Chapter 59: Delusional

< Shirley >
I jolted up from my bed, hearing my alarm clock ring. I turned it off and noticed the bedside lamp was still on and my phone was resting beside my head.
Did I fall asleep while talking to Dylan last night? I was telling him about a new project of mine from the office, and he was telling me about his legal office since he wouldn't talk about his Mafia work with me.
I picked up my cell phone, and a loud gasp escaped my lips when my eyes fell on the screen. The call was still going on. I didn't cut the call, neither did he.
I immediately hung up the call. 6 hours and 48 minutes was the duration of the call.
Poor Dylan.
Now he would have to pay the extra five hours mobile charge. The disadvantages of postpaid mobile balance; It never ran out when you needed it to.
I sent a 'good morning' text to Dylan and started getting ready to meet him for training. Like always, I had to go to wake him up. I always found him sleeping whenever I came for training. And always, he threw tantrums for not waking up.
After all, no one liked waking up at 5 o'clock every day after working hard the whole night. Yet, there was an advantage to it. I was the first person he saw every morning. Besides, my mornings always started while thinking about him. So why shouldn't his? It was only fair.
However, it had been two days since we went to the theme park and carnival. There was no awkwardness between us either after that kiss. Everything was normal, except we got closer, physically and emotionally.
After freshening up, I set out for Dylan's mansion as the sun was only rising. I made my way towards Dylan's bedroom to wake him up for my training after reaching his mansion.
The tournament's date was inching closer every day. So, we couldn't slack off.
"Dylan!" I hollered in a chirpy tone, expecting to find him to be sleeping on the bed. To my surprise, he wasn't there.
"Eh? Dylan?" I looked around the room until my eyes fell on a certain sliding door. I slid open the door and stepped into the balcony, following the staircase, and reached the terrace, only to be welcomed by the beautiful flowers.
I snapped my head at my left at the coffee table and couch.
Just as I thought... This idiot!
Dylan was sleeping on the couch with his cell phone beside his chest. Plus, he was wearing formals, meaning he didn't change his clothes after coming from his headquarters. His laptop and iMac were resting on the coffee table, along with a coffee mug, not to mention the papers that were scattered all around him.
"Oh, gosh, you will catch a cold," I uttered and was about to wake him up. "He mustn't have slept much yet. But who cares?" I patted his shoulder.
"Get lost," he mumbled harshly, and I chuckled.
"You can recognize my touch too, huh?" I removed the strands of hair that were sticking on his forehead. "Wake up, Mr. Sleepyhead," I said, blowing some air on his face.
Dylan opened his eyes, letting my gaze into those beautiful grey orbs of his. "Let me sleep. Go train by yourself."
Shaking my head, I grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the couch, and said, "And you go and freshen up."
"Don't wanna." He shook his head vigorously like a child, and I huffed. Day by day, he only seemed to be getting more childish.
"Just go." I pushed him towards the staircase. "And I better not find you sleeping on the terrace like that again. If I do, I'm going to push you off," I hollered, and he shot me a flat look while sleepwalking downstairs.
I decided to arrange his scattered documents. While I was picking up some papers on the ground, his cell phone started ringing.
Seriously? Now?
With frustration, I glanced at the caller ID.
'STUPID'
Was that my name?
Should I pick up the call on Dylan's behalf? It could be awkward. What if it was a serial killer?
While I was contemplating whether to receive it or not, it got cut. Not after long, it started ringing again, but it was a video call this time.
Letting out a huge sigh, I tapped the green button on the screen. As soon as I answered the call, a male figure appeared on the screen and my own face appeared on the right corner.
That person was... cooking?
"Boss, I stole the confidential files you told me to," a very familiar deep voice spoke up. I started walking back to Dylan's bedroom with the phone in my hand.
I was facing that person's back, so I could see him wearing a light blue tee, and his hairstyle looked oddly familiar to someone I knew. Even the kitchen looked similar.
The man started in an annoyed tone after putting down the frying pan from the stove, "It was such a pain. The security system sucked. I didn't sign up for this crap. Next time tell Silver to do the stealing jobs. Plus, I'm hungry. No one there eats human food. Can you believe that? All they eat is shitty weeds. As my boss, the least you can do is send me something to eat early in the morning. Who feels like cooking after working all night in the enemy base as a spy?"
Oh, my God! Is that Ad—
"I hate you, Dyla—Shirley?" Adrian's eyes widened when he turned around and the spatula slipped out of his hand.
"What the hell, Ady?" I yelled.
"Where is hell? What hell? Who are you? Do I know you? I'm crazy—no, I'm nuts, no, sorry, I'm both. My brain is dysfunctional. Sorry for my dysfunctional nervous system—I don't make sense. I think it's a wrong number. Sorry. Pardon me," Adrian fumbled with his words.
"Don't you dare hang up!" I warned.
What the freaking hell was going on? Ady was going on and on about some mafia stuff. Was my brother in the mafia? How the fuck did he know Dylan?
"I—" Adrian's voice was interrupted by Dylan. He came out of the washroom with a sky blue colored towel in his hand while wiping his wet face; not to mention he was shirtless.
"Shirley, what are you doing with my cell phone? Are you talking to it? Seriously? Have you gone that crazy?" he asked.
"What? No!" I protested. He seriously thought I would talk on the phone.
While rubbing the towel on his damp hair, Dylan peeked on the phone screen. "Oh, hey, Adrian."
My jaw dropped to the ground. Like literally.
