Alfresca's POV:
When we both opened our eyes and I stared into his, it was at that moment I knew I was so deep in love with him and boy, I was so screwed.
Holy shit.
This is not a good thing. This is definitely not good. I slid my arms down his neck and lowered my eyes.
"I...I...have to go." I whispered, trying to get out of his grip.
He cupped my cheek gently. "What's wrong, love?"
I shook my head, refusing to look at him in his eyes. "Nothing, Ruslan. I...I...have some work."
He lifted my chin with his index finger, making me look at him. "I'm sorry, Alfresca if I forcefully kissed you. I--"
"No." I cut him off. "You didn't. I...um...liked it..." I admitted, blush covering my cheeks.
He caressed my cheek with his thumb. "Then what's wrong?"
"Ruslan. I am not feeling well. Can I just take a day off and be alone?"
He looked hurt but he nodded. "Sure."
"Thank you." I mumbled and moved past him and leaving without looking at him.
I ran down the stairs and into my room and threw myself on the bed, weeping.
You were not supposed to fall in love with him, Alfresca. You should have never be involved with him.
You are in a deep trouble.
I turned and laid down on my back, staring at the ceiling and wiped away my tears with the back of my palm.
I brushed my finger over my lips, the feeling of his lips upon mine still prominent.
My first kiss.
More tears fell remembering the look of hurt on his face. How to explain to him?
.
.
.
I found myself sitting on the dining table in the kitchen, later in the evening. There was no one there except Arthur who was heating me some food to eat since I didn't come out for lunch so, he dragged me out.
I was silent and lost in my thoughts, Arthur saw this but didn't comment on it.
He placed a plate of some grilled chicken with mashed potatoes in front of me and sat down beside me.
He nudged my shoulder when I didn't make an affort to reach for it. "Come on. Eat it or else I will finish it off. And there isn't any more food left so you will have to starve for the rest of the day." He pulled the plate closed to me.
"I'm not really hungry." I whispered, pushing the plate away.
"What's wrong, Alfresca? You took a day off and have not come out of your room for the whole afternoon and now you are refusing to eat." He inquired.
I closed my eyes. "It's nothing, Arthur."
"Did Mr Searlus hurt you?"
My head snapped to him. "Why would you think that?"
He shrugged. "You are quite close with him, aren't you?"
"H-how do you know?"
"The day of his mother's funeral, I saw him with you in the kitchen..." He said, by his tone he didn't sound angry or something.
A blush crawled up my neck. "I...um...Arthur... it's not what you think..."
He surprised me by saying nonchalantly. "It's okay..."
"What do you mean?"
"You have feelings for him and he has feelings for you too. I don't see where is the problem..."
What happened to him all of a sudden?
"I love him..." I admitted to him in a low voice. There is no point hiding it now.
"That's fast." He commented with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
I didn't like it. I didn't like the way he was reacting.
"W-why are you being like this?" I asked nervously. "Till a few days back you despised me for having feelings for him."
"I never despised you, Alfresca." He said softly, taking my hand in his. "I was just scared that he might hurt you but I don't see a problem now since he has become so close to you."
My eyes widened with surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah. Now cheer up, baby." With his fingers, he lifted the corners of my mouth telling me to smile which I did eventually and it turned into a chuckle.
"Now eat something first."
I nodded and pulled the plate closer to me and cut a piece of the chicken and place it in my mouth making him smile and he gently ruffled my hair, I scowled making him chuckle.
We were talking and laughing while I ate the food and that's when Ruslan walked into the kitchen, making us stop what we were doing.
His eyes moved between Arthur and me, his jaw clenching and palms folding into fists.
My face paled. I told him I want to be alone and here I am laughing with Arthur.
His ice cold eyes fixed on me, shooting daggers, accusing me. I wanted to shout and tell him it's not what it looks like, that I love him but under his raging gaze, I felt paralyzed.
I made an affort to get up but by then he had turned around and made his way out of the kitchen and he left the house, slamming the door shut.
