The First Curse of Love
63. Feeling Like a Joke

After turning off the phone from Qiara, Dean stared at the ring box he had placed on his desk in the open. His view looks so sad. All the sadness seemed to gather into one in his eyes as the memory of Qiara returning the ring continued to spin in his head.

Dean had prepared himself for this kind of possibility. But when the rejection finally arrived, he still felt an immeasurable pain.

When Dean proposed to Qiara that day, Qiara actually accepted it when Dean put the ring on his ring finger in front of everyone. However what Dean was not fully aware of was; qiara had said nothing back then. Until the night when Dean drove Qiara home. Qiara, filled with guilt, removed the ring from her ring finger and handed it back to Dean.

"Sorry Qia, Brother Dean. Qia can't accept this." Lirih Qiara without daring to look Dean in the eye.

"But, Qi, that was..."

"Once again Qia apologized. But earlier, Qia did not want to make Brother Dean embarrassed in front of everyone."

Dean fell silent. His hand that had been holding the steering wheel had suddenly weakened and just fell down on his thigh. Dean felt his heart as if it was being stabbed so many times by a dagger.

"Qia knows, Qia is the most evil and ungrateful person, but for six months Qia has tried everything she could to accept Brother Dean's heart. But despite how hard Qia tried, Qia could not see Brother Dean as a man. Because at any time, Brother Dean will always be a big brother for Qia, just like Bang Ray."

Dean still didn't say anything. His tongue felt faint, and all his movements seemed to be dead.

"Qia's been trying Qia's best efforts for six months now, sister. But Qia failed. Sorry Qia."

"What is this because... Danny?" Dean finally forced himself to make a sound. But at the same time, he felt like squeezing his own heart with full force. Now it was not only the pain he felt, but also the tightness.

Qiara shook her head with one small smile, "this has nothing to do with Danny. Qia just can't think of Brother Dean as more than brother."

After all those painful memories had passed, Dean immediately closed the ring box and put it in the drawer. A moment later, Dean poured the wine into the glass, finishing it glass by glass until he was completely drunk. Hoping that way, he could at least forget a little bit of his pain even if it was only for a short while.

...****...

"About it's officially so, the innards both continue." Tempting Celine when she saw Arga and Alisha who were just engrossed in two.

Arga then looked hatefully at Celine. His gaze seemed to say that Celine had just become a bully between herself and Alisha. While Alisha, she just chuckles at seeing the two people who almost never get along with it. There are always things that make them fight.

Therefore, Alisha so rethink, maybe she had thought that Arga had liked Celine.

"Yes, Cel, justin. You're a big fad bothering them. I don't know how long Icha has been waiting for today. Seven years, Celine." Bela Windy as she passed from behind Celine while carrying her drinking glass.

By noon that afternoon, they were all at the Clover Leaf Hotel penthouse to celebrate Qiara's return. Previously, Arga only booked a regular room because they would only stay for one night. But then, Windy who suddenly got a call from Dean said that they could inhabit the penthouse. Dean who was on Banu Island had prepared and taken care of everything for them, they just had to occupy it.

It was inevitable to make Celine, Arga, Alisha and Windy immediately cheer for joy. Moreover, when they had entered the penthouse, they were more excited after seeing the prosperity and all the facilities in the penthouse. They are not only spoiled with views of the city that will certainly look magnificent and beautiful at night, but also there is a private pool that is quite spacious.

As the others dissolved in laughter, Qiara looked riled up as she stared at the door, hoping that Danny would come and join them.

"Why, Qi? Wait for Danny?" Windy said as he realized that Qiarah was the only one who had looked uninspired since. Qiara smiled faintly while shaking her head.

Celine who also heard the words of Windy, immediately chimed in, "Qi, we have this event for you. Brother Dean has even prepared this all specifically for you, but if you are not excited, then what is our function here? Don't keep thinking about Danny. You know how he is."

