When Talia and Rebecca came out of their room, Arthur was sleeping on the couch and Rebecca instinctively turned at Talia and she was amazed to see the rare emotions in her eyes.
Rebecca noticed Talia reflexively holding out her hand at him and her feet naturally took a step towards the couch but it seemed like she forcefully held herself back and with her lips pursed and forehead furrowed, walked towards the kitchen counter.
Talia didn't answer the question she previously asked but her action spoke louder than words. It screamed her inner thoughts.
She loves him but she will push him away.
Idiot!
Rebecca could only cuss her friend in her heart. Once she decided something, she won't change the decision even for her own heart.
Talia was never a talkative person who would open up their heart and share their emotions. She rarely spoke. It was annoying at first for Rebecca who is entirely opposite to Talia to see her swallowing up her emotions and just trying to act nonchalant. She wasn't even good at it and it made her look like an emotionless robot.
But Rebecca could slowly understand her throughout their days in the university. For Rebecca who had a lot of siblings and friends, she had a lot of people who would listen to her and respond to her.
But for Talia... Maybe she lacked a trusted person in her life and so she started keeping bottling up her emotions and gradually learnt to dismiss everything as unnecessary.
At least that's what Rebecca thought till now.
But... It seemed like she lost the one person she trusted the most and that too she herself ended his life. The news articles refered to her as a ruthless demon and a purple-eyed monster who brings misfortune to the lands.
Rebecca could only speculate how much she must have been hurt when people wrote that about her. Even if she killed a person... She didn't deserve to be lambasted like that.
Rebecca looked at Arthur who seemed to be deeply asleep in that couch. That couch wasn't small but for his tall frame, he seemed to be sleeping rather uncomfortably.
And he is... Handsome... Breathtakingly, stunningly handsome! Like "Superman" - otherworldly handsome... That dark hair with the perfect hairline, strong square jaw, thin lips, straight nose... What colour are his eyes...? And even though he was wearing a polo shirt, she could say he had the right amount of muscles and will have a toned body. He didn't look bulky. Plus his hands were big!
Wow!
Rebecca gulped unconsciously.
'Ah Shit, Rebecca! You are a married woman! You have a husband! You cannot be drooling over another man! And that too your friend's husband!'
Rebecca tried to move her eyes but they refused to. God created beauty to admire and so she decided to admire beauty for sometime.
She sighed internally thinking ghat all this beauty will go over Talia's head. There were many men who've approached her in the past and although most weren't this stunningly handsome, they all were handsome in their own right. But she would refuse them without batting an eye.
No wonder..! If someone got used to this handsome face, how would they find anyone else more attractive? But she could refuse even this Greek godlike human so easily.
What use is beauty if he can't even get the woman he wants?
'I pity you, buddy'
Rebecca wiped her imaginary tears.
It would be better if he loved Talia truly. She needs someone who could bear with her and understand her the most.
And with her graceful beauty and his otherworldly handsome features, they'd be the most perfect couple.
Rebecca sincerely hoped Arthur is a good person and he gets a chance with Talia.
"You've cooked a lot!" Talia spoke, suppressing her volume. Rebecca could only smile realising that she didn't want to walk that sleeping beauty up and walked to her side.
"I felt like it," Rebecca shrugged. Talia knew something was wrong with Rebecca since she is someone who reduces her stress by cooking. If she cooked this much, she was stressed this much.
But she need not to ask. Rebecca would share it all herself. She is such an open book Talia sometimes would envy her. She is sigh a bubbly person Who'd brighten up any place by her presence.
Talia looked at the grocery bag Arthur brought back and saw big bars of chocolates and felt joy sprouting in her heart.
"Are you hungry? Can you wait for me to make a dessert? It won't take long..." Talia looked at Rebecca and she waved her hand telling Talia to do what she wanted.
Rebecca liked cooking but she can never make desserts. She never was an orderly person and cooking desserts needed to have proper measurements and careful steps and she never bothered with it.
But Cordelia would make the perfect desserts and Talia learned from her. Back in university, they three shared a single room with a kitchenette and a single bathroom.
All three of them were entirely different although Rebecca could see some similarities between Cordelia and Talia with their noble upbringing, but they got along perfectly. Talia liked to clean, Cordelia liked to bake and she liked to cook and there was a perfect harmony among them.
