Bitter & Sweet
The Part 39

After playing around like two children in the pool, Matthew was ushered back into his room, and Chloe went to change clothes in the pavilion.

When Chloe returns to see Matthew in his room, and changes the bandages in Matthew's wet hands, Matthew suggests that they rest the day.

"... For a while, I think that's enough. We just wait for the results of the audit, then the change is done."

Matthew talks about why, allowing himself and Chloe to pause from office work.

Chloe who sat opposite Matthew, only nodded in agreement, without taking her eyes off Matthew's hands.

"What did Matteo do at his house?" matthew asked, watching the bandage that Chloe had finished putting in her hand.

Chloe who remembered the incident at Matteo's house, then could only be silent for a while.

"Hm ... Mister Matteo just invited me to look at musical instruments in his studio. I don't know for sure what he's doing, after I get out of there" Chloe replied, then placed the medicine box on the nightstand.

"Why does your face suddenly look pale? Are you sick?" matthew asked, holding onto Chloe's chin, so she could see Chloe's face well.

"No ... I'm fine" Chloe replied, then turned her face away.

"Is there something going on with you at Matteo's house?" Matthew seemed to be able to read Chloe's mind, until Chloe looked back at him.

"Nothing" Chloe replied, lying.

"Chelle! ... You can't hide it from me" Matthew said, shaking his head.

"I'm not hiding anything" said Chloe, who began to feel nervous.

"I know if you're lying or not ... Wonder how I can do it?" matthew said, with both of his eyebrows raised.

Chloe just fell silent, until Matthew continued to say,

"Over eye twitches when you lie...."

Chloe flinched, in disbelief at what she had just heard.

At this time, Matthew reminds Chloe of the late father Chloe, who also said the same thing as Matthew said.

"... But I won't force you to talk about what happened to you, if you don't want to talk about it....

... You're not a child, if there's something dangerous, there's no way you won't tell it."

Chloe was still listening to Matthew's next words, but she didn't pay much attention to his words anymore.

Because Chloe was too busy shifting her mind to remember her daddy while her daddy was alive, which made Chloe feel like crying because she missed him.

"Hey! ... What did Matteo do to you?" Matthew's question in that jolting tone, resuscitated Chloe from her daydream.

"Ugh? ... No, Sir!" chloe replied, hurry up. "Mister Matteo didn't do anything."

"Why are you crying?" matthew asked, with a tone of voice and a face that looked confused.

At that very moment, Matthew touched Chloe's cheek, and rubbed the bottom of Chloe's eye with his thumb, then continued to say, Chloe,

"What's up? ... I didn't even scold you this time ... So are you crying because of Matteo?"

Before Matthew completely misunderstands and blames Matteo, Chloe then tries to explain to Matthew, saying,

"It's not because of Mister Matteo ... I just remember daddy."

"Daddy once said, I can't lie to him, because my eyes twitch when I do. All this time, only daddy could notice that....

... And now, when you say the same thing, it makes me really miss her whereabouts," Chloe continued, explaining.

Chloe tried hard to stay calm, and forced herself to smile, but she could not do it, until she finally just bowed, then cried as much as she could.

Perhaps out of pity, Matthew then hugged Chloe and rubbed Chloe's back slowly.

"If I had known that my words would only make you weak like this, I would have scolded you so that you could proudly challenge me" Matthew said.

Matthew who seemed to want to comfort Chloe, despite using those unusual words, almost made Chloe laugh while crying.

"I'm sorry ... I don't intend to make you cry. How about I make it up to buy you dinner outside?" matthew said, again.

"Thank you, Sir ... But you don't have to do it. Because you didn't make any mistakes. You don't even have to apologize."

Before Matthew said anything, Chloe who thought of something, then cautiously continued to say,

"If you're pleased, I just want to ask for a moment's exit ... I want to visit daddy at cemetery."

Matthew looks averted his eyes from Chloe's, and appears slightly downcast for a while, before he lifts his gaze back and looks at Chloe.

"What if I accompany you there?" matthew asked, looking hopeful for Chloe to agree.

However, Chloe hesitates to let Matthew come with her. Because in addition to his daddy who was only buried in the public cemetery, Matthew's feet also have not recovered to be used to walk too far.

"After that, I also want you to take me for a walk in this city. Show me, anywhere interesting places to visit!"

Matthew's words, sounding as if they were just adding up the reason, were for him to still be able to come with Chloe.

Seeing that Matthew seemed adamant, Chloe finally agreed to his request.

"Good, Sir! ... As long as you don't complain, when we have to walk some distance to reach daddy's grave," Chloe said, smiling.

"No problem! ... Let's have lunch first" Matthew said, excited. "How's it?"

Chloe nodded in agreement.

***

After finishing their late lunch, Chloe rushes to the cemetery where her daddy is buried, together with Matthew.

They travel without a private driver, because Chloe is the one driving Matthew's car, so they can be more free to go anywhere that will be their destination.

Before going to the cemetery, Chloe still took the time to stop at a flower shop on the side of the road.

It wasn't just Chloe who bought a bouquet of flowers, because Matthew did the same, even though Chloe had already banned him.

"I couldn't have visited your daddy without bringing anything. I'll be considered disrespectful, and just interrupt the break."

As Matthew said, it was as if he was talking about the feelings of someone who was still alive.

Chloe could only smile, shaking her head when she heard Matthew's words.

Upon arriving at the cemetery, and parking the car, Chloe helps Matthew walk to reach his daddy's grave, which is quite far from the entrance gate of the cemetery.

"Hello, Mister...." Matthew seemed to notice the writing on the tombstone that was beginning to fade.

"... Charter Fern!" matthew continued, then put a bouquet of flowers that he carried on top of the tomb of daddy Chloe.

"My name is Matthew McLean. I'm Chloe's new boss. It's nice to meet you....

... Forgive me, Sir ... I only brought this flower, because Chloe thought of visiting you all of a sudden."

Matthew who was being very polite, as if he was indeed meeting in person with someone who was still alive, was quite surprising to Chloe who saw him.

"Other than flowers, is there anything else you can bring here?" chloe asked who was talking sarcasm, smiling and almost laughing.

However, Matthew still had a serious look on his face, and it was as if something was being thought of, before he finally said,

"Did your daddy like wine?"

Chloe nodded.

"Hm ... If you know that, we should have brought a bottle of wine here, " said Matthew, who still sounded serious, until Chloe finally laughed a little at it.

Although Chloe laughed at him, Matthew seemed unfazed, and still had a serious face. Then, while staring at the tombstone of Chloe's daddy, Matthew then continued to say,

"The sir! ... Do you know what? My introduction and Chloe's pretty bad. But Chloe took good care of me. And I thank you, for allowing him to work for me....

...Sir! ... I might not be able to promise. But I'll try to repay your kindness, by keeping Chloe. Especially as long as he works with me....

... I'm sorry, if I lose control every once in a while and scold Chloe, when there's something she's doing, that I don't think fits into what's on my mind."