FOREVER HATE YOU'S
44. Laugh together

Brianna shook her head at Arthur as a gesture of rejecting the man's offer. He does not want too much physical contact with Arthur, he is afraid that Arthur's attitude now is just camouflage to conquer it and hurt him in the future.

A little bit, Brianna doesn't want to hope for the guy. He was afraid of feeling deep pain. He's been feeling poverty, living hard times, being bullied, being destroyed but he's not ready for heartbreak. Yes, Brianna was afraid that her deep hatred for Arthur would turn to love.

Brianna had heard a sentence saying that hate and love are only as thin as the skin of an ari. He didn't want that to happen to him where he hated Arthur so much.

Wait for. Back then? Yeah, he used to hate Arthur. Then what about now? Brianna did not find the answer, although she was sometimes annoyed at the man but she could not admit that she still hated the man now.

"You don't want to hear my story about that video call with Chico?" Arthur's voice roused Brianna from her daydream.

"Huh?" Brianna. "Ng-that's, no!" origin answers. Though he was very curious about what Arthur was talking about with his son but he tried to resist the curiosity just because he wanted to avoid Arthur who asked him to join the same bed.

"I slept on the couch tonight" Brianna pointed to the sofa in the corner of the room.

"What?" Arthur was surprised, he thought Brianna would be willing to share a bed with him again tonight. And if you can, the next night too.

"I think you're sick so it's good that I don't sleep near you."

Arthur's eyelids opened wide, his eyes darting away instantly. "My disease is not contagious!" his objection.

Brianna smiled when she heard it. "I'm not saying your disease is contagious, Arthur!" abugn.

"So?"

"I just don't want to disturb the comfort of your sleep."

Arthur clucking. He must have a logical reason to make Brianna sleep by his side. But he didn't want to be seen begging for it. She could have told Brianna that she would be much more comfortable sleeping while hugging the woman's slender body, as well as rolling up Brianna's blonde hair with her fingers, until she was sleepy, she said, but he doesn't want to be so blatant.

"Just because I'm sick, you should be right next to me, Bri. If you're far away it'll make it hard for me to call you." Arthur began to give reasons that might sound reasonable.

"You just need to call and I'll help you" Brianna replied confidently.

"If you're too sound, you won't be able to hear me, Brianna. Come on, just sleep here. Not on the couch. If I need anything, I'll just pat your arm."

Brianna rolled her eyeballs. But in hindsight Arthur's speech was correct as well. After all, Arthur was sick and couldn't have done more to him. The man won't mess around, he thought.

"All right..." Brianna came closer, she chose to give up because Arthur was sick or because she wanted to be in this position too? I don't know ...

Brianna occupies the empty side next to Arthur and sits leaning against the headbord just as Arthur did.

"So ... what?" ask Brianna.

"What?" Arthur asked back.

Brianna laughed, and it rubbed off on Arthur, who chuckled. He was happy that Brianna could behave like this in front of him, because Arthur rarely saw Brianna smile let alone laugh. Since long ago, Brianna always put a tight face in front of him.

"You're beautiful when you laugh. Why do you rarely do that?" praise Arthur blatantly.

Brianna's face flushed instantly, she had never heard Arthur praise her and this time it sounded earnest.

"Because you're always a bitch, I don't want to show you my smile" Brianna said honestly.

"If I act nice, do you want to laugh with me?" This time Arthur looked at Brianna seriously.

Brianna threw out a stare, she felt the atmosphere of the room turn hot just because of Arthur's gaze that felt raining down on her.

"What did Chico tell you?" Brianna switched the subject.

Arthur eventually cleared his throat briefly, then explained to the woman about his first conversation with the boy.

"So, Chico was surprised to see that I received his video call. He asked me who I was and I said my name was Arthur Mattews."

"Then, what was Chico's response?"

"He didn't respond to my introduction, he just focused on looking for you."

Brianna smiled. "And you said I was in the bathroom?" guess it.

Arthur nodded his head.

"Then, what else are you talking about?"

"I asked him if I was handsome."

Brianna couldn't help but laugh this time, she actually laughed at Arthur's confidence.

"And Chico replied that he was the one who was more handsome than you," he later explained.

"Yes." Yeah." Arthur chuckled. "But I admit it, he is more handsome than me. Later, I will boast in front of him that his good looks come from me" he said later.

"I don't know when I can tell him, Arthur." Brianna said softly. It's like he has a burden on this one.

Arthur approaches Brianna, he embraces the woman's shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay .. You can start slowly. I won't force you even though I can't wait to introduce myself as his father" he said.

Brianna looked up, feeling the movement of Arthur's hand stroking his back with a regular rhythm. He stared at the tanned netra belonging to the man. "Don't be too nice to me, Arthur," he said.

"Why? Am I wrong if I'm good to you? Do you want to know me as the bad guy throughout our introduction?"

Brianna shakes. "I just don't want to fall for your kindness" she admitted.

Arthur smiled obliquely, clearly he knew where Brianna was thinking now.

"You think my kindness to you is just pretend? That so?"

Brianna slicked her shoulder.

"If I'm to be honest, I've been wanting to be nice to you for a long time, Bri."

Of course Brianna was surprised to hear that.

"... Long before I knew you had given birth to my son, I had wanted to be nice to you."

"Then?"

"I'm just afraid you won't accept my kindness. And every time you remember your stupid attitude at university, it always makes me angry. I don't like you being taken advantage of by others, so I choose to vent my disappointment over your attitude by working on you."

Brianna looked at Arthur unblinking. He's speechless with Arthur's honesty this time. He couldn't say anything as if Arthur's words just now were actually the key to peace for the two of them.

"Will you forgive me, Brianna?"

Brianna fell silent, she inched away from Arthur's embrace. He lay down and covered himself with a blanket.

Arthur knows that Brianna can't just forgive him. He knew his mistake in the woman was fatal and could not be easily forgiven by a plea.

Arthur lies down, hugs Brianna from behind. Of course Brianna was shocked because of his actions. Arthur also brought his lips closer to Brianna's ears as if ready to start his words.

"I'm serious when I say I want to start everything from scratch with you, let's move our household with a new feeling. No more hate and revenge. I understand and know very well my mistakes with you, so I don't force you to forgive me easily. For that, let me prove to you that I can offer happiness to our little family."

...To be continue ......