Chapter 171 How To Love
"They're coming here? Right now?" Peach asked, her voice a mix of confusion and a hint of possessiveness. The mention of their arrival at this hour induced a sour feeling in her.
Biting her bottom lip, she trailed off nervously, "Luke, I thought things were... complicated with them."
Luke turned, his expression weary. He stepped toward her, taking her hands in his for reassurance. He could feel her hesitation, their relationship was also on a shaky point after all.
"It’s dangerous for them right now, Peach. Liyah has crossed a line. I need you to trust me on this. I need us to be their safe-shelter.” He paused, giving her hand a squeeze.
“Can you do that for me?"
Peach looked at him, searching his face for compassion for Arabella but all she saw was his need to become a shield for his brother.
She didn't care about the family politics or the Grayson name; she only cared that Luke looked worried.
She sighed, kissing his knuckles as a sign of her veneration.
"If you say we do this, we do it. I trust you."
Inside, when they arrived, the air was thick. Luke was distressed, he was staring at his immaculate brother in a broken form.
Peach immediately whisked Arabella toward the kitchen, sensing the crushing silence between the brothers.
"We need to talk," Luke enunciated, leading William into his private study. He shut the door, the click of the lock, waiting for William to speak something.
"...They…” William paused, his gaze lowering, curling his hand in a powerless fist, “They nearly took the door off its hinges, Luke.”
Luke nodded, a sternness coming to features, “I heard too. That woman had no rights to do this. This is war."
"I know," William whispered, collapsing into a leather chair, rubbing his temples with a groan.
“But what should I do? I stopped her funds. What more can I do?”
Luke leaned against his desk, crossing his arms. His features hardening, noticing the line of fear crossing his face.
"Have you told her yet? Have you told Arabella what happened that night?"
William flinched, his eyes widening with pure apprehension, shaking his head in denial.
"I... I couldn't, Luke. Not now."
"You have to," Luke insisted.
“I don’t think I can.”
“You must. You don’t have any option left.”
“Telll and then what?” William growled, losing his composure, "Watch the disgust in her eyes? Watch her resent me?” William growled.
Luke’s voice rose with frustration, “Why disgust? You did what you had to, William.”
“And look what it cost me.” William scoffed, his jaw clenching with pure discontent, clenching and unclenching his fist.
"She deserves to know the truth before Liyah uses it to poison her. If you don't tell her, William, you two cannot move forward. Your marriage will be extremely fragile if you stay silent.
"I don't want to talk about it!" William snapped, his eyes flashing with a brief, desperate fire. His body trembled, the dread of sharing consuming him.
"I just don't. Not tonight. Not ever."
"You will ruin yourself if you keep this inside," Luke said softly, pity flickering in his eyes but there was nothing he could do about it.
"You will hollow yourself out until there’s nothing left for her to love."
"I can't," William choked out, standing up abruptly. "I just can't."
He turned and walked out of the room before Luke could say another word, his footsteps heavy and retreating.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the atmosphere was surprisingly different.
Peach was sipping onto her juice, her bangles clinking rhythmically.
She kept stealing glances at Arabella, who was meticulously arranging a tray of fruits for breakfast and a glass of water.
Her movements synchronized to the faint sound of footsteps in the hallway. Her gaze lifted, glancing towards the hall which was empty.
"You heard that, didn't you?" Peach teased, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.
Arabella paused, a strawberry in hand, "Heard what?"
"His footsteps. You didn't even look up, but you knew exactly where he was in the house." Peach leaned in closer, resting her chin on her hand. "And the fruit? You’re preparing it exactly how he likes it without him even asking.”
Arabella lowered her gaze, a brief smile adorning her lips as she had become powerless before her own heart.
“Tell me, where does one earn that kind of endless devotion, Arabella? I thought William was the obsessed one in the relationship."
A faint, tempting smirk spread across her lips, lifting her gaze to greet Peach’s curious one.
“Who do you think made him obsessed in the first place?”
Peach shivered.
Arabella’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, her body relaxing.
“It's just... I know the sound of his heart, Peach. I know when it's racing and when it's heavy. I see him, in every heartbeat."
Peach sighed dreamily, though her eyes remained sharp, "You’re good for him.”
Arabella looked at the tray, her reflection shimmering in the water glass, "I don't care what he's hiding. I just care that he comes to me."
Peach patted her hand, her teasing tone softening.
"Well, he's with you now. Even if 'home' is a guest room in my house. Go on, take him his tray. He looks like he’s about to break."
Arabella simply picked the tray and went to William to support him in his hard time as Peach stared at them. Their previous confrontation, the comment about Luke burned in her mind.
Peach felt hollow.
She had the confession, the man she loved too but without the confession, Arabella and William were closer than Luke and Peach ever was.
As Peach was watching from afar, Arabella was feeding him herself. William closed his eyes, relaxing into her warmth, wishing to bury himself there.
"Peach, take it easy on her. She’s been through enough." Luke’s voice came from afar, snapping his finger before her to drag her back to reality.
Peach chuckled, but her eyes remained on the doorway where Arabella had just vanished.
"Don't worry, Luke. I'm just observing." She turned in his arms, her voice dropping to a knowing whisper.
“Observing to be like her? Don’t bother. I don’t want her glimpses in you.” Luke scoffed, leaning against the counter.
“I am observing how blind in love you had to be to stay silent for nine years of love yet it shines in your eyes every second.”
Finally breaking the gaze, Peach turned to her husband, her index finger tracing a line on his chest.
“I would love to learn that too.”
“For that.” Luke paused, holding her wrist, his features hardening.
“You learn how to love in the first place. One doesn’t shatter the one they love. Arabella hurt me but she never dared to hurt the man she truly loved.”
“How to love huh?” Peach let out an empty chuckle, her steps retreating slowly, turning her back on him.
"Once this is over, Luke. Go to their apartment and take a look at their room. You will see exactly ‘how’ to love."