New Course 4

RED'S POV

My mouth dropped open as soon he said it. It seemed that his intention was more than a man-woman relationship. Yet, I had nothing for a business tycoon to want after me. I neither had a family. I'm so alone in this world, and I felt so unwanted that even a mere friend deserted me.

"Sean, why? Who are you?" I stepped back to take a good look at his face, but he pulled me closer, tilted his head, and drowned my questions in his lips.

"Red, someday you will understand, but not now. Just fall in love with me, and all your questions will have its answers," he panted a little but flashed me a gentle smile that melted my heart again. I had decided then to stop asking and do a silent investigation.

He held my hand and pulled me to the dining table. The aroma of the freshly-brewing coffee filled my nostrils and had my stomach growling. Sean pulled out a chair and let me sit on it. He then filled two cups from the coffee maker and handed one to me. I also helped myself by placing sugar and cream into the cup.

"How much sugar do you like?" I asked as he returned to the table with a tray of food.

"One teaspoon."

I watched him placed down the food tray on the table. It had fried chicken ham, sunny-side-up eggs, toasts, and vegetable salad.

"Did you order that?" I asked.

"No, I prefer home-made foods."

I hang my mouth open as I watched him took out the plates from the tray. I couldn't imagine those hands doing things other than signing checks and documents.

"Haven't I told you before that I cook my food, clean the house and do my laundry?"

"I didn't take it seriously," I replied, remembering the things he told me about himself the other night. I just couldn't believe he did it and how simple he was outside the business world.

"From now on, get used to it. I'm not the one you think. I'm not even worthy of you." He threw me a glance before pulling back a chair across me. I followed his moves until he sat comfortably and began placing food on my plate.

"No. Don't spoil me like this. I might get used to it." I held his hand that held the clipper and pushed it back to his plate. Perhaps annoyed or frustrated, Sean placed down his hands at the table and looked squarely at me.

"Red, who am I to you now?"

"I might get used to it and might not be able to live without it," I explained.

"Let me be me. Allow me to do my way. Do we have it clear?" It was more of an imperative statement rather than a question.

I did not reply. It hurt me again in realizing that Eric never did it for me. I sipped my coffee and got lost in my thoughts as I went to the ref to get the cup of butter. I heard him saying something, but I ignored him.

"Don't put too much. I've already done it." He smiled as he also held my wrist, stopping me from opening the cup of butter.

"You did not tell me," I murmured before I walked back to the ref and placed back the butter into its place.

"You were not listening." He shrugged, and I noticed that his eyes were always following me intently, making me feel more awkward.

I chuckled to conceal my uncomfortable feelings; then, I began eating silently until I was halfway through my meal.

"Shall we be silent throughout the day?" I heard Sean speaking, and I glanced at him.

"As I said, I'll get used to it, so let it be." I smiled, and he stood up and walked towards my side of the table, then hug me from behind.

"Red, life is not unfair. You may be unhappy in some ways, yet, you are also successful in another way. Someday soon, you'll see that life has given you a great favor."

When he saw that I did not say a word, he continued. "Don't look at men as if they are all like Eric, nor look at the less unfortunate like they are all greedy. Some know how to keep their gratitude for a lifetime. Eric himself is not as cold and cruel as you know him. He has soft spots, and he also knows how to love unconditionally. Sadly, the woman is not you."

I furrowed my brows as I turned to look at him. In those few sentences, he implied many things beyond what I could grasp at the moment. I didn't have to wonder anymore why he knew a lot about Eric and me. Wealthy people have their way of finding things they wish to understand; they can well afford it.

"Who?" I whispered, "my best friend?" I directed at him a sharp look, not pausing for a blink until I got his answer.

"No. Red, do you still want to know? Does it still matter?"

"It does," I told myself silently while my heart was screaming inwardly, dying to know who was the woman who stole Eric and mine's time together.

I held his gaze for a moment, debating within myself if I were willing to know further. Sean was already my boyfriend, and it was inappropriate if I still showed my interest in knowing who owned Eric's heart. Knowing about her would not help me move on, and it wouldn't help either in the relationship Sean, and I was about to build. I shrugged my shoulder and decided to make it a part of my silent investigation later.

"Not anymore," I answered, turning my head back to the plate, where he couldn't see my reactions anymore.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, lowering his head beside my ears, hugging me tighter.

"For what?' I said, tears glimmering in my eyes. I began hurting again in realizing that the reason he was so cold to me was that he was in love with someone else.

"I'm sorry."

I then glanced at my watch and put down my spoon and fork. Sean also released me and helped me as I stood up.

"Go and change now," he said, wrapping his arm around my waist and walked me out of the dining room. When I was about to climb up the stairs, he stopped and urged me to go up by myself. I nodded and took two steps at a time. When I looked down to see him, he was already at the doorway to the dining room.

I went back to the later after changing into my working clothes, and I noticed that the table was already clean. I saw Sean closing the dishwasher, and I watched him getting busy the next moment in cleaning up the sink. This was my second time watching him cleaning up the kitchen, but I couldn't still believe he could do it.

He walked towards me as soon as he sensed my presence.

"I'll drive you to the hospital," he said, diverting my thoughts away from appreciating the way her mother had raised him.

"No," I shook my head, "you also need to prepare. I'll book a Grab car."

"Shall we start arguing again? Come here," he said while reaching for my hand. He then gently led me out to the garage.

In a few minutes, we were already in front of the emergency room. He held my chin and kissed me before he went down and walked to my side of the car to open the door for me. As soon as I stepped down, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing at the corner near the ER's entrance. My heartbeats started to pick up as soon as I met his eyes.

"Eric?"

He did not answer me right away. His eyes followed Sean as he slipped back into his car.

"What does this mean, Red?"