Chapter 13 Emotional Support
It had been two weeks since Luke left and ten days since William challenged Arabella to prove his worth and Luke’s fickleness towards her.
He was fully resolved, ‘I won’t let you go this time,’
‘Please let me go this time,’ She prayed desperately.
That nothing horrible happens and the remaining two weeks pass by as quickly as possible.
She prayed, and prayed until one evening, her door knocked.
Not thinking deeply about who it could be, she nonchalantly went to see only to find the man she wanted to see the least.
“W-William?”
In his worst condition, two buttons of his black shirt were missing, roughly rolled sleeves with scattered hair.
“I… I told you.. Didn’t I?”
Curling his lips into a questionably smirk, ruffling his hair to make them messy, he chuckled huskily.
“Are you drunk?”
Resting his elbow against the ledge, the sound of the raspy breaths was followed by the reek of alcohol as his demeanor distressed the woman.
“Yes! Because I am happy!” He beamed, losing his breaths, his composure.
Clutching his chest to display his felicity he hadn’t experienced in a devilishly long time.
The feeble chuckle echoed, eyes twinkling with an objectionable shine.
“For the first time…I am happy- just a second, can I come in, please?”
He smiled, glancing in the surroundings where he received weird glances from the people passing by.
“Huff, okay,”
Sighing in disappointment, not wanting to create a scene in the corridor, she opened the door for him.
Permitting him to enter and the second he did, he plopped on the couch, the radiant smile not fading that was only disturbing her.
Locking the door, holding her sides in frustration, she growled at him for constantly bothering her.
“You have begun to cause me headaches,”
He grinned impishly, “And now I will give you a heartache,”
Her heartbeats were immensely enhanced in dread, “What?”
“What do you mean?”
Eyes widened in appall of the slightest imagination what he managed to grasp that could shatter her heart.
Waving his head to gesture to her to relax, he whispered, “And I am sorry but I am exhilarated… call me a selfish bastard- which I know I am- but for the first time in my life…”
He laughed breathlessly, pressing his head harder on the armrest.
“I am happy at my brother’s defeat…”
With this he passed out, leaving her at the edge of terror and curiosity to fathom what he meant by this.
“What defeat? Say, dammit, tell me!” She snarled.
“What is it!?”
“William!”
Shouting at him but he dozed off from the affect of the alcohol, swayed along the unforeseen happiness that only elicited undesirable thoughts from Arabella.
“Fuck!”
Cursing furiously, she paced around, glancing at the muscular man who passed out on her couch, covering his face with his hand handsomely.
And when she was glaring at the knocked out man, her phone rang, indicating it was Luke.
Hitting the counter of the kitchen, her jaw clenched.
‘Fuck. What should I do now?! He won’t listen to any justification if he sees William like this in my apartment.’
So she didn’t pick his call and anxiously waited for William to wake up first. The interlude of two hours caused her chest to constrict, mind to be filled with endless perturbing thoughts, everything frightened her.
‘Please, let it be nothing serious. I have devoted myself in hopes that we will marry one day. Luke can’t be a false-hearted else what would I tell myself?’
When William’s slumber began to rupture her cognition, drawing the worst perceptions, frightening her endlessly until she couldn’t tolerate anymore and poured a glass of water over him.
“Wake up, dammit!”
“Argh, fuck, my head!”
Gasping from an unforeseen splash, wetting his face and shirt.
The muscular man sat up with a dropped mouth, taking a few moments to comprehend his surroundings.
Holding his throbbing head to regain his vision and realize where he was and the second he did, bewilderment washed over him.
“What- what am I doing in your apartment?”
Her frown deepened, slamming the glass down and bursting her wrath on the confused man.
“You just burst, started laughing and passed out just when you were about to tell me something about Luke!”
Blinking, he gradually remembered and soon a devilish smirk began to adorn his features.
Forming her lips in a thin line worriedly, she took a seat, twirling her fingers around her dress stressfully.
“Oh… that…”
Relaxing gradually, he broke into an empty laugh, ruffling his hair before placing all his attention on her and the dark smirk sent a shiver down her spine.
“Don’t scare me like this, William, tell me,”
Noticing her dread, he took a deep breath before regaining his posture and becoming dominant.
Manspreading, he studied her tension closely before exhaling loudly.
“Before that, I want you to know something,”
“What?”
She couldn't care less about it.
Averting her gaze, her grip on the dress tightened, hands turning cold.
“I have already fallen low in your eyes by expressing my inclination towards you and trust me, I don’t regret locking my tongue this time,”
He became hesitant, gritting his teeth to capture his feelings in his chest and not break the boundaries like before.
His body trembled slightly, barely collecting proper words to break her heart softly still infuriated by envy, he ended up taunting her.
“I want you to know how much I cherish you and seeks that best for you which I doubt your blind in love mind will be able to comprehend,”
Her dismal increased, tilting her head to the side, she whispered in perplexity.
“I am not sure I follow where you are leading this conversation,”
All on her mind was Luke and she failed to comprehend the depth of his compassionate statements.
Shaking his head in disappointment, he knew she wouldn't believe it even if he ripped his heart so using words cautiously, he started.
“I knew something was wrong in your relationship the moment Luke asked me to send him away for a month. And since I care for both of you,”
"Care, right,"
“I don’t want you guys to regret choosing each other,”
Staring deep into her eyes that merely deepened her grimace at his ridiculous words.
He ended grievously, curling his hand in a helpless fist that made her hiss.
“I don’t want to hear your psycho talks, if you are trying to manipulate me- don’t.”
Not allowing her to feel a tiniest shred of sympathy for him for giving her such mental stress.
“Show me what my Luke did which now I doubt anything you show me can alter my point of view,” She scoffed as he expected and sighed in return.
“Fine. Here, This is a recording between me and Luke last Sunday after I guess you guys fought,”
Ending an empty chuckle, she looked down in embarrassment as he played the recording, perusing her reaction.
“You know what, William? I am now regretting already telling Arabella about thinking about marriage,”
Hearing it stiff her whole being, taking a few moments to register the depth of his words which brought instantly tears.
“Are you going to do it or not?”
“Y-Yeah, but she is getting on my nerves now. When I said I will then I will, what is the hurry for it?” Luke chuckled nervously.
“Are you going to talk to her parents or make it official yet?”
“Honestly speaking, I don’t think I am ready yet,”