Chapter 2
“what was that?” she said noticing the tremor in her voice, fighting the fear and excitement within her heart.
“you are engaged?!!!!” Pitt asked back looking astonished “how come? When was that? And who the fuck is he?” questions kept coming in his mind but he couldn’t mouth it. Rin engaged, why didn’t she tell him? He was supposed to be her friend right!! He looked at her hand and saw the ring, and he felt his heart twist for a second, he blamed it on how she didn’t bother to tell him something so important in her life; it’s nothing more than that….a voice in his head “keep telling urself that”.
Rin looked at her hand and shrugged her shoulders “Ah that! it happened last week, a small family party and it was all.”
“oh no no no no, it’s more than that, spill it. What happened? What’s wrong?”
Rin sighed and looked at him seeing her friend their after so long time, damn he always knew when something is not right with her. It’s always been like this as if he can read her. “well a long story, how about u show me ur kitchen and invite me to breakfast as an apology for not coming to the train station, how about that? and then u tell me about the girl…” she gulped remembering the kiss and her heart took a leap and her eyes swept to his mouth, his sensual mouth; she always thought he is a good kisser and now she know he is a wonderful kisser, god sent from heaven kisser; and she kept her hands down from touching her lips. “mmm…. And then I will tell everything that happened to me, how about that?”
Pitt saw the emotions playing on her face and cursed himself, Rin was and will always be the only pure thing that ever happened to his life, no matter how tempting and hell of sexy she became he should never touch her again, if he want her to be still in his life he should never do that again; good thing she reached for him again after his previous mistake. Best thing to do now is to pretend that kiss never happened and to never ever ever do it again.
“it seems I have a lot to apologize about so breakfast and lunch are on me today, this way” and he walked in front of her knowing she will follow, giving himself moments to ease his mind and rearrange his thoughts to know how to handle the situation… holy mother, she is engaged.
They entered the kitchen and Rin couldn’t suppress the “WOW” coming out. All marble and black, the kitchen was relaxing and intimate not like the hall and still spectacular and grand. She saw Pitt ushering for her to sit and he put a bowl in front of her saying “sorry, it’s the cook’s day off, so….”
She smiled “yeah yeah, so only keelox choco for breakfast as usual, tell me u have milk at least”.
Pitt laughed and looked at her softly “yeah I have milk, friend. And I can make coffee too, yours is black with two sugars”.
“u still remember, mmm impressive but then it’s not u who makes the coffee technically, it’s the coffee machine”
“mean girl, ha ha ha” this feels like all days thought Pitt when they shared meals and talk about everything and anything.
Pitt graped the milk from the fridge and the keelox box and another bowl for him, put the coffe machine on and sat in front of Rin at the table. She smiled at him and he couldn’t help the smile on his face, her smiles were contagious all sunshine and hope.
“So I’m sorry, it was hell of a day yesterday at work and” he started but Rin cut him saying “yeah, I can see how hell it was yesterday for u”
“No, not like that. u know how I vent my stress” and he looked down “still I’m sorry, I should been there to pick u up”
“still the same Pitt” she said shaking her head “sex u know is never the solution to ur stress, there are other ways to vent ur stress away”
He laughed at that “you too, still the same, I remember u always say this to me when I get into trouble with girls. Ah the old days”
“yeah the old days!” she said and looked back at her breakfast and then heard the click of the coffee machine, then she stood up and walked to it “where do u put the mugs?”
“what are u doing? I can do it, sit and enjoy my humble breakfast, u’re guest for now” he stood next to her, barely touching her back and Rin felt all hot and her cheeks red. Without thinking she turned abruptly and he was there right in front of her, their bodies touching in the right places and she felt a shiver running all over her, she gulped for air and looked up at him. And for a second she saw it there, a desire for here fierce and strong, it disappeared so quickly she thought she imagined it and Pitt stepped back. “go back to ur seat, I’ll bring the coffee to y”. Rin mumbled to herself and gained back her seat.
Pitt busied himself with the coffee, not turning to see her. The way her cheeks blushed when they touched made him ache all in the wrong places, it’s not right but his body responded to her without consulting with his mind. He breathed in and out trying to calm himself, took the two mugs and headed back to her.
“now, tell me about the engagement thing and why did to move out so suddenly?”
“Well, this lead to that”
“how?”
