiful pink nail polish and glittering accessories. "I'd be more than happy to be your first friend in this city. Don't hesitate to ask for help. As long as I can, I'll always assist you." Haisley's smaller hand met Loretta's. Loretta wasn't her enemy, she wrote in her heart. She was just a pretty and sweet girl who held a special place in the heart of the man she loved.And the man she referred to finally appeared. He was wearing a well-fitted black tuxedo with a neatly tied bow tie around his neck. The attire accentuated his broad shoulders and chest. His slim waist and long legs were clad in matching trousers. Haisley looked up, examining the man once more. His thick black hair was neatly combed, emphasizing his strong jawline. The stubble on his chin and thin mustache further accentuated his face. Thick, gracefully arched eyebrows framed his sharp eyes with dark blue irises.He, Nathaniel, the man she had admired for te
Yes. His first love who rejected him because she valued her sister's feelings more.If it weren't for Haisley's love, he would have fought for his love for Crystal before Juan took her away.Nathan sighed deeply. No, it wasn't Haisley's fault. It wasn't Crystal and Juan's fault either. It was all his fault. He was too cowardly to express his feelings. He kept delaying because he thought Crystal, who was four years younger than him at the time, wasn't ready to accept his love and wasn't prepared for a more serious relationship.He thought she was still too young. So, he assumed that to prove his love to Crystal, he had to become a man first.That's why he left his home to continue his education. To make himself more worthy in the eyes of the Smith family. Before marrying their eldest daughter. Note, their eldest daughter. Crystal Smith.But fate was not on his side. He received a series of surprises. Three years after his departure, just when he was starting his career, Nathan heard th
Lectures have already started. It's hard to believe Haisley has been living with Gilbert and Nathan for a month now. During this time, she only met Nathan a few times. Those meetings never lasted more than five minutes and were just casual greetings from the hosts to their guest.Haisley was busy with her new life, making friends and socializing with people her age. Gilbert helped her with that. The third-year student introduced her to a group of American students and his other friends, whom Haisley started to like.As for Nathaniel? She knew he was trying to avoid her. When she was at home, he preferred to lock himself in his office or leave the house and come back late at night. Haisley didn't want to speculate about what he was doing out there. Even though Gilbert often teased her about women who might be spending time with Nathan.And of course, she and Gilbert knew that Nathan was a normal guy. That meant it was unlikely for Nathan to go out with a woman and just hold hands. Hais
Haisley was startled, but she managed to suppress her scream every time the horror movie's music effects caught her off guard. Yes, despite not being brave, Haisley still enjoyed watching horror films.Because she was too focused on the character in the movie, she didn't notice the ripples in the pool. Until the creepy character appeared on her phone screen at the same time Nathan emerged from the swimming pool. Inevitably, the scream she held in burst out.Nathan, hearing it, immediately turned and saw Haisley looking at him with a shocked and frightened expression."FOR GOD'S SAKE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE? ARE YOU TRYING TO SCARE ME?!" he shouted loudly, gasping for breath, his fists clenched against his chest.Nathan wiped his face, trying to get rid of the dripping water but didn't take his eyes off the girl.What was he doing? Obviously, he was swimming. And scaring the girl? He didn't even think about it. He wasn't even aware of her presence."I'm swimming, in case you didn't k
However, Haisley's response was drowned out by a groan that grew louder over time. Haisley turned and realized that the horror movie she had been watching was still playing. Because of their proximity to her phone, the sound, which had been turned up to the maximum, automatically reached their ears. Nathan's longer reach and quicker reflexes allowed him to grab Haisley's phone first. He looked at the screen with a raised eyebrow and a mocking smile. "So this, is what you meant by 'adult activities'? Is this what you've learned about pool parties in your version? Men and naked women, all piled up?" His voice was low, icy, and dripping with sarcasm. "Give me back my phone!" she snapped, reaching for Nathan's hand held high. Haisley could only reach up to his elbow. "Give it back to me, Nathan!" she said, her voice growing louder. Haisley was angry because she felt embarrassed. Why did that scene play out when Nathan was there? Why not when they were still standing near the swimming
"I don't want to hear you say 'it's none of your business' again, Princess," Nathan's voice sent shivers down her spine."Because it really isn't your concern!" Haisley replied and turned around abruptly. She glared sharply at Nathan, unable to hide her anger. "Anyone who is close to me, whatever I do with them, or whatever I learn from them, is not your concern! If you feel responsible for my presence here, just focus on my well-being! Not meddle in my personal affairs. Because my personal matters are not within your realm of responsibility!" She spoke with explosive anger."Besides, why suddenly care about who I associate with? While all this time, you seemed reluctant to meet me?" She stared at Nathan accusingly. "You can go back to being the homeowner who ignores his guests, Nathan. Don't confuse me with your sudden, unwarranted concern. Gilbert is already enough to protect me. You don't need to worry about that.""And my affairs with Steven or any man I might date in the future,
The weekend arrived uninvited. This was the first weekend where she saw Nathaniel at home. Without disappearing. Although his presence wasn't always visible to the eye. Maybe he was holed up in his study, or perhaps he spent his time in his room.Today was also Aunt Judy's day off. So like their usual weekends, she and Gilbert would go shopping for their needs. Or indulge in body treatments together."Are we going to eat out?" she asked with her mouth full. That morning, Gilbert made sweet pancakes for her."I'm so sorry, Princess. I have an extra class today, so I can't accompany you. If everything goes as planned, I'll be back by two," he said.Haisley sighed softly. But what could she say? When it came to education, she couldn't interfere. "Alright, I guess I'll spend my Saturday at home. But after I get back from campus, we'll go out, okay?" she pleaded with a pleading expression. Gilbert ruffled her hair affectionately and nodded. "Fine," he replied shortly, then fed her another