Loving The Temperamental Adonis
Chapter 45: Love advise

Chapter 45: Love advise

Neil stepped into his luxurious black bathroom, feeling the cool, dark tiles envelop him in a sense of solitude. He had personally gotten some interior designers to rebuild the bathroom just like the one in his main mansion, because he hated changes in his life, thus any house he moved to, he would make them look like the other. And just like all the others, the bathroom was a reflection of his cold, unemotional nature, with every detail carefully chosen to create an atmosphere of detachment. The bath itself was a deep, soothing black, as if it had been molded from the night sky itself.

As he began to run the warm water, the sound of it echoed off the tiles, muffled and distant. Neil had used a leather cloth around his bandage so he could finally take a shower after a whole day without a bath because of his wound. He closed his eyes and let the water wash over him, soaking away the tension and pain that had been plaguing his body. The pain from his wounded side was a constant reminder of the danger that lurked just beyond the safety of his disguise, now that he’d let the enemy know of the fact that they were being tracked, they would be on alert and would do anything to bring down the people tracking them.

He hadn’t let himself worry about this fact because his body wasn’t in the condition to dwell on all this yesterday, but now that he could finally feel all his limbs, he knew he had messed up pretty bad last night by letting his guard down with the scarred man. Now the man would start looking for the sources that led Neil to him, and that only source was the girl who had revealed the information to the media a month ago.

Neil shook the thoughts out of his mind and decided to worry about them later. But then he just couldn’t, his mind was used to being worried about the worst that could happen to his mission, and just like always, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking of the worst that could happen. His world was a mess filled with danger that would forever be like that until the day he’d finally pay back the world for his mistake two years ago and avenge his parents, then he could drop dead for all he cared...

As those thoughts ran in his mind, Neil suddenly felt the blackness of the bathroom seem to grow darker, as if it was trying to consume him, to trap him in his cold, unfeeling world and suffocate him to his death.

He hadn’t gone to see his therapist in the last few months, and he was starting to see the systoms that he needed to go and visit the man, Neil thought as he stepped out of the shower.

But as he stood in front of the huge mirror, wrapping himself in a black robe, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of disconnection from his own reflection. The gray eyes staring back at him revealed no emotions, no hint of the turmoil that churned inside him. He was a stranger to himself, a cold, unfeeling stranger with no feelings for anything or anybody, he had no ability to think of anything else apart from his mission. And yet, as he looked down at the makeshift bandaged that he’d brought along with him to the bathroom after Davina had removed it from around his waist, he couldn’t help but think of the owner of the scarf, Mia.

The young woman who had saved him yesterday, who had smelled of roses and whose lips had brushed against his in a moment of her nervousness. Just that little touch of her lips on the side of his mouth had surprisingly brought a little warmth to his body, but he had ignored it with his usual indifference because it meant nothing to him. She also meant nothing to him, but his mind had kept wandering to her after the day he discovered she was the girl he’d once loved as a boy.

Neil’s thoughts were a jumble of emotions for the first time, a mix of displeasure, anger, and confusion. He didn’t know what it was about Mia that captivated him everytime he looked at her, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something mysterious about her that even she was unaware of; like the fact that she didn’t remember him, when in their childhood days, she was the one who always followed him around like a lost puppy until the day he finally started to play with her.

Neil dismissed all thoughts from his mind and got out of the bathroom, but immediately he stepped into his bedroom, he found Liam standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his room looking outside the night skyline of Zen city with his arms crossed against his chest.

"You’re still here? I assumed you would have already left," Neil calmly commented, drying his damp hair with a black towel. He had taken his time in the bathroom and hadn’t anticipated finding Liam still waiting for him in his condo.

Liam turned away from the windows, mischief flickering in his midnight black eyes. He sat on the edge of the large bed and looked up at Neil, who emerged from his walk-in-closet wearing a casual set of black nightwear now.

"Man, don’t you ever get tired of black? Everything around you is either black or gray, you have no color in your life, you should go out and try to have fun like a normal person. Your_"

"I know where this is going, Liam, spare me of your lectures about finding a partner in life." Neil cut him off as he’d already heard Liam talk about this countless times.