My eyes welled up with tears threatening to fall and without giving a glance at Arthur, I ran to my room.
.
.
.
I waited for him the whole evening but he didn't return. Half of the time, I was sitting right outside his door. Even though I had access to it, I didn't go inside.
That's when Geordi walked upstairs and frowned on seeing me sitting on the floor with my legs crossed and my back to the door.
He raised a brow at me. "Why are you sitting here?"
"Um...waiting for Ruslan..."
"Then you are wasting your time. He won't be back until tomorrow evening." He told me.
"What? He's not going to come back till tomorrow evening? Why?" I questioned him.
"He had some important work which is going to take a lot of time." He explained as he came and sat down beside me just like I was.
"Oh..." I whispered gloomily.
"I thought he would have told you before leaving since you both are so close." He said emphasising on the word close.
Maybe he came into the kitchen to tell me that only but...
I sighed deeply. "He's pissed off with me..."
"And why is that so?"
I can't believe I am having such a long conversation with Geordi. He doesn't speak much.
"Because...um...it's hard to explain. Earlier this morning, I...told him...I need some time alone and I pushed him away and later he found me laughing in the kitchen with Arthur."
"Ah, I see!" Geordi exclaimed. "I understand now. He's quite possessive about you. Almost pushed me off the terrace the other day for saying that you are beautiful." He grinned playfully at me, completely surprising me.
Is this really Geordi? So playful. So unlike him.
"He told you about me?" I asked him instead.
He shrugged. "Why not? I'm his elder brother anyway. And you are the only thing he talks about these days."
What the actual fuck?
My jaw dropped. "What did you say?"
He looked so calm and composed. "That you are the only thing he talks about these days..."
"No! Before that. The brother thing. You are his elder brother?"
"Not a real brother but his cousin. We grew up together."
"No. No. No. Hold a damn minute! You are his cousin?! How? When? Why?" I rambled.
He chuckled seeing me so shocked, surprising me even more. I never heard him laugh. "I was always his cousin. His dad's younger brother's son." He voice turned gloomy. "But after my family died and uncle died too I stayed with Ruslan and his mother but it was supposed to be kept a secret that we are related."
"And why is that so?"
So, he explained the reason. How his aunt never liked them and why Ruslan never acknowledged him as his brother too.
"...but he apologized so we are all good now." He finished making me smile at how sweet Ruslan is.
I rested my head back at the door and sat there in silence until I asked again. "The attack, that happened that day. Who caused it?"
I thought he wouldn't tell me but he did. "We suspected the Meryds. But they didn't cause it."
"Then who did?" I was curious. As always.
"Don't know till yet. Ruslan is searching for them though...afterall, because of them we had a loss of millions."
"Millions?"
"Hmm... someone hacked into his laptop and took out all the information regarding the arms shipment to Mexico and then at the Mexico border, the shipments disappeared." He said bitterly.
"The one who made me unconscious?"
"Yup."
I hummed in response.
My mind once again wandered off to Ruslan. God knows what he must be thinking of me.
"Do you love him?" He asked all of a sudden.
I scoffed. "Why should I tell you? So that you can go tell him?"
"I'm not going to tell him."
"And I am supposed to believe that?"
"Oh, come on!" He nudged my shoulder playfully. "Tell me! I won't tell him."
"I am not going to trust your words, Geordi."
He sighed. "The only good thing about the Searlus family is that we are firm about our words. If we promised something, we would rather die than breaking that promise."
I groaned. "Of course, I love him, dumbass. Why else would I be sitting here waiting for him?"
"Noted." He clicked his tongue making me check on him because the last time I had a conversation with him, he was not this playful.
"Is he going to listen to me? He looked really furious." I asked Geordi in a low tone.
He placed his hand on my shoulder. "One thing about my brother is, he always does what his heart says. And his heart is too pure." He got up and extended his hand to me.
I grabbed his hand and he helped me get up and said. "He will listen to you." And he patted my shoulder before walking away.
Chapter completion on: 7/9/21