I STEPPED forward to help them serve the food. But I heard Carlson crying from his crib in the living room.
"Ah, Cherry you're taking care of Carlson first, we'll take care of it," Lara ordered me so I nodded and decided to turn around.
I found him standing in the crib and crying. "Hi, little handsome!" I lightly stroked his thick hair before I loaded him.
I took him to the living room where I prepared his dinner. I arranged his sitting in the high chair. "I'm going to feed Carlson," I informed Lara who's still in the kitchen.
"Yes please, Cherry," she replied.
I smiled at her before she left after I took Carlson to dinner. I am the middle of my step when I saw Rexon sitting beside Carlson.
Nervousness grew over me. In every step that I took toward him the more my heart pounds fast. I also noticed the redness on his two cheeks because maybe from the alcohol they drank.
"Here's your food, little handsome." I sat down next to him to start feeding him.
"You looked tired, I'm sorry, I chose to celebrate my birthday here," he started, tilted his head to me.
I lightly shook my head, "You don't have to, Rex. I'm not the owner of this house in the first place," I simply said.
"Damn it!" he pounded his fist hand at the table.
"You're drunk Rex," I mumbled, trying to be normal as I fed Carlson but I couldn't help but shake my hand.
"I am not!" he said with gritted teeth. I knew he got completely pissed.
I nodded again, "Then act like one," I muttered to him and looked away.
"Alright, thanks for your wonderful gift, " he said with a grimace. He also quickly stood up to go back to the back of the house as I was left confused.
I haven't seen him all night. Maybe he's tired of talking to me so I decided to just go upstairs to put Carlson to sleep who is tired of playing all day. Like this, I was also dragged into drowsiness due to the afternoon work.
Until I was woken up by screams coming from the backyard. I quickly peeked out the window and from here I could see the fight between Rexon and Dawson who were now lying on the floor.
"Fuck you! Two years bro, two years! Then you'll just sit there as nothing happened?!" Rexon yelling to his brother.
I also noticed a woman I didn't know who tried to stop the two.
"Where are your fucking balls? You just used Lara!" Rexon shouted.
I firmly bit my lips. The pain seeps into my eyes. I can't seem to watch how he defends Lara from his brother.
"Shut up, you don't know anything!" Dawson quickly said, pointing his finger to Rex.
I covered the mouth when he punch Rexon on the face. It was as if my heart was broken when I saw Lara attended Rexon.
"Get out of my fucking house!" I heard a tremendous voice of Dawson that filled in the entire house.
I thought it was over but Dawson quickly threatened his brother. "You and your fucking company leave my house!" he shouted again with full of rage.
Jeff, Skye, and company stand to their seats with a bit of panic. Amazedly how Dawson controls their mind easily.
I took a step back from the window to hear Lara say "You must be kidding, you can't just throw him out of our house!" Lara's voice gets brittle I know she just keeps from crying.
"Yes I can, this is my house. They can leave now," he said.
I stepped away from the window and took a walk back and forth around the room. I glanced at Carlson who was still sound asleep. At that point, I heard the door close loudly from a room not far from here so we were very straight.
I quickly looked out the window and bravely peeked again. One by one, the guests started to stand up, so I quickly left the room to go outside.
"So, see you next time. Happy birthday again." Darwin said goodbye to Rexon and his group as soon as I could. He also glanced at my habit of waving at me without forgetting to smile.
Jeff, Skye & and their friends had already left the house.
One by one. I set aside some empty beer bottles and some dishes on the table.
"Don't bother just look at Carlson in his room." I felt he approach me so I looked at him.
"It's okay, the child is sound asleep. I'll take care of this." I refused
He didn't answer so I quickly glanced at him again, but my forehead was furrowed when I saw the blood and bruise under his lip.
I did not hesitate to approach him and quickly touched his cheek. "You have a wound," I whispered.
"I'm okay, it's far from the gut." He just shrugged then gave me a look. I bit my lips and looked away nervously.
"Alright," I said, putting down my hand.
He slammed his eyes shut and hammed the pain. "Ouch, it hurts here, oh!" he implored and took a peek of his one eye.
I rolled my eyes. "Tch, that's what you get when intervening in their relationship!" I said angrily before proceeding with the shuffle.
I didn't hear him answer so I hurried to take the plates to the kitchen. I washed the dirty dishes one by one and put the dish in the refrigerator untouched.
"After that, you make take a rest," he told me, he slightly sitting at the table. I ignored him and kept arranging the Tupperware in the refrigerator.
When I faced him I was holding an Ice bag, "You should put this to your bruises," I said.
I stepped closer to him and suddenly he pulled my waist closer to him.
"Rex, what are doing?!" My eyes are wide open in surprise. My voice was also weak because Lara and Dawson who were now upstairs could not hear me.
"I can't see where the bruise is, so you just put that on me," he said barely more than a whispered to me. I swallowed enough effort and pulled away but his arm was made with various kinds of metal.
"Will you put the Ice bug or I will kiss you?" he declared. Twitching his tousled dark eyebrows on me.
I pressed my lips together, damn! I hate the fact that he can easily manipulate me. My entire body and my entire world. I could do nothing but follow what he said so I gently raised my hand to dab the left lip of his Ice bag.
"Hmm, feels better," he muttered, then he slowly rake my eyes.
I smiled devilishly and press hard the Ice bag to his face. "Better?" I asked sarcastically.
"Ouch, are you a sadist?!" he grumbled.
I grinned at him and tried to loosen his iron-like arm again but he wasn't that easy to do because he only pressed me harder.
I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted. "Not so fast, babe," he whispered. His voice itself made me feel unease.
"I realized something earlier while talking to him." He started. I looked up at Rexon's eyes, I could see different emotions. They were speaking without any words, but I can't figure it out, I can't read it so I shook my head.
He move his head closer, "I want something to prove to myself, and the only way to find out is–" he stopped.
He slowly snatched the Ice bag from me, so I didn't mind lowering my trembling hand. I hold my breath for a second, my heart erratically pounding so fast. His hand reaches under my hair below my ear.
And without hesitation, he slowly moved in. His lips brushed mine and nearly knocked all the wind from my lungs. We drive in silence, I can't help but ponder the tenderness of his kiss. My eyes were closed seems the world fell through my feet.
The heat seemed to travels to my veins and warmed me. My lips were firm against him, but the kiss remain soft, gentle, and slow. Suddenly he drew away, stroking my cheeks, thumbs tracing a line along my lower lips.
I lean in, so my forehead rest against him. Both our breaths are shaking.
"I'm sorry, but still .... is Lara," he whispered and slowly move away.
I stand in frozen, both mind and heart stopped. I couldn't have prepared myself for this fall, not this way.
The pain is never permanent but tonight It's killing me...