Chapter 30 Unwanted Dinner
Hugging her flowers close to her chest, she was staring out of the window, to think how she neglected basic needs of a relationship and foundations before.
“Where are you lost?”
“I am thinking about Luke. Why is he reacting like that? Becoming so violent and all this… when did he become this bad?”
She told him honestly. Without having the fear of ‘what he would think?’ or ‘should I talk about it?’
“Because he never got over that incident. He still thinks you were in my room on purpose two years ago, that it wasn’t a mistake.”
‘So he never trusted me all this time…’
She remained silent, lowering her gaze with visible disheartening feelings.
“Plus, now, if you remember my call with Luke correctly, he said himself that he wants to marry you but isn’t sure.” He recalled that it made her jaw clenched.
“Maybe what he said at the bar was only due to speaking senselessly? Maybe he didn’t mean it,”
“Oh, so I am something he wants whenever he likes and doesn’t?”
She snapped but her anger somehow made him chuckle because he found that pout inexplicably adorable.
“Maybe he was just… insecure after all,”
He continued playfully while eyeing her from the corner.
Wondering if that could change her perspective about this marriage- which scared him slightly.
“The doubt in his heart was never going to be cleared.” She scoffed.
“Even if we got married, he would have continued doubting me… he would never trust me, would have restricted my whole life,”
Smirking, William teased her, “I thought you didn’t mind that-”
Averting her gaze, her lips curled upward gracefully, feeling blessed with her fate where she had a partner she could look up to proudly.
“Because I hadn’t seen… what it feels like to be supported. I had no idea how trust works in a relationship… until I married you,”
“Well, if Luke is like that, that is entirely fault. I failed to do good nurturing. I am sorry about what he did,”
“Luke is twenty-seven, he is a grown adult, he should know what is good or bad himself. Don’t blame yourself,” She sighed, motioning him to relax.
“Here we are,”
“Huff. Here we go,”
She was about to get out, William saw her place and chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck, hoping he would imply a good impression.
“Hey, isn’t it strange that you and Helena had been friends for a decade but I am entering your home for the first time,”
“Because we used to meet during the day where you work. But, you did pick me up quite a few times but yeah, you never entered,” She hummed.
Wrapping her hand around his arm that hitched his breaths and cascaded his gaze down to hers.
“I am over for the first time and surprisingly not as your best friend’s brother but… your husband,”
“Oh, don’t worry. My parents find this world a saint except for their own daughter,”
She giggled, leaning against his shoulder.
In the past few weeks of their marriage, all doubts that used to exist vanished, him standing beside her induced a sense of pride.
Hands locked around him, smiling elegantly, leaving him in wonder when those eyes would lift and connect with his.
“William?”
Calling him softly she brought him to his senses as he cleared his throat and they went inside.
Greeting her parents and having dinner after having a small chit chat where William felt uncomfortable the whole time meanwhile Arabella was unaffected.
Because her parents were the type who liked to make fun of their child for entertainment.
And to hear badmouthing her, it naturally infuriated him but the string of respect made him silent, testing his patience.
With his jaw clenched, he was munching on his food rudely when her mother laughed.
“Well, well, we were worried if she was even worthy of being in a relationship, moreover with you. Now, that’s unbelievable,”
“What’s unbelievable about it?”
Arabella asked nonchalantly, not bothering to listen or react after years of hearing these comments.
“You never seemed like a girl to have a boyfriend. We were worried we have to choose your partner and arrange your marriage,”
Placing the crockery down with a frown, he enunciated sternly, almost glaring at them for downgrading her.
“Bella is the most graceful woman- angel I have seen, Mr. Dew. Whenever I see her, I see reasons to not be angry with life, everything in life make sense, even pain,”
“William…?”
Taken aback, her heart skipped a beat when William subdued his wrath and locked his eyes keenly with hers, curling his lips in a beautiful smile.
“She is my fortune, my most cherished possession, my golden bird,”
“My, my, how did she manage to pull a charming guy like you? I doubt she can do anything on her own,”
“Don’t say-”
William almost growled but Arabella held his wrist under the table to stop him, a scarlet shade adorning of her cheeks along with a smile of peace.
After marriage, she knew when he could punch his dearest brother that he wouldn’t hesitate before anyone so she stopped him.
“Dinner’s good,”
“You must be tired from your own cooking- oh, now you must have cooks. Good for you, you didn’t have to eat your own food,” Her father also chuckled.
Curling his hand in a wrist, William pulled his wrist away and after noticing he was at his limits, Arabella faked a cough, finishing her food quickly and held him.
“We are done. Let’s go, William, I will show you my room,”
Sighing, he forced a smile and went with her,
“Okay…”
After being done with the dinner, they went back to the room where a grimace was etched on William’s features upon hearing her parent’s remarks about their own daughter.
For the first time he visited and did not like what he heard, understanding now why she rarely talked about them.
“Why did you stop me? Why were they trying to degrade you?”
He argued the second she closed the door and exhaled a loud disappointing sigh.
“Because they think I am not enough and when I think about it, I never was… never did anything to make them proud after all…”
“So what? Is this something they should say to someone they met for the first time?”
“And then they wonder why I don’t visit them. Leave them,”
“Why would I? It frustrated me, why were they speaking ill of you. Your respect is my respect, I-”
“Yes, yes, my protector, I heard you. Ignore it like how I did,” She chuckled when he continued his discontent.
“Huff… whatever you say,”
Waving her hand to shrug him off, she didn’t bother to talk much about it and motioned to him to relax and deep down.
To find her husband supporting her, standing beside and speaking in her favor made her grin, kissing his shoulders endearingly, placing her hand over to find all solace in his proximity.
Her one graze softened his heart, holding her wrist, he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles as well..
“So… this was your room huh?”
“Yeah, It’s not as majestic as yours,” She smirked.
“The fact it is yours makes it much more precious,” He commented, earning a chuckle from her.
“Oh, you,”
William inspected her room playfully before plopping on the bed and went to sleep without exchanging further words.