Loving You Too Long

A few hours earlier.

The party had ended, some of Gilbert’s friends had already returned to their respective homes, and Gilbert himself was tired and eager to drop his body onto the bed. The tall and big-bodied man then went up to his room, but his steps stopped when he passed Haisley’s room. Gilbert was surprised because the door to the room was open. As far as he remembered, he had closed it before going back downstairs.

Gilbert walked closer and peeked inside. The room’s lights were still off, and he opened the door wider. Haisley, the girl he had left behind, was not there. Quickly, Gilbert headed to the bathroom whose door was closed and knocked. He felt afraid that, because of her drunken state, Haisley might be drowning herself in the bathtub.

“Haisley!” Gilbert pounded on the door while calling her name. Silence. No answer, no sound of water. “Haisley, are you in there?!” He asked louder, but still, Gilbert didn’t get any response. “Haisley?!”

Gilbert grabbed the doorknob, and the door opened easily. The bathroom was empty. Haisley wasn’t there.

Confused, Gilbert half ran to his own room. He assumed that Haisley might be wandering around in her drunken state, looking for her. The girl had mentioned she wanted to go home, and Gilbert promised to escort her home if she woke up.

But Haisley wasn’t in her room either. Did she decide to go home on her own? He wondered.

Gilbert reached for his phone and called her. However, the ringtone sounded faint from Haisley’s room. And indeed, Haisley’s small sling bag was there, lying on the floor beside the bed.

Gilbert sighed in frustration. It was the first time Haisley got drunk, and it was because she accidentally drank his drink. He had no idea how Haisley was when she was drunk.

Nathan! One name flashed in Gilbert’s mind. Could it be that Haisley was looking for Nathan?

In a hurry, Gilbert ran down the stairs to Nathan’s room. He tried not to fall among the scattered items now littering his house. Gilbert pounded on Nathan’s door with force. He didn’t want Nathan to do anything inappropriate to Haisley, especially since the girl was currently intoxicated.

Just like Haisley’s room, Nathan’s room was quiet. No response.

Gilbert forced open Nathan’s door and saw that the room was empty. Where could his brother be? Once again, he wondered.

Loretta? Did Nathan escort Loretta?

Gilbert shook his head. No. Nathan did not escort Loretta because he clearly saw Loretta being picked up by her driver earlier. Of course, at Nathan’s request, as he claimed he was too drunk to take Loretta home.

Bullshit, he snorted. Nathan wasn’t a man who easily got drunk even after drinking a considerable amount of alcohol.

Gilbert glanced at the study and walked in that direction. If he found Haisley there and Nathan did anything inappropriate, Gilbert swore he would punch the man.

Without knocking, Gilbert opened the door roughly. There, behind the desk, was Nathan sitting with a whiskey glass in his hand. The man’s eyes stared sharply ahead. And when Gilbert turned around, he saw Haisley sleeping in a seated position.

“What is she doing here?” Gilbert asked, puzzled. He approached Haisley and adjusted her hair with his fingers, making sure that she was indeed deeply asleep. Gilbert looked back at his brother, and the man answered his little brother’s question with a shrug.

“She mistook whiskey for sweet tea,” Nathan said mockingly. He shook his glass again before taking a sip.

“You didn’t do anything to her, did you?” Gilbert accused coldly.

Nathan shrugged again. “Ask her when she wakes up,” he replied flatly.

Gilbert snorted again. He walked closer, flipped another glass on the tray, and then poured the whiskey in front of Nathan into it before deciding to sit in the chair across from Nathan. “Let’s talk man to man, Nath,” he said flatly.Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.

Nathan just shrugged. “Just say what’s on your mind,” he said shortly.

“I just want to know, what do you really want in life?” Gilbert asked as he sipped his whiskey.

Nathan raised an eyebrow, looking at his younger brother. “You suddenly become a caring brother, huh?” The man mocked.

Gilbert shook his head. “Not really,” he answered. “I’m just curious about your mindset. I’m trying to get to know my brother.” He continued honestly.

“I’m just me. I’m just myself trying to be the best at everything,” Nathan replied.

“Perfectionist,” Gilbert responded with a murmur. “So, you’re not pursuing comfort and happiness in your life, Nath?”

“Success is directly proportional to a comfortable life, G. And happiness is included in the package,” the man replied flatly.

Gilbert shook his head at his brother’s answer. “Then, what about Haisley? Is she really unworthy of being in your life? Do you think Haisley isn’t the best in your life, so you don’t want to choose her?” he asked, curious.

Nathan looked at Haisley, then turned his gaze back to Gilbert. “Why bring her into this?” he asked, puzzled.

Gilbert pulled the corner of his mouth. “Because I want to know what achievements you’re really seeking in life. Is it just success in your career, or do you want success in your personal life too?”

Nathan snorted. “In reality, success in a job doesn’t always correlate with personal life. Haven’t you seen people who are happy in life but living modestly? Haven’t you seen people who are successful in life but have a broken family? Something has to be sacrificed, G. You can’t have it all. You can’t be greedy. Unless you have a partner who is right for you and can support you. Not just moral support, but also support in the form of power.”

“So, Haisley’s position here is a downfall for you?” Gilbert asked. Nathan didn’t give any response. “What about love?” he asked again.

Nathan snorted again. “Love is just a mirage,” he replied curtly.

“Don’t tell me you don’t believe in it, Nath. Because if you don’t believe, you wouldn’t have feelings for Crystal.”