However, Liam wasn’t ready to back down today after he’d made a promise to Davina to convince his friend about giving a relationship a try. Liam had walked Davina to her car when Neil was still in the bathroom, he’d seen how sad she looked at the fact that Neil only called or message her whenever he just needed her medical help despite all the years they’d known each other.

Even Neil’s uncle also supported Davina as a potential partner for his nephew. This was because Davina possessed not only beauty but also a strong understanding of their covert military operations. She was skilled in firearms and had undergone training alongside them in camp. Given the lurking dangers of Neil’s missions, she was considered a better choice for him. Even Liam agreed that she was the best match for him. Today, Liam was determined to subtly encourage his friend to reconsider his stubborn belief that "love is the downfall of every man."

"My friend, I know you may not want to hear this, but you can’t continue living your life like this. I’ve never seen you have any fun or derive any enjoyment from the experiences that life has to offer," Liam asserted, rising from his seat on the bed and placing his hands on his hips to confront his friend, who seemed to be ignoring him while sitting in front of his computer.

"I’m not taking love or life advice from someone who jumps from one woman to another without a second thought." Neil remarked nonchalantly as he turned on his computer just to ignore all of Liam’s nonsense.

Liam laughed humorously, and then said, "Hey, I haven’t found the right woman yet! Once I do, I’ll finally settle down and start a wonderful family of my own, unlike you..."

"Haven’t found the right woman yet? That’s just a fancy way of saying you’re avoiding commitment." Neil chuckled without humor and began to run his fingers against his keyboards.

"I’m waiting for the right one, not just anyone. Quality over quantity, my friend." Liam leaned against Neil’s working desk.

"Quality, quantity – it’s all the same. Love is a distraction, whether you admit it or not. And if you want to fall in it, don’t drag me along into your downfall."

Liam couldn’t help but laugh again at his friends indifference towards love and anything that has to do with it. Where did he even get all these beliefs from when he’d never loved anyone in his life but his mission?

"It’s not a distraction; it’s a missing piece in your puzzle. You just haven’t realized it yet, Neil, you need it in your black and gray life."

"Spare me the clichés. I don’t need love to complete me." He said indifferently.

"You might not need it, but you’ll certainly benefit from it. You just need to open your heart a little and give it a try." Liam insisted. Davina loved him but why couldn’t he see it and open his heart to her? Neill might not admit, but Liam had seen how lonely and boring his life was.

"Opening my heart is a vulnerability I can’t afford in my life."

"Vulnerability is strength, not weakness. It takes courage to love." Liam wasn’t ready to back down today despite his friend’s indifferent.

Neil’s fingers paused their movements against the keyboards,"Courage? I don’t see the point in risking heartache." He continued his typing as he blocked out his brain from going back to anything that would make him remember all the reasons he hated love and all the reasons he could never consider falling into it.

"Because the reward is worth it. Love isn’t always smooth sailing, but it’s the storms that make the sunsets more beautiful."

A deep displeased frown settled between Neil’s forehead, "Save your poetic metaphors for someone who cares. I don’t give a fuck."

"I care about you, man. I want you to experience the joy and warmth that love brings." Liam argued.

"I’ve seen enough people get burned by love. I won’t be one of them. Never."

Liam scoffed,"Where on earth did you see people get burned by love? Not all love stories end in heartbreak. You’re denying yourself a chance at something extraordinary and cooking up excuses."

"Extraordinary? I’m content with my ordinary, predictable life." Neil gritted his teeth, already getting bored of where this discussion was heading to, or what the hell his friend was trying to get at, again.

"There’s more to life than predictability. You’re missing out on the magic of the unpredictable."

"Magic is an illusion. I deal with reality." He shut down his computer and walked back to his bed and grabbed his phone from the nightstand.

Liam followed him on his heels to the bed and stood before him,"Reality can be harsh. Love adds a touch of kindness to it. You just need to give it a chance. You_"

Neil had finally reached his limits, and he could no longer hold his irration in, he exploded, "Enough! I won’t be lectured on love by someone who can’t even commit. Shut up and let me live my life the way I see fit. And if you’re fucking done with your damned lectures, get the hell out of my house!"