The very morning Arthur knocked on her door.
"Alice!! I'm sorry I let you feel that you didn't deserve to be in this family. I didn't want you as an Aunt or as a cousin. I told grandmother to let you call her grandmother because if you called her Mother, I felt it gave you more superiority over me. I was a fool. I'm sorry that I pursued to marry you to get what is already mine. I'm sorry. At first, I wanted you to fall for me because I wanted all of it. But I fell for you anyway but then all the hiding and you making me feel I was not what you wanted made me unsure of us. Because you wanted a PhD to prove to grandmother that she did not make a mistake of adopting you. It made me feel unimportant. So, I left you." He yelled at the door.
She opened the door to him and yelled back. "So, finally we got this straightened. You left first and you got ENGAGED to someone else!"
"Yes, but I went back."
"WHY?!"
"To Marry you."
"WHY DID YOU WANT TO MARRY ME, WHY?!"
"I told you Alice, because I realize I love you."
"Arthur please stop lying to me." She ran out of the room and to the stairs where he chased her.
"I already answered your questions. How about you answer my question for ones Alice. Why did you leave me?"
"I loved you since I was younger Arthur but I had to leave you because that time I only felt obligated to Marry you and not because I wanted to be with you."
He was far away from her to catch her and he knew she couldn't be confronted but he had to try.
"You mean to tell me you have tolerated me out of obligation and not love."
"That's because our relationship is difficult to understand Arthur. The kind of love I feel for you is love. But I don't know the nature of this love. I'm confuse. Firstly, you are my master and I'm just your servant. That's how I had to act around you since I could remember. Secondly, I'm your adopted aunt by paper and you're my nephew. So, there's a sense of kin."
"Love is Love. Why do you confuse that with an obligation and any other nonsense?" He tries to approach her.
"Arthur!" She yelled. "If you come any closer I promised you I will never forgive you."
"What is it that you want me to do just let you go?"
"Yes. Let me go."
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A year and some months had passed and Alice received a call from everyone searching for Arthur. Apparently, he has gone missing since she last saw him. Alice wanted to be free from Arthur, she didn't want the love she had for him because she felt it was not real true love. She felt it was the love of an obligation and loving him felt like a rule rather than fate. She wanted to be free from that. From him. However, she still felt she owed it to her grandmother to make sure he was alright, alive and well.
She searched for him and hired a detective and it had turned almost a year.
She feared that he had died. She will never forgive herself if he had died and bitter words was her last words to him.
One day the detective got a lead and confirmed to her that he was in San Jose, Costa Rica. She had to go see him and make sure he was alright. She had to make sure to comfort him after all she was swallowed by the emotion of the lost of the women who loved her and took her in and yet forgetting that after their grandmother died Arthur also felt alone.
"Hey." He greeted her calmly, in front of his house when he got out of the car.
"Is that all you have to say?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Everyone was looking for you. We all thought you had died."
"I just mailed everything that needed to get my attention. I guess you got the news late that the company located me a while back."
"No Aunt Margaret told me to find you."
"Oh little errand girl. Now you found me so you can go back on your way now."
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" She just drove and was tired from the flight. Her hotel was an hour away and she wanted to know what had happened to him before she went to check in.
"I would but I have things to do." He dismissed her and closed the door on her.
Her heartache and remembered it was her wish that he stayed away from him. She was on her car when he saw another car arriving. It was a woman, she looked familiar and when she came out she realize it was the same woman Arthur was engaged to.
"Cynthia?" She whispered to herself and her heart sank. She drove away as fast as she can before Cynthia noticed her car. Trying not to cry. Telling herself lies that she was glad Arthur was moving on.
Good for Arthur. I hope he is happy now.
Alice your so stupid. You shouldn't have come. The detective already confirmed he was alive and here you are insisting to see him. How stupid could you be? You were the one who wanted to never see him again. She scolded herself on the way to her hotel and her car had broken down a few minutes away from his house. I'm not going back there for Arthurs help I rather walk back to the hotel than asked him for help. The thought of going back there seeing Cynthia and him making out or witnessing them being sweet together will kill her.
She walked on her way first trying to get a signal on her phone for help but it was useless. She was glad she wore a good walking shoes and just the right outfit for a long walk.
It was 3pm and she hoped there were cars passing by so she can hitch a ride. But the neighborhood he lived was miles and miles away from a landmark. He was in his private property full of woods and wildlife. The ocean a few minutes away from the trail of the road. She had her bathing suit in her bag in the car with her luggage since she hasn't checked in yet.
She decided to go swimming for a while setting her beach towel on the beach and putting sunscreen on while she relaxed.
She was so tired she fell asleep.
Arthur who was walking to the shore just venting out that Alice found him and then Cynthia came at the same day and found him as well. He had to dismissed the two women at the same day. He was walking just as he spotted her. Alice sleeping there on the shore. He looked around and angered flared at the thought there could have been someone else here. Someone who could have molested and raped her.
Who knew if the private property sign could contain anyone from coming into his property? Safety was always best and she never learns. He thought as he sighs in anger.
He thought he should give her a good scolding so he walked closer to her, however his eyes had thought of its own. It roamed easily upon the sight of her tone body, perfect upright breast, delightful curve of thighs and long delicious legs. He was lost in his thoughts of desires and the thought to touch her skin overpowered his anger. Enough that he could not control himself from reaching out to the touch the side of her stomach.
Startled by his touch she sat up and tries to move away from him. "I didn't realize..."
"You are so careless" He said as he grabs her arms so she couldn't move away. He knelt down close to her and touch her cheeks.
"Arthur. I don't want to love you anymore."
He caressed her cheeks angered that she hated loving him. He cursed himself from thinking of kissing her again when he had tried to forget her during the passing year of being away. Why did she have to come and ruined the process of forgetting her finally. He was mad at her for ruining his progress. After he used all the power and will to turn her away the moment, he saw her. Only to fail at a simple action by laying on a shore like an offering to him.
Even I don't want to lust over you anymore, I don't want to crave and need you beside me. I don't want to be hungry from your touch. He declared to himself as he stared at her face.
"I don't need your love." He declared and let go of her in disgust. However, he was still staring at her body and it made her conscious. So, she looked around for her clothes and she covered herself modestly with her shirt.
"Nothing I haven't seen and feasted before." He declared as an insult which made her angry to slap him in response. It did not hurt him in the flesh nor in thought but made him smirk. The smirk irritated her and she pushed him and he fell on his back.
It made him angry. "I'm sorry." She said as she ran far from him. He gave chase and told her to stop but instead she fell to the water. She laughed and he laughed with her. "Arthur please don't hurt me."
He stopped laughing then because it was by far not in his plans to hurt her at all but love her. He helped her up trying not to advance anymore contact.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to take naps just anywhere?" Voicing out a concern Arthur wanted to improve the tension.
"But I'm not anywhere. I'm in your property." She answered and felt the De ja Vu moments when they were younger. She found her clothing and dress as quickly as she can to be more comfortable around him again. She expresses her wishes to forgive her for leaving him and that she wishes they were back to talking normally again. He agreed to her wishes and told her he was only waiting for her to begin the conversation.
They both felt uncomfortable suddenly and so he quickly changed the subject and reminded her of her improvement from being a clumsy child into a responsible doctor. While she reminded him that the arrogant child was less arrogant as a man.
"Will you should be on your way now the sun is almost setting." She looked around for her things and then found the courage to let him know of her situation.
"Actually Arthur. My car broke down." She explained and he flicked on her forehead playfully.
"Do you mean to tell me you planned to sleep here if I had not found you."