"Eh, but I'm curious, how could Danny think that Qiara is the same brother Dean dating?" Ask Alisha, I don't know who will answer.

Celine smiled disdainfully, then replied, "it's clear that she misunderstood Qiara's closeness to Brother Dean all along. We all know that Danny is the type of person who likes to draw his own conclusions because he doesn't want to know anything."

"That's not it either..." Windy replied as he downed his drink and leaned against the balcony guardrail. Now everyone's attention was on Windy, not least Qiara. "Partially also, during these six months, Qiara and Kak Dean are still in the approach stage, right? If it's like I'm in Danny's position too, I would have thought they were dating."

Alisha nodded in understanding. He agreed with Windy's point of view.

"Keep, is it because Danny also rejected Brother Dean's proposal?" Now it was Arga's turn to ask. Windy who had just looked calm, immediately turned into worry.

"Gue made it clear this matter to Brother Dean. Not because of Danny." Answer Qiara.

"Continue?" Arga and Alisha compactly asked.

"Well, how did you explain it? I've tried my best to accept Brother Dean's heart for six months, but no matter how hard I try, in my eyes he's still like my brother, like Bang Ray."

They all nodded in understanding.

"Again, compared to me, there's someone much more worthy of Brother Dean." Qiara glanced at Windy who was standing beside her after ending her sentence.

Apparently all this time Qiara knew how the real Windy felt to Dean since Windy began serving as a Hotelier at the Clover Leaf Hotel & Resort on Banu Island. Qiara is the only one who is sensitive that Windy secretly likes Dean. But since Windy never talked about it, Qiara thought that Windy wanted to hide her feelings for Dean for herself.

"Who?" Celine asked.

"Gue doesn't know who. But there's got to be." Qiara replied floating without distracting her from Windy.

Windy cleared his throat. Suddenly he felt his throat dry up. Windy then again downed his drink while trying to behave naturally in front of the others.

"Gue to dalem for a second, huh. Call me." Pamit Qiara then on the others.

Once inside the room, Qiara Langung contacted someone.

"Hallo, Brother Dean?"

"Yes, Qi?"

"Son Dean how's that over there? All right?"

Dean did not immediately reply, he was silent for quite a while before finally being heard to take a breath and said, "Sister Dean is just tired, now want to rest first. Have fun, huh, over there?"

"Sister Dean, thanks for that..."

Thereout!

"Sorry Qia, Brother Dean. I'm sorry for hurting people as good and perfect as Brother Dean."

...****...

Qiara came out of her room when it was already night time. Their party will start at eight. And before the party began, Qiara decided to swim first. As Qiara walked towards the swimming pool, her attention was on Windy who at that time seemed to focus on doing something on her laptop while occasionally eating jumbo-sized potato chips beside her laptop.

Astonished by the somewhat idle situation in the spacious penthouse, Qiara threw a question at Windy, "which other one?"

"Celine's in her room again. If Arga, it was suddenly a phone call from his office, and Icha nemenin. Come back soon."

Qiara hissed after listening to Windy's reply, "well, Arga! Since yesterday we've been checking our schedules and mastiin if we're really empty, now he's busy himself."

Windy simply shrugged both of his shoulders with an indifferent face.

"Gue wants to swim. You wanna come?"

Windy looked like he was thinking about something. Not long after, he smiled mysteriously. "Lo himself!" Answer then.

And Qiara, who did not hold the slightest suspicion on Windy, continued to move back to the pool a short distance away from where Windy was sitting now. Upon arrival, Qiara immediately released her kimono and revealed her body in a black swimsuit.

After stretching, Qiara began to jump into the pool. But moments later, how shocked Qiara was when Danny suddenly emerged from the water holding one of his hands.

"Let's go!!" Shouted Qiara.

At the same time, Windy laughed silently after listening to Qiara shout like that. Although out of plan, but finally he managed to reunite the two stupid friends.

"Danny! What are you doing there?!" Qiara said as she tried to neutralize her shock due to Danny's sudden appearance.

