Chapter 27 Decision To Leave
For the first time since she met them, she saw William hitting Luke and it made her cry.
… Because she was the reason two brothers raised their hands against each other.
“I heard everything when it was about me silently but I swear, Luke, If it will come to her I won’t bear anything.”
William snarled as Luke was still, his body shivered in apprehension, staring at his brother with anguish accompanied by a screen of tears.
“You have no right to touch her! When did you become an animal, asshole!?”
At first, he refused to believe or accept he had been punched but when it sank when the blood reached his lips, he whimpered, lowering his gaze in shame.
“That woman before you is my wife and your sister-in-law to whom you must be respectful. How dare you call her a slut!?” William scowled.
Shutting his eyes, he wiped the blood and pushed him away angrily and tried to punch him back but this time William held his wrist.
“You can accept your bride because she has blinded you but I can’t!”
“Stop this madness, Luke,”
“I fucking hate her! Not only did she ruin my life, she even stole my brother from me. I hate her! I fucking hate her!“
Ripping himself away, Luke continued expressing his ache, touching his nose again to induce remorse in William for the slap.
When William stood beside Arabella, it caused him to sob a little.
He pressed his hand over his nose to stop the bleeding and cursed them earnestly.
“You know what, Arabella? I pray you suffer in the worst way for breaking my heart!”
William ordered seriously, grabbing Luke by his arm roughly.
“Arabella, go to our room,”
“But-”
“Go,”
Afraid to witness further of the fight, numb but also staring at William in admiration when he stood beside her, she followed his words and ran to their room.
William arched an eyebrow, “You do realize you are at fault, don’t you, Luke?”
Instead of an apology, he received a resentful glare and Luke hit him where it hurts the most.
“You hate me, don’t you, William?”
“What?”
His eyes widened, mouth gaping in incredulity as horror washed over him.
“You always did and that is why you took away my one source of happiness from me!”
“I believe we both know this state is your fault. Stop creating baseless reasons,”
William hissed, losing his composure at those piercing words along with a question-
‘How long did he keep these statements in his heart? Did ‘he’ hate me that much?’
“I can’t live under the same roof as hers, William. This is mine and Helena’s house, I want her out of my sight,”
“If she will leave then so will I,”
“Then go, and choose your woman over us,”
With tears blurring his sight, William’s lips quivered at the aching sentences but swallowing it all, he nodded coldly.
“... I understand. We will go back to London tomorrow. You will not hear from her again,”
“I believe that will be for the best,”
Turning their backs on each other, the brothers walked away, not sure if they will ever meet again.
Or, If their hearts for each other will ever be mended.
… Unquestionably, their bond was broken.
Carrying tears and heaviness in his chest, feeling the cold floor increasing his heartbeats, he failed to lift his head and entered his room where Arabella was anxiously waiting for him.
The second he entered, she hugged him tightly, refusing to let him go.
“I know Luke must have said something horrible. He is just hurt, he loves you, don’t let it break your heart,”
He didn’t know how to react or what to say nonetheless he kept holding her, leaning all her weight against him that turned him wild.
“I don’t want you to be hurt,”
And those words added the cherry on top.
Swallowing hard, he shut his eyes, turning his head to the side, hoping he would break out of that delusion.
But, it was not.
When he realized it wasn’t a dark fantasy, he decided to embrace her in order to obtain his lost comfort.
His grip tightened, lowering his head with tears forming a screen and placed it over his shoulder along with a breaking voice.
“Why did he say those horrible things? I don’t hate him… I could never hate my siblings. Elder siblings are the protectors of homes, right? Did I fail?”
Seeking her approval, holding her shoulders, he stared desperately at her, his lips trembling.
“I know, you are the best brother. A few circumstances cannot change the years of your devotion,”
Her fingers gradually cupped his face, moving fingers along his beard that hitched his breaths.
“You know what? I don’t regret marrying an admirable man like you. Thank you for everything.”
Resting his forehead against hers, he found all his desolation being annihilated. He was forgetting the complaint.
“I am always here for you. Always,”
“I know,”
At this point, she also wanted to give her marriage a chance.
When her fingers brushed against his skin, he could feel his heart on the verge of exploding, a bubbly sensation abruptly bursting in his body.
His blood pumping madly, blinding him with sparks and needs he strongly held back. But she was challenging them.
With her words, with her actions, with… everything.
“I almost forgot what a real relationship is like. Thank you for reminding me,”
“Do you want me to die?”
He chuckled breathlessly that made her giggle and finally, after tormenting his soul, she slowly lifted her gaze and stopped at his lips.
His mouth closed, licking his lips, growing anxious when after prayers, they stopped so close which felt like time stopped.
Heartbeats moving in rhythm with hers accompanied by a beautiful shiver that turned him oblivious of this world.
Tiptoeing, Arabella closed the distance, failing to pull herself away to the point their breaths blended to fill the absence of sound.
And initiating the first step, she was about to press her lips upon his but consuming time to process, his grip on her shoulder tightened and parted from her desirable closeness.
When he moved back, her lips curled downward innocently.
“... William?” She called him in disappointment.
“Please…” He panted, “Don’t do anything out of sympathy or-”
Comprehending his fright and questioning, she smiled again and pecked his cheeks. Forcing him to stare at her, to sink in her only and whispered temptingly.
“I have all the rights to kiss you now,”
Control slipped as his strong arm moved around her waist, abruptly yanking her lower body into his, earning a soft sound from her.
He held the side of her neck possessively, his composure, all of his craving began to gleam in his sapphire gaze as he growled weakly.
“Don’t… else I won’t be able to control myself, Bella,”
After keeping everything he had done for her in mind, from her past experience towards a newer and better one, she decided to sway along and grabbed his collar seductively.
“You don’t even have too, William, you are my husband after all,”