Talia sat in front of the vanity in a daze for a long time.
"Will you come with me if I get that pouch from the bull's horn?"
The young him asked with his face red due to sunburn that day. She went there to meet her old friend in that tropical country that time and he came for her. She begged him to not get near that bull. But in the end he did it anyway.
He got the pouch and got trampled under the bull after. Remembering that still brings shiver to her bones.
"I'm not going to give up on you... But I'll let you do what you want... I'll comeback for you..."
He said to her that day, under the shades of a century old banyan tree in the midst of a paddy field nine years ago.
And now he repeats those words!
His words only felt like a noose around her neck suffocating her.
Now what kind of trouble will he get himself into? What is he planning anyway? Why can't he just leave me alone?
But I will push him away from my life!
Plus she felt her lower abdomen and back hurting a bit.
It should be that time of the month.
She went and curled up in the bed and before she knew it, she fell asleep. She was surprised when she woke up hungry and there was the smell of food in her home.
Am I dreaming..?
She opened her bedroom door slightly and peeked out to see Arthur wearing her apron and was cooking in her kitchen. He cooked, she knew. He used to cook simple dishes back in high school and she'd tasted them. They weren't all that delicious as the ones she usually has, but it all would be just edible... Barely edible.
'But why is he cooking now? We could have ordered pizza or something!'
Thinking about food made her wonder why Mrs. Johnson isn't bringing her food anymore. Her grandson isn't visiting her either.
Is it because Fred is here? So me being watched by Lockhart family is a secret to my family? Why?
Talia thought for some time about why the Lockhart family is secretly protecting her but she couldn't think for long since she got more hungry seeing the plates being set on the dinner table.
But she felt a slight discomfort in her stomach and felt a little sticky between her legs. She needed to used the bathroom first and for that she needed to pass through the kitchen.
'Who made this kind of design for the house!' Talia grumbled and walked on tiptoes.
"Iris! You woke up just on time. Did you have a nice nap?" Arthur walked up to her removing his apron and hanging it where she used to and walked towards her.
"Do you want to..." he pointed at the bathroom seeing her acting sneaky, "Or..." his gaze froze at her pants, "I think you'll need a shower," he opened the bathroom door for her.
Talia looked down only then to see the big splotch of red spread between her legs that clearly contrasted on the grey sweatpants and cursed her idiocy for not checking her pants before when she was inside the bedroom.
"Ahhh! Can't you just be..." she screamed at him fisting her hands before her face. He just chuckled seeing her act cute even though she was fuming with anger.
Can't he just pretend to have not seen that? I'm just five feet away from the bathroom!
"I want you gone when I come out!" she pushed him away and got in and locked the bathroom.
"Come on, Iris! It's not the first time I'm seeing this," he chuckled leaning on the door.
"Get lost, you hooligan!" she kicked the door and he with a smile got away from the door slightly rubbing his back that hurt a bit.
She does have some strength to hurt me through the door!
Talia on the other hand was fuming and her face was red with shame. But soon she stood with her back straight and got on with her business.
It's that guy who should be ashamed! Who asked him to barge in my life?
Arthur in the other hand went to the bedroom and he saw the sheets were soiled. So he changed the sheets and washed the sheets where it was soiled before putting it in the washing machine.
This situation is pretty familiar to him as he remembered their first year of their high school.
Back then she never attended gym classes and he was so interested in basket ball. There was a friendly match between their school and this other school and he begged her to attend the match and she refused till the very end.
He knew she never changes her mind once she decided about something and he was very disappointed.
But surprisingly as they came to the basketball court, he saw her sitting in the fifth row. In that place filled with a nasty smell of sweaty teenagers, she looked like a flower completely unsuitable for that place and completely untouchable.
She didn't have friends and while others were chatting with their friends happily, she was sitting cross-legged, with her back straight, like she was watching those high-end horse races. He himself didn't know how he found her immediately after he stepped in and he couldn't help but laugh seeing her there and she face him the thumbs up signal to wish him luck.
This was the first time he had someone whom he considered close to him, cheering for him from the sidelines. There were always girls holding banners with his names and glittery hearts written on it but her silent presence there that day gave him the utmost confidence boost and he scored sixty three points in that single game. That was his personal best.
And after that game ended, he went to the locker room and while others were planning for a party to celebrate their win, he wanted to meet his Iris first and he showered quickly and wearing his uniform, ran out of the locker while others were playfully teasing him for his urgency.
He thought she'd have left but was surprised to see her still sitting there unmoving.
He jumped up the benches and reached her quickly and as he saw her sitting with a slight blush, he was a bit moved.
Is she sitting here, waiting for me?
"Aren't you leaving?" he asked hiding his thoughts.
"I'm waiting for Cyrus, " she said.
There was an indescribable feeling in his heart when she mentioned Cyrus and so he sat beside her not wanting to leave her alone.
"Why are you sitting here? Shouldn't you be with your teammates?" she asked biting her lower lip and her eyebrows were raised up to her hairline as if she was stressed.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he felt something was weird. She was sitting in a stiff manner and it seemed like she was worried about something.