Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion >>
Gilbert was stunned as he never thought his feelings had hurt Danika. “Danika, I-”
“Gilbert, I know you never intended to hurt me. But your feelings hurt me. It hurts that they ruined the siblinghood we shared for so many years. Do you understand?” That was the reason why she had avoided Gilbert. She was afraid of the situation she was currently in, afraid that she couldn’t even call him her brother. They had spent so many years together, was it all going to end just like that?
Gilbert was silent for a while, wearing a pained smile. “That’s why you will never like me, right? Even if I don’t want this brother-sister relationship?”
“Yes.” Danika nodded without hesitation, looking him in the eye. “If you give up on our siblinghood, it will only make me hate you.” She didn’t want things to evolve to that state.
Gilbert sighed as if he had resigned to his fate. “I know.”
“So, what is your choice?” Danika asked warily, afraid that Gilbert would still insist on pursuing her. If he did, what should she do?
Gilbert looked at her with a tender gaze that Danika was familiar with. “Of course I won’t give up our siblinghood.” Although upset about it, he knew he would get nothing out of giving up on it. He was afraid that he would end up with nothing if he actually did that, afraid that he couldn’t even be around Danika. So, he decided to return everything to its place. Perhaps it was for the best, but one thing didn’t sit well with him…
Gilbert looked at Eustace lying on the table and frowned. “Let me ask you a question as your brother. Do you really want to remarry him?”
Surprised by the sudden change of topic, Danika struggled to respond. “Gilbert, I-”
“Danika, can’t you tell your brother the truth?” Gilbert asked.
Danika had no choice but to answer him. “To be honest, I don’t know for now, but I won’t push him away. About remarrying him, I have never considered that.” She was a person who let bygones be bygones.
Gilbert’s heart sank at her answer. The fact that she didn’t reject Eustace meant that she was willing to give him a chance. Given Eustace’s stubborn determination, he could potentially impress Danika. “I have nothing to say about you not returning my feelings, but I hope you won’t end up liking him.” In the end, Gilbert couldn’t stop himself from speaking what was on his mind.
“Gilbert, you never interfered with my affairs before,” Danika said, smiling wryly. She knew that Gilbert hadn’t given up completely, or he wouldn’t have said that. If he had given up, he would be like Zack, supporting Danika as long as she was happy.
Gilbert fell silent. Danika was right. If he didn’t like her, he wouldn’t have interfered. After a moment of silence, he said, “If you like anyone else, I won’t interfere, but Eustace…you just can’t.”
Neither of them noticed Eustace’s fist clenching under the table.
“Gilbert, I don’t know if I will like him, but I hope you will support any of my choices.” In the end, she still didn’t agree to Gilbert’s terms.
As soon as he heard her, Eustace loosened his clenched fists, and a smile appeared on his face.
Sighing, Gilbert realized that whatever he said would be futile. “I understand. I’m just afraid you’ll be hurt.”
Gilbert didn’t stay at Danika’s house that night. After watching him leave with Zack in a taxi, Danika returned to her apartment. The sight of Eustace still sprawled across the table gave her a headache.
“Eustace?” Danika walked over to him and shoved him, but he didn’t respond. “If you can’t drink, why did you drink so much?” she grumbled. Then, she helped him up and brought him to the guest room.
She wanted to help him back to his condo, but unfortunately, she didn’t have the keys to his house. After finally getting him inside her guest room, she threw him hard on the bed. However, due to inertia, Danika ended up on the bed, pressing on Eustace’s body. Finding herself in that awkward situation, she let out a loud. squawk. He was so close that the sound of his breathing rang in her ears, causing Danika to blush.
She was grateful that Eustace was asleep. Otherwise, he might even accuse her of molesting him. With that in mind, she was about to get up from the bed, but someone grabbed her wrist suddenly. It was then that she realized Eustace had opened his eyes at some point, and he was watching her.
“You” Before she could finish, her whole world turned, and she found herself pinned under Eustace. Finding herself in a more embarrassing situation than before, Danika wanted to bury herself in the ground. “I thought you were drunk?” Danika asked, as he wasn’t behaving like a drunk person at all.
“Anybody would wake if you fling them so hard on the bed. There was no way he would admit that he had been pretending to be drunk.
Danika was a little embarrassed since she had indeed exerted too much force. “You’re so heavy. How could I lift you up on my own? You should be grateful I didn’t throw you on the floor.”
“Are you saying I should thank you?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.
“Yeah, a thank you would suffice. Also, please remove yourself from me, thank you very much.”
Their current position was rather weird. One might even consider it inappropriate. At least, Danika did. However, Eustace didn’t move. He even moved forward to draw closer to Danika. “How can I do that? I’d hate to owe you a favor.”
“Um, what are you- Before she could complete her sentence, Danika’s lips were sealed by his. The moment their lips met, Danika’s mind went blank, and she could do nothing but stare at him.
Eustace, on the other hand, was a little uncomfortable with her staring so intensely at him. Sheepishly, he suggested, “You should close your eyes.”
“Oh.” Just as Danika was about to close her eyes, she returned to her senses. Glaring at him, she shouted, You took advantage of me!” Instantly, she shoved Eustace away. Her strength was on par with his. Hence, with a single push, he was cast aside. Retreating to the door, she watched him warily. “Bastard!”
“I was expressing my gratitude to you!” he said brazenly.
Hearing that almost made Danika rush forward to strangle him. Nonetheless, she didn’t do that because she knew she was no match for him. If she really did it, she would end up on the losing end. With an angry snort, she pointed at the door. “Get out! I don’t want to see you for another second.”
“I’m drunk…I can’t walk,” Eustace declared before flopping down on the bed, closing his eyes, and pretending to fall asleep.
Enraged, Danika seethed. “Oh, you just wait!”
With that, Danika immediately left the guest room. Eustace, who had closed his eyes, smiled and murmured,” Good night, Danika.”
When Eustace woke up in Danika’s house the next day, his mind was still flooded with last night’s memories. The thought of the kiss made him smile goofily. He reached out and touched his lips as if he could still feel Danika’s warm lips.
He heard a voice from outside the door; it was probably Danika. Without hesitating, he quickly got up from bed and opened the door to see her in the living room. When their eyes met, neither spoke, and they began blushing hard, especially Danika.
Glaring at Eustace angrily, she said, “The toiletries are in the bathroom. I happened to have some extra lying around, so you can use them.”
Nobody of the opposite gender had stayed overnight in her house, not even Gilbert and Zack. Who knew Eustace would be the first?
“Thank you.” Eustace nodded. He turned and walked into the bathroom.
Outside the guest room, Danika silently cursed him for pretending to be a gentleman. After last night…