Loving You Too Long

Haisley shrugged. She chose to mumble thanks to the waiter who placed their orders on the table. Seeing Haisley sweetly smile at the guy who brought their dishes made Dean sneer again. “Okay, you’re right, G. I really need to be careful with Haisley.

When she was in England, many guys liked her. And that was under your supervision. What more here? No one’s watching over her here,” Dean squinted at Haisley. “Just look at the guy earlier; he’s melting just from her smile. Especially Adit, who stares at Haisley every day. Be careful, Haisley, if you ever cheat on me, those guys who hit on you will get a curse from me.” Dean threatened, but Haisley responded with a smile.

“If that’s the case, I should quickly get engaged to him. If necessary, get engaged at the hotel where he works. So that his friends know that he’s taken.” Dean said seriously.

Loretta, who didn’t understand what the three people in front of her were talking about, now looked at each of them in turn. “What are you talking about? Why do you look so serious?” she asked, curious.

Gilbert looked at his brother’s girlfriend and replied, “Dean is afraid that Haisley will be looked at by other guys here. So he plans to have an engagement event at Haisley’s workplace so that everyone knows that Haisley is not an available girl as they think.” Gilbert answered honestly.

“Is that true, Haisley?” Loretta asked, curious.

Haisley shrugged. “I’ll go along with whatever Dean wants.” She answered briefly.

Nathan looked at the girl with his sharp gaze. He suddenly got up, leaving the table without saying anything. Everyone at the table paid attention to his departure, but no one chased after him. The man seemed to take out a cigarette from his pants pocket and lit it in the distance.

After dinner, they continued their evening with a stroll along the beach. “Digesting the food,” that’s what Gilbert said. But Haisley felt tired; she asked Dean to stop, and they finally sat on the beach chairs available there.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Haisley really wanted to rest, but it seemed that Dean and Gilbert still wouldn’t let her go home. The reason was that they hadn’t spent enough time together, and another reason was because they were afraid Aditya might be there.

“Do you want a drink?” Dean offered. Haisley shook her head. “I’m thirsty and need to use the restroom for a moment. I’ll be right back, but don’t run away like you did this afternoon,” he ordered. Haisley rolled her eyes and waved her hand to dismiss him. Dean then stood up, ruffling Haisley’s hair before leaving.

Remaining were Gilbert, Loretta, Nathan, and Haisley. Haisley chose to intentionally turn her back to Nathan. She was reluctant to sit facing him for too long. Since dinner, she had received unpleasant stares from him. Even if he continued to stare at her the same way now, let him look at her back.

Haisley was actually puzzled by the man. What did he really want? If she approached, it was wrong. If she distanced herself, it was still considered wrong.

A group of dozens of young people was seen walking in a group towards the beach. One of them carried a large speaker playing cheerful music that was then turned up loud.

“Look, it seems like they’re having a party.” Gilbert pointed excitedly towards the group of young people. “Let’s go there.” Gilbert got up and invited Haisley as well. However, Haisley shook her head. She wasn’t someone with excess energy like Gilbert.

“Pergi saja kalau mau. Aku tunggu Dean di sini,” Haisley rejected. Gilbert pouted and looked at Haisley with a pleading expression, but Haisley just smiled and shook her head. “I’m really tired, G. Just go.”

Haisley pushed his shoulder with all her strength. Behind her, Loretta seemed to be persuading Nathan in the same way. And just like her, he chose to reject Loretta’s request.

Gilbert seemed to deliberately invite Loretta with him, leaving Nathan alone with Haisley.

“Who was the guy you were talking about earlier?” the man asked curtly after Gilbert and Loretta went far away.

Haisley chose to pretend not to hear him and opted to look at Gilbert and Loretta, who were now dancing with strangers in the gathering.

When Haisley expected Nathan to be angry with her and choose to leave, she was wrong. The man rose from his seat and walked in front of Haisley, then sat on the beach chair in front of her, blocking her view of Gilbert and Loretta.

“Stop acting like I don’t exist, Haisley!” the man said loudly. It was clear that he didn’t like Haisley openly ignoring him.

“I’ve just started ignoring you, Nath. Why? Don’t you like it?” Haisley stared back at him challengingly.

“Yes, I don’t like it. Because I’m a living being, not an inanimate object.”

Haisley widened her eyes at his words. Then she laughed loudly, a forced laughter. “Did I hear it wrong?” Haisley asked sarcastically. “If you’re offended by my behavior, what do you think about my feelings all this time after being treated as you pleased? You always act like you don’t care about me. You do whatever you want, say whatever you want.

“I’m here, but you always ignore me. And now you’re saying that you don’t like my current attitude, while all this time what you’ve done to me is much worse than this, Nath. Don’t you realize that?”

Nathan fell silent. Haisley chose to stand and was about to leave the man, but before she could take a step, Nathan held her arm.

“What else do you want?!” Haisley snapped angrily. Haisley tried to free herself; she knew Nathan wouldn’t do anything inappropriate to her in a crowded place like this, but Haisley was still afraid.

“Don’t get engaged to Dean,” the man whispered.

Haisley furrowed her brow and looked at him confused. “What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.

Nathan looked up and gazed at Haisley with a gaze that Haisley found hard to interpret. “Don’t get engaged to Dean. Don’t get involved with any man. You won’t be happy with them,” he said coldly.

Haisley widened her eyes even more. Her mouth opened wide to protest, but she restrained herself. Haisley took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before saying, “So, according to you, can I be happy with anyone? With you?” she asked challengingly.

Nathan nodded without averting his gaze from Haisley, snorting and looking annoyed.

“Don’t play with me, Nath. How can I be happy with you?”

“Because you love me,” Nathan said firmly.

“And you love Loretta!” Haisley retorted just as firmly. “And you’re going to get engaged with her soon.”

Nathan still looked at her, and the man seemed to shake his head slightly. This made Haisley furrow her brow again, confused.

“I don’t love her, and I never loved her. And as for the engagement, I never hoped for it at all,” he replied, sounding somehow like the voice of a tired person in Haisley’s ears.