Loving You Too Long

“How is she? Is she okay?” Gilbert asked again after the doctor finished stitching.

“Physically, she is weak. Besides this wound and the pain you mentioned earlier, I think the patient is also in shock,” the doctor answered. Both men nodded their heads. “She can go home and be treated at home once she regains consciousness. But my suggestion is, for one or two days, the patient should receive treatment here. At least if there’s a medical team here monitoring her.”

Gilbert and Dean exchanged glances. Then they nodded together before looking back at the doctor.

“Just let her be treated here, Doc,” Gilbert finally concluded.

The doctor nodded in agreement. “You can take care of that at the administration desk.” He replied succinctly. Gilbert nodded. He then went to the administration area without being told twice.

In less than twenty minutes, Haisley had been transferred to a VIP room. Her small body looked even more fragile when she was in pain. Her face was pale, and her eye bags seemed to darken.

“Sorry to say… But your brother’s behavior is like a jerk, G,” Dean cursed.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Gilbert could only shrug. He couldn’t say anything himself. “Maybe he’s jealous,” he replied flatly.

“He can be jealous. But that doesn’t mean he can hurt Haisley like this. What did Haisley do wrong to him? He’s the one who rejected her all this time. He’s the one who decided to be in a relationship with Loretta. So why should he be jealous?”

Gilbert looked at his cousin flatly. “Whether he’s aware of it or not, ever since Haisley came here, Nathan has lost control of himself. He actually has feelings for Haisley. He’s just afraid of swallowing his pride. You don’t know how sweet Nathan has been to Haisley all this time,” Gilbert tried to correct his cousin’s perspective.

“Yeah. But he’s a coward. He values his pride too much. Who does he think he is? Zeus?” Dean snorted. “If Nathan had been kind to Haisley, I would have stepped back for him. Because Haisley’s happiness is my happiness too. But after knowing that behind Haisley’s back, he decided to get engaged to Loretta, I feel I have the right to step forward. At least, I can make Haisley happy.”

Gilbert gazed at Haisley, still peacefully sleeping. He felt guilty for his friend. When he said he would help Haisley get Nathan, he couldn’t tell the girl the truth: that behind her back, Nathan had decided to marry Loretta. Even if Nathan said it was all for business purposes, the news of the engagement would undoubtedly hurt Haisley. Gilbert knew that even though Haisley had stopped hoping for Nathan, her heart would still ache upon hearing the news.

Silence settled in as the day came to an end. Dean and Gilbert chose to sleep at the hospital, accompanying Haisley. Unbeknownst to them, Haisley had been holding back her tears since earlier.

Yes, she heard everything. She knew that Nathan would marry Loretta. Loretta’s words weren’t mere boasting. Because even though Gilbert didn’t say it for Haisley’s sake, Loretta had already revealed the truth to her a few days before. That’s why she didn’t deny it when Dean confessed that they had been in a relationship all along. Because Haisley needed that reason to maintain her dignity. In front of Loretta and Nathan.

Haisley sat on her bed. The throbbing in her back was no more painful than the throbbing in her heart. This was what they called a wound without blood, unseen but incredibly painful.

“God, if you’re listening, then I beg you, erase his name from my heart. Remove his face from my mind. From now on, I swear, as much as possible, I won’t show my face in front of him again,” Haisley whispered in her heart, accompanied by silent tears and stifled sobs.

“Haisley decided to go back to her apartment the next day. Even though Dean and Gilbert urged her to stay one more day in the hospital, Haisley refused. She had troubled everyone enough with her emotions. She didn’t want to burden everyone with her physical injuries as well.

Reluctantly, Dean and Gilbert finally gave in to her wishes and took the girl back to her flat. But they were determined not to be refused when they decided they would take care of Haisley until she was fully recovered.

Refused? Of course not. Haisley actually liked it. The presence of Gilbert and Dean was a source of entertainment for her. Her two good friends prevented her from drowning in the solitude and pain she was experiencing.

“‘Creamy fetuccini carbonara made by Dean is ready to be enjoyed,’ Dean proudly announced. Gilbert placed a folding table, ninety by sixty centimeters, from behind the cupboard and set it near Haisley’s bed. Meanwhile, Dean served three plates of fetuccini, two with double portions and one with a smaller portion. He also served grilled sausages in front of them as a side dish because fetuccini alone wouldn’t fill them up. Haisley could only smile at it.

But before she was allowed to eat, Gilbert deliberately took a selfie. Not to capture the food Dean prepared, but to capture their togetherness, which he later uploaded to his social media.

‘Happiness is simple. Just being with the ones we love,’ he wrote as the caption for their photo. ‘Let’s eat,’ he said enthusiastically and immediately grabbed a fork, stirring the steaming fetuccini.

The three of them ate and talked. They laughed and teased each other occasionally. Haisley joined in when they discussed things she also knew about. But when the conversation shifted towards the men, she squinted at both of them, which was met with echoing laughter.

‘So when are you leaving?’ Gilbert’s question instantly turned the warm atmosphere cold.

‘Are you trying to kick me out?’ Dean asked, narrowing his eyes.

Gilbert rolled his eyes dramatically. Then he snorted and stared at Dean sharply. ‘You came here for observation, not to settle down. You should be self-aware. Don’t just stay here indefinitely without knowing when to leave.’

Dean just grimaced. He looked at Haisley with sad eyes. ‘I still miss Haisley,’ he confessed genuinely. ‘You don’t know how hard it is to hold back the longing. Messaging her feels dry, video calls make me seem unimportant. Dean is that hopeless when facing Haisley,’ he said in a funny tone that made Haisley laugh again. But a moment later, Dean’s expression turned serious as he looked at Gilbert. ‘If I leave, will you take care of her? I don’t want your brother to hurt her again,’ he said sadly.