After all, didn't Danny say he was busy yesterday? Why is he suddenly here? More so in the pool when Qiara had already put up the intention to swim? What a shitty coincidence!

And Danny was like that two years ago, whenever he had a problem with no way out, he would choose to swim and hold his breath in the water for a long time.

Qiara's attention was then fixed on the upper part of Danny's body which looked so athletic exposed in front of his eyes in such a close distance. For a moment Qiara was amazed to see the perfect sculpture in front of him. But it wasn't long. Because it was only a few seconds after that Qiara immediately threw away her gaze with a racing heart.

Qiara cleared her throat quite loudly.

"Do you see me playing ball here? Of course I'm swimming again." Danny replies that accidentally mimicked Qiara's answer to him some time ago when Qiara came to see him at his apartment.

"g─gue j─also know that you are swimming again. T─but, right, yesterday you yourself said that you were busy."

"Certain why? Can't I come to my own family's hotel just because my brother is already nyiepin this is all for you?" Timpal Danny without shady aling-aling.

Lookie! Lookie! How annoying this guy is. After ignoring Qiara for weeks, now casually he appeared before Qiara under such pretext. Danny is obviously taking revenge on him right now!

Qiara sighed, trying to muffle his frustration that had reached the crown. For some time, Qiara again had to swallow his anger at the hotel owner's son.

"Good, fine! Since this hotel belongs to Young Master Danny's family, I'm the one whose commoner begs to be. Sorry for interrupting your fun here." Qiara said with a sharp and deliberately made-up tone. Qiara also still did not dare to look into Danny's eyes.

Just as Qiara turned around about to climb up from the pool, again she felt Danny pull his wrist. But this time it was stronger to make the distance between the closer. Danny even wrapped his hands around the woman's back and poked deeply into her two beads.

Qiara felt her whole body goosebumps as a warm sweep of Danny's breath hit her facial skin.

"Dann, a─aku..." Qiara tried to push softly Danny's chest so as not to get too attached to him. But the Fuck, the more they close their distance, the tighter Qiara's body becomes.

"You should look into the eyes of someone who is talking to you─" Danny let his words hang which automatically made Qiara finally look at him. "─that's what is called courtesy." Danny continued while staring faintly at Qiara's soft red lips. Danny's two hands even stroked Qiara's open back with such a delicate touch.

Danny then brought his face closer to Qiara's face with a view that did not escape from his lips. Likewise with Qiara, she subconsciously followed her instincts and closed her eyes, making the same movements as Danny. His hand that had been holding Danny's chest was now slowly clenched.

And when their noses touched each other, Danny stopped his movements and grabbed one side of Qiara's face, and whispered something in his ear, "I'll ride now so you can swim."

Danny releases Qiara from his arms and walks past Qiara as if nothing had happened.

Qiara's already unstoppable anger finally exploded in a short question.

"Danny, do I look like a joke to you right now?"

Danny snorted with one slanted smile on his face. He turned his head and looked at the anger at the pair of brown eyeballs calmly.

"You can leave me overnight, then act like I'm nothing. How can I consider you a joke?"

"D─Danny?"

"You left me, Qiara! Remember that! Remember that for the rest of your life!" Said Danny shortly after he climbed into the pool.

"You're a liar, Danny!!"

Danny who was just about to step away instantly stopped his footsteps when Qiara's voice sounded back.

"You said you wouldn't let me go to death. You promoted me, but then you broke that promise, Danny Adhitama!!"

"Why do I keep insisting on keeping someone who never even trusted me? Why would I beg someone to stay by my side, when that person doesn't even have the slightest confidence in my feelings of love?"

This time Danny turned around, then looked at Qiara who was still lingering inside the pond with his eyes always that sharp.

"I came here because Windy asked. But no more than a minute ago, I realized that I shouldn't be wasting my time here!" Danny shut down before finally actually leaving and leaving Qiara alone there with crumbling feelings.

^^^To be Continued...^^^