Chapter 7 Who Will Believe You?
“I am.”
A deadly tremble stiff her whole being when he spoke what she never perceived. Eyes widened in total disbelief at his sudden confession.
“I am the one who protected you that day too, I cherished you, adored you, I am the one you should be latching your heart with, Arabella,”
“What…?!”
With a whisper-yell, she tried to yank her wrist back but ended up in vain, his grip was iron on her wrist.
A tear pricked in her eyes accompanied by rapid heartbeats when a fervent desire ignited in his glimmering eyes, leaving his mark there, scaring her to no extent.
“Do you realize what you are saying, William?”
Shaking from fright, Arabella made failed attempts to leave only to be compressed between his toned body and the wall that purloined her breaths and strength.
“Get away or else-”
“Or else what?”
“I will scream,”
“Try.” He smirked, “Unless you want you ruin your beloved friend’s special day and most importantly,”
Flashing a dark glimpse, he whispered seductively in her ears.
“Who will believe you?”
Shutting her eyes, she shivered violently, frightened to imagine what evoked such possessiveness as he hovered over her, hot minty breath forming goosebumps all over her skin.
“What did I say wrong? I believe I am better than Luke in all perspectives. I do anything for you, Bella,”
He smirked heartlessly, eyes scanning her with the darkness she always discarded.
His eyes widened hysterically, lips curled into a deadly smirk to indicate his need to capture her, with her so that nothing could come near her.
Except him.
“I never saw you from that perspective, I am in a relationship with your Brother. I think of you as brother-alike.”
She added, turning her head to the side from repulsion when he tried to lean his head forward, gaining access to her neck.
“Your thinking as ‘brother-alike’ won’t make me your brother in reality.” He growled, twisting her wrist making her wince, placing it in the middle with barely a noticeable gap between them.
“What if I call you my wife? Would it make you my wife? Probably it would-”
He suppressed a devilish chuckle, breathing heavily in her eyes, inducing a fear in her very bones.
“Leave my hand.”
A tear of defeat rolled down her cheek, horrified to hear this perception of his, on the verge of sobbing, she shook her head in denial.
“Say ‘Please, William’.”
He demanded, licking his lips slowly, seductively while his eyes were witnessing her from up close.
Fulfilling his desire to be this close to her one way or another.
“No…”
“Do you like it when I hold your hand?” He mocked her ears, increasing her disgust.
“What? No!”
“Then why are you not stopping me? I asked one thing but you are not doing that. Maybe you are enjoying-”
Before he could degrade her and place her in fault, she shut her eyes, gathering her frightened form and forcing out her words heavily with another tear.
“Please… William,”
“There you go.”
Chuckling ruthlessly at her enunciation, he released her but that one moment was enough to terrify her to the point she won’t come near her again.
“You have lost it, William… how could you…?”
Stumbling with her steps, she wiped the tear in the corner of her eyes and ran away, frightened of the confrontations she just had with him.
With a dangerous smile, William watched her run away from horror, kissing the hand which gripped hers madly as he thought devilishly.
‘Run all you want, my dear, but it won’t be long when you will enter this place as MY bride,’
The divulgence of William’s intentions frightened Arabella inexplicably, the slightest perception of what he could in the absence of Helena and Luke caused her to tremble.
Subsequently, she stayed away from the Grayson household after the wedding.
Luke came to bid her goodbye in her apartment, she was hopelessly following him around, making an almost crying face.
“Why are you not listening to me, Luke?!”
“Because you are being senseless, Baby,” He sighed, still in his office attire to show he returned from work.
“I have to go home, I have a flight at midnight and I want to spend some quality time with my girlfriend, please,”
Luke explained to her softly, placing his coat away and rolling his sleeves as he took two cups from her cabinets to make coffee for them until their food arrived.
“Luke, why do you have to go? Why can’t William do it? He is the one who settled work in London then he must sort it,” She whined, pulling his shirt from behind.
“What’s with you, Arabella?! This is about my career!” He snapped.
Startling her when he raised his voice slightly at her for discarding his position.
“All my life William has spoonfed me things. He gave me an already built empire to maintain only, he worked endlessly to provide us all luxury,”
Loosening his shoulders, putting the cups away.
He held his sides from frustration, failing to comprehend what evoked such helplessness.
“Why don’t you get it? This is my only chance to show him that I am capable. That I can handle things, to learn,”
Closing their gap, she flinched as tears gleamed- too much to his dismay. Shrinking his eyes softly, he cupped her cheeks, praying she would comprehend.
“Don’t go, Luke, please, I don’t want you to leave me. Think about me too,”
“What happened, Baby? Why are you behaving like this? Did something happen?”
He was seriously questioning her state, not that she hadn’t behaved stubbornly before but it was different, he could feel words were locked at the edge of the tongue.
‘Is this what I am thinking?’ Luke thought worried, patiently waiting for her reply.
“I..”
Her lips parted to tell him what happened at the wedding which frightened her to the core but- ‘Who will believe you?’
‘He was right. When they didn’t back then why will they now…? He has the perfect image after all, the most charming and kind-hearted one,’
Defeated before that thought, suppressing her tears, she placed her head on his chest, clutching his shirt between her fingers without any intention of releasing.
“I am scared. You will go, Helena is not here too… I don’t want to be alone,”
He mentally sighed at her whisper, embracing her and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back to soothe her.
“You can stay at your parents’ if you want. Plus, your holidays are over, you are going back to work on Monday.”
Pulling away a little, he flashed a beautiful smile, those hazel eyes glimmering to alleviate the vexation in her silver ones.
“You will be so lost in the work that you won’t be able to notice how swiftly time passed,”
“Luke…”
“It’s only a month, My love, it will be over before you know it and then we will plan our wedding, okay?”
"... Okay,"
“And if you need me or something, just let me know. Don’t bother William this time how you used to in the past,” He chuckled nervously.
“You don’t need anything from anyone anymore when I am here after all… right?” He repeated, holding her shoulders in a firm grip.
Smiling innocently, she nodded, “Yeah… I know, ”
“Um.. Coffee?”
“Maybe next time. Our food is here,” He chuckled, giving her back a pat as they had dinner together and Luke left for home to prepare for his flight.
“Okay then, take care, Baby,”
“You too,”