"By the way, did you bring the files?" Dylan questioned, taking the phone from my hand. Trust me, my brain had stopped processing anything.
"Yes," Adrian answered and showed the files.
"Good job. Hand them over to Riley. He will go through them," Dylan ordered.
"Got it, boss," Adrian responded in a professional tone. Shifting his tone within a second, he added, "Now that I have done my job as your subordinate, I shall talk to you as Shirley's brother. What are you doing with my sister at this time, being shirtless?"
"I can do whatever I want," Dylan retorted.
"Don't tell me you guys did—"
"Hell yes, we did," Dylan lied to instigate Adrian.
The two of them were getting into my nerves with their bickering.
"Shut up!" I hollered.
"You shut up," they hollered back and continued arguing.
"You two stop ignoring me. I will stop talking to the both of you," I tried to warm while gritting my teeth but to no avail.
Angle bubbled up inside me, so I nicely snatched the phone from Dylan's hand and threw it outside the balcony after saying, "Now die, Ady."
I was furious at Adrian for hiding the fact about him being in the Mafia, that too in Dylan's gang. I was also mad at Dylan, so I glared at him, who was trying to act nonchalant.
"Training," I uttered dangerously and he hurried to put on his clothes to go out with me.
___
"Hello?" I asked with my eyes fixed on the laptop screen as I was working on an exclusive bridal dress at my office.
"Hey, Shirley, how have you been?" Violet, one of my best friends, asked.
"Good, I guess," I replied in an unsure tone because I didn't know how to feel about Adrian right now. Should I go punch him square in the face or just give him silent treatment?—I was confused.
"Tomorrow at 6 o'clock, we are throwing a party. I don't care if you're busy or you're dying. It's obligatory for you to attend."
"What's the occasion? Is it someone's funeral whom you used to hate?" I inquired.
"Of course not. Oh, lord, why would you think that? It's your birthday tomorrow, silly," Violet rebuked. That's when I remembered.
Tomorrow was my birthday.
"Oh!" I gasped, checking the calendar just to be sure.
"You idiot." Violet huffed. "Eric, Daniel, and Richard will come to pick you up at 3. I have invited all of our friends, including your family members. I apologize in advance for your dad's absence tomorrow. Bye-bye!" With that, she hung up.
"What the heck? She calls without any warning and cuts it off like a tornado," I muttered and shook my head. However, I was excited about my birthday party.
But wait, they must not have invited Dylan, Xavier, Riley, and Sienna.
I texted all of them, and their replies almost came immediately.
Xavier: "Will there be my favorite cake? If so, then I'm coming, rather I'll be the first one to arrive to devour the cake."
How was I supposed to know what his favorite cake was?
Riley: "Sorry, I'm busy :)
Happy Birthday in advance, though."
I rolled my eyes as Riley was always busy.
Sienna: "Sure, sweetie.
But I do hope no paparazzi are coming."
Sienna was the best as always.
And then there was her son who didn't bother replying to my text at all. Oh, wait, didn't I throw his cell phone out of the balcony? Crap!
I replied to all of their texts and quickly finished my work at the office before inviting my colleagues and going shopping.
Once I was done with my chores for the day, I called Trisha to ask whether Dylan was at home or not. Fortunately, he was, so I drove to his mansion. I knew that I was doing hard work, but anything for him. There was no way Dylan wouldn't be there at my birthday party.
I was sure he would throw a lot of tantrums before agreeing to attend.
When I arrived there, I asked Trisha about his whereabouts. Dylan was in the study room. As soon as I was about to open the door, I heard some noises from outside. I turned the doorknob silently and peeked inside.
Dylan was talking on the telephone while running a hand through his hair out of frustration.
"—believe it? I spent four years gathering those data, and you let it get stolen just like that? How could you let it all go in vain? Now, listen to me, I don't care how you will do it. But I want two things within tomorrow. Those are the data files and the traitor. I don't care if it's hard. If you can't, shoot every last man in your squad and then hang yourself to death. That's an order from your leader." With that, he hung up the call. I swear I was getting goosebumps when he was threatening that person on the call.
Dylan sounded so scary. Reminded me of the times when I met him for the first time. He was scarier right now.
Dylan was taking deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves down. I wanted to enter, but I was too scared of him at that moment.
What if he shot me?
"Who the hell is there?" Dylan snapped his head in my direction, and I flinched, making an awkward entrance. "Were you spying on me?"
"What makes you think that?" I tried to act casual.
"Were you, Shirley?" he asked in a stern voice.
"No, of course not. Why—Why would I do that?" I shuttered a little bit out of nervousness as I did hear his conversation.
"Shuttering is the sign of guilt. You were spying, weren't you?" He let out a bitter chuckle.
Had he gone crazy?
"Fucking hell. Everyone is a traitor. Every last person I have come across in my life is a fucking liar and cheater. Every one of you is a backstabber," he taunted bitterly, clenching his jaw.
"No, Dylan. I came to—"
"Do I look like I give a shit about that?" he snapped.
"But listen to me, I came to invite you for my birthday—"
"I do not care!" he yelled, making me flinch back. "I do not care if it's your birthday or death annoying. Do you hear me loud and clear?" He raised his voice more, making me more afraid. "I do not care about your birthday in the slightest! Just leave me fucking alone!"
Tears threatened to leave my eyes, but I tried to stay strong by furiously blinking them back. His words cut deeper in my heart than any sword, and it hurt too bad.
Out of all the days he could have been mean to me, why just before my birthday? I really was unlucky in case of love.