“u know what I think of marriage, we’re practically alike on that matter”
Pitt gulped his coffee and said “so, how come u have a ring on ur finger?” he felt a pain in his heart seeing the ring of another on her finger, it should be his finger she is wearing, where on earth that idea came from? Pitt shake his head and looked directly to Rin waiting for an answer.
“here is the story, he is a co-worker and was my boyfriend for a while, we broke up but he kept pursuing and he got close to my stepdad and that was when I got engaged, u know how my mother is she always listens to him and I couldn’t say no, she is sick with a heart problem. I can’t cause her stress”
“I’m sorry about ur mum; u shoul’ve spoke with ur mum, if u don’t want this, I know aunty she will understand”
“I can’t” Rin said shaking her head and looked at Pitt and he saw the sadness and helplessness in them, he sighed and said
“what is it that u are not saying to me?” Rin looked so devastated and he wanted to struggle this fiancé of her.
Three weeks ago, at her stepdad study,
“stepdad, u know I don’t even like him, how could u accept his proposal without asking me?”
“keep ur voice down, child; I don’t give a damn about how u feel about him, it seems the boy likes u enough to marry u, even though I don’t know what he sees in you but then who am I to judge his taste” he shrugged and sat on his desk and then looked at her with fury and so much hate and said “child, u will marry him whether u like it or not; it’s the best u can do and I need this union for my business.”
“I knew it, it all comes to u at the end. But I won’t marry him no matter what u do. It’s my life and I’m free to do whatever I hell want with it” and Rin turned around and walked to the door, before she had the chance to turn the knob she heard her stepdad
“u need to think about ur mum, Rin before u walk out that door”
She turned to face him, barely holding on her anger “what does mum have to do with this?”
“ u are a doctor, and u know that any stress could cause her to go on another episode again”
“so, I still don’t follow” she looked at him confused and frustrated
“well, if u don’t go with this marriage, I don’t need u or ur mum anymore. If it wasn’t for this I wouldn’t want a sickly wife”
Rin gasped, she knew her stepdad is a manipulative son of a bitch but this, this is the devil himself. Blackmailing her, her happiness or her mother’s, she never thought anyone could be this selfish and mean. She can’t find the world.
“what are u saying? U know my mum loves u and it will devastate her if u leave her, she could die on it” she hissed at him clenching her fists.
“exactly, ur choice child. Now this Saturday should be fine, u don’t have a night shift so u can be present at ur engagement party” and he laughed, HE LAUGHED … how did my mum fell for a man like this, she hated him. Rin walked back to take a chair, her legs can’t hold her anymore. She needs to think fast, what will she do? She can’t marry without love and she can’t risk her mother’s life too. She was at an impasse and the man smirking at her is the main cause of it.
“Ok, but what can I get from this?” she asked
“Other than a rich husband and a still living happy mother, what do u want?”
“I don’t want to get married right away, I want two years before I get married”
“NO two years is too much, I want you to get married within this year.”
“I want a year for myself and away from this hell, I will marry if u agree to this”
He looked at her and laughed “ yeah, u can have this, u can’t run away after this. U know what is on stake, be careful”
Present day, at Pitt’s kitchen
“and so here I am, set to enjoy my last year of freedom. And I decided to spend it with people I love” Rin lifted her head up and looked at Pitt who was already up pacing the kitchen floor.
Pitt, while listening to her , felt his blood boiling and wanted to kill someone so he stand up and kept walking to vent his anger; when she finished he said without looking at her “why didn’t you come to me then? I would’ve known what to do”
“But we weren’t talking for more than two years now, I wasn’t even sure you would answer my mail” she said and brushed the tears on her face.
“What the hell!! Rin…..” and the words run away when he heard her sobs, he looked at her seeing the tears and without thinking he sat next to her took her in his arms and on his lap, stroking her hair and saying soothing words, letting her empty all that he knew she kept inside. This is the second time he saw her crying, first time was because of him and he turned his back on her; but this time he will be next to her, he will never let her go. He promised himself that he will keep here there because that is where she belongs, next to him. And damn him if she doesn’t fit so well in his arms, she was just perfect. He cupped her cheek and raised her face so she can look at him, and brushed the tears with his thumb “we will work it out, everything is going to be fine”.
She looked at him and then her eyes were on his lips and then back to his eyes, he bushed his thumb on her upper lip, brought her closed and took her lips so gently. Rin closed her eyes, forgetting herself and her problems in that soothing, genteel and sweet kiss of his.
