AS A SLEEPING FRIEND

57. Home (Author POV)

"Are you happy after meeting them?" Nathan asked Elin who was in a wheelchair.

"yeah. Thank you so much, Nath."

Nathan squatted down in front of Elin to align their height. He clasped both hands of the girl making Elin look at him with a confused look.

"Please promise me you'll live better after this. So that my sacrifice today will not be in vain." A smile rises with Nathan's lips.

Elin took one of his hands off Nathan's, then he put his fingers on the back of the young man's hand.

"You're a good young man. I won't forget what you did for me today."

Elin couldn't possibly forget if all this was thanks to Nathan. The young man who had sent a letter to Elara's address because Elin only gave the address of the woman's house because Elin did not memorize her mobile number. After that, Nathan even sought out the phone number of Elara's residence to easily contact the woman whom Elin recognized as a relative.

Until today, early in the morning Nathan had left for Hamburg to meet Elara directly. He returned to Berlin the same day.

Elin knows she's been troubling Nathan just to keep protecting his identity. Elin is also aware of what Nathan meant as a sacrifice for Elin, because the young man prefers to help Elin out of her grandmother's residence even though it is very hard for her, he said, rather than keep Elin here but keep seeing the girl's suffering.

"One more thing, may we continue to communicate after this? Routinely tell me, so I can know how you are." Nathan stared straight at both of Elin's eyes.

"Do I have to promise that?"

"Well, you have to" Nathan said quickly.

Elin took a breath for a moment. He knew there was something that he deliberately covered from Nathan so this young man seemed to continue to expect it.

"Nath, I'll let you know once in a while" said Elin softly. "But promise me one thing, too" he continued.

"What?"

"Find a girl who can get you excited."

"I've found it" Nathan replied steadily. "And that's you," he continued.

Elin broke their hands while shaking slowly

"I told you not to expect me."

Nathan looked at Elin with nanar as if in disbelief a sentence like it was sliding from Elin's tiny lips.

"Why?" lirih Nathan's.

"I can't, Nath."

"You haven't even tried it."

Elin still shook her head as a signal of her refusal.

"Is it because I'm younger than you? You doubt my seriousness?"

"It's not. But because I can't." Elin looked at Nathan hesitantly, although the look in the young man's eyes could not be separated from him.

"I think that our togetherness over the past 1 year can change your thinking or touch just a little bit of your feelings to want to look at my sincerity, Elin."

"That's why I've been having a hard time admitting my true self to you, Nath."

"I've liked you so much, even since the first time we met. You remember, didn't I follow you like a chicken? It looks stupid but that's the reality I do!" hatch Nathan.

"I'm sorry, Nath."

For a moment, both of them were silent. Eventually Nathan returned.

"alright. I won't force you. But ... May I hold you for the first and perhaps the last time?"

Elin smiled then opened the wide expanse of her hand. Nathan chuckled at a glance at it, though the young man's eyes could not lie that he felt a deep sadness.

"I will miss you and all your attention to me, Nath," Elin said in their arms. He considers this to be a friendly hug between him and Nathan.

"I'll miss you too, and I'll miss you too."

Nathan knows it's a tough breakup for him but he also realizes that it's better than Elin to be in his grandmother's house.

...***...

Several years did not meet, of course, make Elin and Elara feel longing and haru united. But inside Elin, she also feels awkward when she meets Javier's parents again.

"Javier is in Croatia. It's been two weeks there and when Auntie wanted to tell her about you, she was hard to contact. I'm sorry, yes" said Elara with a soft speech.

"It's okay, Auntie. Maybe Javier's brother is very busy" replied Elin. He's trying to understand Javier's work.

Elin took a deep breath. He thinks Javier can live well without him, in fact the man was destroyed like the wishes of Irina and Liam who had planned all this.

"Do you know who planned all this, including faking your death?" Shane chimed in while turning to the back seat of the car where Elin and Elara were sitting there, while Shane was in the front seat-right next to the driver who was driving the car.

Elin nodded. "Cathy .. I mean, Irina. He's in cahoots with Liam, my half-brother, Uncle!" he said with a furious look.

"Your stepbrother?"

"Well, all I know is that Liam and Irina are in a relationship. But before, Irina was obsessed with Javier's sister, that's what Javier told me ..."

"Irina's name sounds familiar" Shane murmured in his position. He's gonna find out about the girl and he's not gonna let Irina and Liam go.

"Do you want to go straight to Hamburg? Or stay here one night?" ask Elara to Elin.

"It's up to Aunt and Uncle."

"We should just go back by plane tonight, so that Javier can also find out this news as soon as possible. Tomorrow Uncle will ask him to come home" Shane told Elin.

Elin nodded too. He also can't wait to meet the man he misses the most.

...****...

"Two weeks ago, he excitedly asked me to go to Croatia, and today he also forced me to go home soon" Javier grumbled after receiving a call from his father Shane.

Shane urged Javier to return to Hamburg today. However, he has not said anything about Elin due to the girl's own request. They were going to surprise Javier.

"Are you going home today following your father's wishes, sir?" ask Jack at Javier's side.

Javier took a deep breath. "I can't just leave my job here. But, I also could not oppose the old man's wishes," he answered Jack's question.

"So, what's your decision?"

"Prepare my plane. I'm going home."

Jack nodded and walked out of Javier's room at the Croatian branch.

Javier rubbed his own face rough. He had actually been at home in Croatia for two weeks because this way he would be able to forget his memories with Elin while in Hamburg. Well, even though he is not sure about it, because it has been two years Javier can not overcome his own heart problems.

Javier's personal phone is ringing. He knew this would happen if he activated that flat object. A name was listed on the screen and it was someone Javier avoided. Viviane.

"What's up, Vivi?" Inevitably Javier receives the call to hear what Vivian really wants from him.

"Oh, Jav. Where the hell have you been? I haven't heard from you in days."

"I'm busy." Javier with his flat mode.

"Jav, when did you get back from Croatia? Mommy invited you to come home. Take you to dinner together."

"Sorry, I'm too busy and I don't know when I'll be back yet" Javier lied.

"That's it." Vivian's voice sounded disappointed from across there.

"Yes, have a nice day, Vivi. Give my regards to Aunty Connie. I'm closing the phone" Javier said and really proved his point by disconnecting the call.

"Huh, he didn't give up either" Javier said, referring to Vivian's persistent pursuit of him.

Vivian is the son of Connie-friend Elara. The two women agreed to match Javier and Vivian after seeing Javier never move on from Elin's departure.

At that time, Elara only intended to make Javier open his heart to other girls. After all, he felt Elin was dead and shouldn't Javier continue to lament even expecting Elin back. But their efforts have not shown results because it is always Vivian who aggressively pursue Javier but the man still does not show interest.

Though, Vivian was quite beautiful and she had a noble bloodline. Shouldn't Javier like that girl? Vivian is also a good girl, she looks soft and young like Elin.

Unfortunately Javier did not want to make things worse by adding Vivian in his heart. Javier has come to a decision where he chooses not to marry any girl.

Javier won't feel lost for a second time if he can fall for Vivian too. Javier feels enough about everything he's been through and doesn't want to make things complicated when he starts to feel like he has.

"Jack, is my plane ready?" Javier asked Jack through the tablephone at his side.

And after hearing the voice of his assistant, Javier nodded his head. Javier will return to Germany today, thankfully the trip will not take long.

"What does the old man really want to do to urge me to go home?" javier's murmur refers to his father's request.

...Connect ......

Up again, right???? Leave coffee on othor table yaa🙏🙏🙏🙏