Loving You Too Long

“Haisley said her friends would have lunch there. But it seems Gilbert forbade them from coming,” Loretta replied truthfully.

Nathan’s chest heated instantly. ‘What does Gilbert want, really?’ he wondered in his mind.

“What did you tell Haisley earlier?”

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Loretta asked again. Her face looked scared. Nathan stared at her in silence. “I didn’t say anything. We just talked about last week’s matter. When you met my parents and said you wanted a serious relationship. I told Haisley that if we go to America, you’ll introduce me to your parents. That’s what you told my dad yesterday, right?” Loretta was now uncertain.

Nathan cursed under his breath. “Damn!” Surely Haisley and Gilbert misunderstood Loretta’s words. Damn! Damn! Damn!Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Nathan paced back and forth in the living room. The clock showed eight in the evening, but Gilbert hadn’t returned yet. He wanted to call his brother and ask about his whereabouts, but he hesitated. Eventually, he decided to return to his room and try to sleep.

By midnight, he hadn’t heard Gilbert’s car entering the driveway. In fact, Nathan was already deep asleep, completely unaware of his brother’s return.

The next morning, Nathan intentionally woke up early, hoping to see his brother in the dining room. But he heard nothing. Maybe his brother was still asleep because he came home late. But how late did he come home last night? Where had he gone?

Nathan waited. He didn’t move from the living room at all. By ten in the morning, there were no signs of his brother’s presence. Nathan finally went to the garage. Damn! His brother’s car wasn’t there. Did that mean he didn’t come home last night?

“I gave you time to do whatever you want.” Did that mean Gilbert was doing ‘whatever’ with Haisley?

No. That couldn’t happen. Gilbert couldn’t touch Haisley. The thought of his brother being close to Haisley, being intimate with her, made Nathan furious at himself.

Nathan stood up abruptly. He contacted Loretta and asked for Haisley’s address. He had to raid that place. Regardless, Haisley was still under his watch. Her parents and his parents entrusted her to him.

The address was now in Nathan’s hands. And his car was speeding towards her residence.

***

Haisley felt unwell. Since Gilbert left yesterday evening, she chose to stay in her room and do nothing. She even felt too lazy to put away the groceries she and Gilbert bought. She only stored raw and perishable items in the fridge. The rest remained untouched in its place in the corner of the kitchen counter.

Although she didn’t want to remember, the conversation she had with Loretta that morning kept echoing in her ears. The girl’s happy expression kept haunting her eyelids. Consequently, every time she recalled it, Haisley found herself shedding tears. She had thought her tears were exhausted, but she was mistaken.

For the past week, since she moved to her tiny flat, not a night went by without her crying. Even though she spent her days busy with classes and evenings working, when she returned to the flat, she tried to open her textbooks to forget about Nathan. But her efforts and hard work from morning till night only made her physically tired. Her heart and mind still echoed Nathan’s name.

Every time she lay down, she remembered his name and face. And it all ended with tears streaming down her face. There were no loud sobs. Just quiet sobbing that sounded heartbreaking to anyone who heard it.

Was this what heartbreak felt like? But this was the consequence she had to bear. Why did she fall for a man who didn’t pay any attention to her?

A throbbing pain shot through her stomach. Her body also felt slightly warmer than usual. Haisley got up from her bed. This Sunday, she didn’t have any work shifts scheduled because she had covered for her colleague the previous day.

Haisley intended to tidy up her bed. However, when she bent down to straighten the bedsheet, the pain in her stomach returned. She groaned and sat down on the floor instantly. Haisley took slow breaths. The pain subsided a bit. However, her body felt feverish, and she even shivered momentarily.

Haisley slowly got up again. She opened her wardrobe, hoping to find a sweater or jacket to warm herself. Fortunately, she had already organized it and found a cream-colored jacket hanging inside. Haisley leaned against the wardrobe when dizziness overwhelmed her. She tried to control her breathing once again.

Paracetamol, she murmured. The pain might ease a bit if she took it. Haisley walked slowly to the kitchen, hoping to find the medicine she was looking for in the medicine box. Before she could find it, she heard a knock on the door. Supporting her weight by holding onto the kitchen table, Haisley managed to open the door.

Nathan stood in front of her, looking breathless. Had he been running?

“Where is he?” The question was accompanied by a forceful push, making the door open wider. Haisley almost lost her balance if she hadn’t steadied herself in time.

“Who?” She asked, softer than she intended.

Nathan ignored her question. He just walked towards her bed. His eyes alternated between staring sharply at Haisley and the untidy bed. Then Nathan roughly opened the bathroom door. The sound of wood hitting the wall deafened Haisley.

“Who are you looking for?” He asked, breathless. His body now felt completely weak. The pains in her stomach intensified. And when it happened, Haisley’s vision even blurred.

Nathan moved closer. He grabbed Haisley’s upper arm roughly. Haisley let out a small groan. “What were you two doing last night?” He asked harshly.

Haisley tried to focus her vision. The pain in her stomach, coupled with Nathan’s grip on her arm, made it impossible for her to think clearly. “What do you mean?” Haisley asked weakly. Her breaths were ragged, trying to endure the pain.

“You and Gilbert! What were you doing last night? Were you having sex like crazy?!” He accused her.

Haisley hoped she misheard Nathan’s question. However, the intense shock in her body indicated that he was indeed questioning her. Haisley grabbed onto Nathan’s shirt in return.

“Nathan… I…” Before Haisley could finish her sentence, her body collapsed onto the floor. Nathan, unprepared, fell with her. The sound of his knees hitting the floor resonated sharply.

“Haisley, Haisley.” His hands lightly tapped Haisley’s cheek. Cold. His hands felt cold. “Haisley?!” His call grew louder. “Haisley, what’s happening to you?” But Haisley couldn’t respond at all.

Her lips felt numb. Her body was completely powerless to rise. All she could do was breathe, trying to alleviate the increasing pain.

“Haisley?!” His voice was the last thing Haisley heard before her consciousness completely faded away.