Six years later,
"You take care there. Look after yourself, don't make Nathan and Gilbert worry," Mrs. Smith's advice echoed in Haisley's ears once again. She, now sitting in the airport waiting area, could only nod in response to her mother's words from across the overseas call.
"Don't just nod along. You have to get rid of your spoiled attitude. Remember, there you need to focus on your studies. Don't shift your focus to other things," Mr. Smith chimed in this time. Haisley could only chuckle but then nodded again.
"Alright then, I have to pick up my luggage," she said, bidding farewell. Her parents waved once more through the small screen in her hands. The middle-aged couple's faces looked melancholic, clearly still not fully accepting their youngest daughter's departure.
Yes. Following her best friend Gilbert's advice, Haisley had resolved to fight for a scholarship so she could join her soulmate. She gave up her dreams of being a ballerina and chose to focus on academics to secure good grades. For six years, she struggled, attending various lessons and activities. Although she initially had difficulty adapting, considering her brain wasn't as sharp as Nathan's or her half-sister Crystal's, Haisley refused to give up.
Finally, in the last three years of her schooling, she managed to consistently achieve good grades. As a result, she earned a scholarship to the same school as her beloved. Her parents agreed to let her go, albeit with the condition that she stay with Nathan and Gilbert.
Of course, this condition didn't burden her at all. Considering her journey to England was to be closer to Nathan, and now, she was not just a step but an inch closer.
Haisley smiled to herself, delighted by the romantic future she envisioned with Nathan. Just imagining being Nathan's girlfriend made her cheeks flush, let alone picturing a wedding.
Haisley shook her head. She could indulge in her fantasies later. Right now, she had to focus on the queue to collect her belongings.
But where was Gilbert? Haisley reached into her pocket for her phone. Her friend had said he would pick her up at the airport, but there was still no sign of him.
She pulled her large suitcase with all her might. She had brought a lot of luggage. Besides clothes, there were also several snacks her mother had packed as gifts for Nathaniel and Gilbert.
Her cheeks warmed again. Nathan, how have you been? Do you miss me too? Haisley could only blush.
She struggled with her petite body to drag the large suitcase. She headed towards the airport exit. Taxis were neatly lined up there. Haisley glanced around, looking for a familiar face. Where was Gilbert? Had her friend fallen asleep and forgotten to pick her up? Haisley shuddered at her own thoughts.
A tap on her shoulder made her scream out loud. She turned and was about to scream for help when she saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with bright orange hair, black sunglasses, and a thick beard looking down at her.
"I'm not late, am I?" he asked, his voice echoing.
Haisley frowned just as the man took off his glasses and looked at her with a wide grin on his face.
"What are you doing?" she exclaimed loudly. Several people turned to look at them.
"What am I doing?" he retorted nonchalantly. "So, this is the reason why you didn't want to video call me? Because my face looks ugly like this?" Haisley teased shamelessly.
Gilbert burst into laughter. "Don't insult me, H. If I get angry, I'll leave you here and let you be kidnapped by those foreign creeps who like little kids like you," he replied, his tone threatening.
Haisley shot him a narrowed-eyed glare. "Just try it!" she challenged. Gilbert laughed again and then tousled Haisley's hair. "No chance. My handsome face will be ruined by Crystal. And I'll be minced into crocodile food by your dad." He said again. Gilbert's left hand grabbed Haisley's suitcase handle while his right arm embraced her petite shoulders. "The parking lot is a bit far," he told Haisley. Haisley just nodded and matched the long strides of the man. "Ready for the adventure, huh?" he asked again.
Haisley raised her head, but Gilbert didn't look her way at all. "How is he?" she asked, curious. Yes, for the past six years, Gilbert had been her source of information. Fortunately, he didn't mind and always willingly helped her.
"Actually, he's not doing well," the man replied flatly.
"Meaning, he's sick?" Haisley asked, panicking.
Gilbert shrugged. "You'll find out later, H. But before that, I have to ask you again. Are you sure about Nathan?" he asked, uncertain. Haisley nodded enthusiastically. Of course, she was sure. Why else would she have fought this hard and come this far? "Are you sure you want to fight for him? Suppose he treats you badly, will you still endure it?" he asked again.
Haisley lifted the corner of her mouth. She understood Gilbert's question. And once again, she simply nodded her head in response. Gilbert then shrugged his shoulders, knowing that nothing could change his little friend's mind. He drew in a harsh breath and let it out.
"I can only help as much as I can. The rest, I can only pray for both of you," he said, sounding weary.
Haisley smiled and nodded. "Thanks, G," she said, and wrapped her tiny arms around Gilbert's large waist. "By the way, did your new hairstyle end up in the drain?" she teased again.
Gilbert snorted and tousled Haisley's hair again. "It's a Naruto cosplay. It's all the rage these days," Gilbert replied, annoyed. Haisley chuckled again. "Should we go straight to the house or have lunch first?"
"Lunch. I'm starving," Haisley answered in her playful tone. Gilbert laughed again and then nodded. He reached for the car keys from his pants pocket and pressed the remote button. He put Haisley's large suitcase in the back of his silver Land Rover and then opened the passenger door for her.
Haisley gracefully bowed before getting into the high car, making Gilbert laugh at her.
Gilbert drove his car and took her to a fast-food restaurant. Gilbert ordered a double cheese beef burger with soda for Haisley. As Haisley cut into the massive burger, her face almost dripping with drool, Gilbert said, "You know, I find you peculiar, H."
Haisley stopped her action and looked up at Gilbert. "Why?" she asked, puzzled.
"Your body is tiny, like a dwarf's aunt. But your appetite, well, it's like a giant's. How can you eat so much?"
Haisley squinted at Gilbert. She bit into the burger in one large bite, chewed it without caring about her image, then swallowed before replying. "You should know, huh? Girls who eat a lot are sexier than those who eat sparingly. They actually have big appetites, they just lose to their pride. They pretend to diet, eating salads, but at home, they eat three plates and ask for more."
Gilbert laughed and tousled Haisley's hair again. "Sure, sure. Eat as much as you want. Finish it. If necessary, with a bottle of mayonnaise," Gilbert teased. Haisley just nodded and continued chewing her burger.
"Princess, are we heading home?" Gilbert asked when he saw Haisley seemed to have swallowed all the food in her throat. Haisley nodded enthusiastically and accepted her friend's hand."How's life on campus?" he asked as they walked towards the car. "Comfortable?""Fun," she replied shortly. "Don't worry, living abroad isn't as scary as it sounds. There are many Indonesian students here. They have their own gatherings; I'll introduce you to them later." She said, opening the passenger door for Haisley before walking around to the driver's seat. "You'll be comfortable here. You'll feel at home. There's me, and you'll have plenty of friends from our country." She continued, glancing at Haisley. "And this is also a chance for you to change your mind, H. Who knows, maybe you'll find a guy on campus who's better than Nathan. There are plenty of handsome guys out there, you know?"Haisley frowned disapprovingly and then sighed. "Don't even try to change my mind, G."Gilbert chuckled at Haisl
"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
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