Good days...
After refrigerating the double chocolate mousse, Talia opened the containers and she and Rebecca had a sumptuous lunch. Throughout lunch, Rebecca could see Talia taking a peel at the sleeping beauty on the couch with a little worry and guilt in her eyes.
'Gee! Go wake him up and ask him to join us if that's what you want.!' Rebecca wanted to scream but she didn't. Because, Rebecca knew her idiot friend will purposefully not give him lunch if she knew her emotions are read by her.
Stubborn idiot!
After finishing lunch, Talia picked up the small glasses filled by delicious layers of dark and white chocolate mousse topped with a layer of whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
She was gravely disappointed to see the glass with extra layer of white chocolate mousse still left in the fridge. When Talia made that serving different, Rebecca assumed that since she loved white chocolate, her adorable friend made that serving just for her.
But... Why is it not served to me?
Rebecca was not someone who is shameful when it came to desserts and asked Talia but was profoundly amazed by the word gymnastics put forth by that woman with the angelically beautiful eyes.
'Okay, fine! I won't give what I made for Joe to others too. So I forgive you'
Rebecca forgave Talia and patted herself for being magnanimous.
"So... What made you cook this much?"
Talia looked at Rebecca after savouring the dessert. It was perfect. Fred would love it. She'd give it to him once he wakes up. It would be nice to see his smiling face. That thought made her mood better. She had to now talk to her friend. It was surprising that she still isn't taking about what is bothering her.
Rebecca was stunned for a second that Talia is bringing up the topic herself. Till now she never bothered with the life of others. She thought her husband was joking last night when he said that Talia threatened him for her. So he didn't possibly lie?
"It's..." Rebecca did come here to check up in Talia and to vent her frustration. There is no one else she'd trust with something so personal. Talia is the least gossipy person she knows. And she'd be the only one who'd just listen without giving her opinion or thrusting her beliefs onto her. That's why sometimes Rebecca would vent to Talia.
Sometimes one would just need a pair of ears that listens and nothing more.
"We've been trying for a baby for six months but we still..."
Talia held Rebecca's hand as she saw tears welling up her eyes.
"I'm fine... I'm fine... I know it is not a big deal. I'm just twenty seven and Joe is in his thirties... I know these things take time and not everything is in our hands... But still.. It's saddening to expect the double lines each month only to..."
Rebecca cried for sometime. Talia didn't know what to say to comfort her. It seemed like Rebecca was comforting herself and so she just kept her silence while holding her hand.
Baby...
With her friend speaking about it, Talia's mind wondered about that possibility for herself too. She placed her hand in her belly and her eyes naturally looked at Arthur as a small smile formed in her lips.
'Carrying his child... It isn't that bad, right?'
But there was a mocking voice that echoed deep in her mind,
'Do you really deserve happiness?'
Talia shook her head to rid of her thoughts. They are too luxurious of thoughts for a wretched being like her.
Rebecca vented for sometime and her mind got clearer and soon she started to mock Talia making her wish to throw her out.
"Hey,Tallie!" Rebecca hissed. "Just pop your cheery with this handsome hunk. What's the use of holding onto your chastity like some medieval maiden? And what's the worse that could happen? Pregnancy? Gosh! Imagine a boy with his looks and your intelligence... That's what blessed means... Tallie, don't waste your youth like this... I'll teach you... "
Rebecca went on with her rambling and Talia just stared back at her as usual. But this time she had a small prickly feeling in her heart.
Time passed as they both chatted - more like Rebecca was speaking and Talia mostly listening and Talia got worried that even Rebecca's unrestrained noise is not waking up Arthur.
She decided to wake him up and walked to the couch and it looked like he was so tired and sleeping peacefully. But something felt odd for Talia and she tried to awaken him.
She called his name and there was no response and she patted his shoulder afterwards but he still didn't wake up.
"Rebecca... What's wrong? Why isn't he waking up?"
Talia went entirely pale. Seeing her ghastly expression Rebecca got to him. But before she could check him, Talia knelt beside him.
"Fred, wake up," Talia cried and her hands were trembling as she held his cheeks.
"Fred... Please... Fred... Fred...."
Only Talia's pitiful cry was heard in that room but Arthur's still lay unmoving on the couch.