Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 172: Future Father?

Chapter 172: Future Father?

In the evening while there were only hours for the State Dinner, Talia was lying on Arthur’s bed, with a wide grin on her face.

"Can’t you stop kissing..." she said with a slight giggle. Arthur noticed her jiggly bits jiggling as she laid on her back, holding the little puppy. Seeing that awesome scene, his throat went dry and his hands naturally wanted to squeeze them a teeny bit. But the dogs paws were all over her.

Hmpf!

Seeing the loathsome grin on her face, he scoffed and turned his face.

Look how happy she is with that dog! It can’t stop licking her plump lips. If that dog keeps kissing her, when can he kiss his Iris?

"What are you doing with that smelly dog on my bed?" he asked grumpily.

If she wanted to play with the dog and not him, why is she here in his room?

"Why are you looking so forlorn?" Talia darted a glance at Arthur and sat up petting the dog.

"Look how cute you are, Bear! You’re so adorable!" she scratched the puppy’s neck and placed a little kiss on his nose. The puppy with its glistening eyes wagged its tail happily, accepting her love. She waved her fingers, teasing it and it jumped around trying to bite her fingers.

Talia couldn’t stop giggling seeing that nine week old puppy with its cute bear face and soft fur warming her up as it sat on her lap.

The room filled up with her laughter and yips of the puppy.

Arthur’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed seeing the smile in her face. It is always nice to see the smile in her face. She smiled and laughed so much there was a teardrop in the corner of her eyes. This is good. This is all he needs. For her to be happy.

Arthur strode near her and sat beside her at the edge of the bed. The puppy smelled him and tried to get to him. The smile that was in his eyes seeing Talia’s smile, reached his lips as the puppy got to him.

He is not that bad.. He is such a friendly bugger!

"Sniff him well, Bear. He is Freddy bear...Soon to be your daddy..."Talia rubbed Bear’s face as he started licking Arthur.

Arthur really was pleased by what Talia said. How he wished to be a proper family soon!

" I wanted to show you the moment I got him, Fred, " Talia leaned on Arthur’s arms leisurely. The puppy liked Arthur too. Which is a really good thing.

"Hmm... He’s not bad," Arthur smiled and placed a kiss on her head. "But you should wash up, you smell like dog," he said sniffing her. There were already dog hairs sticking to her clothes and some on the bed.

"Yeah, I should go. I have to get ready and the stylist said she is waiting for me since half an hour ago!" Talia sighed.

"Now? There are more than three hours left for the State Dinner, isn’t there?" Arthur was surprised.

Would it take three hours for her to get ready?

"Yeah... The stylist said it’s late already," Talia rubbed her face on his arms. "You’re lucky you’re a man. You don’t have to get ready for hours," she said.

"You can choose to get ready in fifteen minutes too... Don’t you do that always?" Arthur asked. With a puppy on his lap, his wife in his arms, he felt blissful.

"But this is different!" Talia stretched herself taking in a deep breath.

"Don’t put on too much makeup. You’ll look scary," Arthur gave his input. She always looks better with less makeup.

"You apply some makeup..." Talia kissed his cheek, "You looked really good in that press meet. And this State Dinner, I heard that popular singer/actor is a guest. I want you to outshine that guy. My man should be the only good looking man in the dinner tonight!"

Arthur only chuckled. Why did he fall for this vain woman again? That’s right! She’s not vain all the time.

At that time, the door knocked and Arthur with a grunt opened to door.

" What? " his tone had no mercy.

" Is Talia here? "

" No! " Arthur said immediately.

" I’m here," Talia recognised Joe’s voice and got out to the living area.

" What did you do, Joe? " Talia asked without even inviting him to take a seat. This guy had the nerve to scare her last night. But upon looking closely she felt sorry for him. He looked like the shell of a man he once was.

Also, is that a black eye?

"Did you end up in a bar fight?" she asked and carried the puppy trying to get out of the room. Arthur noticing it, closed the door and got the puppy. This guy is just nine weeks old and he is already heavy. She won’t be able to carry him for long.

"Bar fight?" Joe asked raising his eyebrows confided for a moment and as if he realised what she meant he placed his hand over the cheek that got hurt. He then gave a look at Arthur and Talia trained her gaze at Arthur who had a weird expression.

She knew that expression. It meant he is the culprit who hit Joe. But Talia was in no mood to ask Arthur about it. If Arthur hit him, it must be for a reason.

Joe didn’t expect Talia to ask about his wound anymore. In fact Arthur was right to hit him. As a recovering drug addict with a baby on way, what woman will trust him if he gets drunk enough to pass out? Of he wants to get his wife back, he needs to correct himself first so that his wife has reasons to have confidence in him again. He did a very fine job in breaking her confidence and trust, previously. That too for a woman like Rachel.

"I want to meet with Rebecca... Is she attending the Dinner tonight?" Joe asked walking closer to Talia.

"I don’t know... I don’t know if she will attend or if she’d be willing to meet you once again..." Talia didn’t want to sugar coat and expressed her thoughts openly. "You... What happened to you two?" she asked, her voice filled with worry and took a seat on the couch and pointed at Joe to sit as well.

Joe could only smile dryly seeing Talia filled with worry. This woman, whom he thought as an emotionless robot is the one who is now by his wife’s side and taking care of her when he failed to do so.

" I screwed up, Talia..." he said and sat opposite of Talia when Arthur took a seat beside her, placing his arm around her shoulder.

"I trusted the words of Rachel over Becky’s. I hurt her so much. I broke her," he said and let out a deep sigh, looking at the floor.

"Well..." Talia didn’t know what to say. She could now understand why Rebecca who always fluttered like a butterfly looked like someone had clipped her wings off. Nothing is more devastating than the fact that the one you love, doesn’t trust you as much as you want to.

She unconsciously looked at Arthur. She did the same to Arthur. That guy waited for years, out of love, but she doubted his love and believed he had other motives.

I’m sorry, Fred... I’m sorry I doubted you...

Feeling her intense glare on him, Arthur looked at Talia. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but it seemed like she was apologising. He just bent and gave a peck on her lips.

What a silly woman! Why is she apologising?

Talia was brought back out of her reverie by that kiss and she looked at Joe now with a defeated look. She had a lot of words to say to him. She wanted to tell him how Rebecca is crying every night because of him and how she had gone silent.

But she felt pity, seeing Joe as much as despaired as Rebecca. It seems like Joe had realised what he had done. Talia didn’t want to beat on a dead horse anymore.

"What about Rachel?" she asked. This guy felt a sense of responsibility towards Rachel. So how did he change his mind?

Joe looked at Talia for a second and then his eyes darted to Arthur and then back to Talia. It seemed like he was trying to be open, but felt unsafe to open up.

"Don’t worry, we won’t touch Rachel," Talia promised and looked at Arthur who looked at her blankly. She nodded gritting her teeth signalling him to assure Joe, but Arthur was unwilling to promise anything.

"For now," in the end, Arthur relented for the sake of Talia.

That is as far as he can go to promise the safety of Rachel. If she had done anything against his Iris, he won’t let her or her family go. If Joe’s family is involved, they won’t be spared either. He knew that Rachel is the one who bullies his Iris often. It is merciful of him to let her live this far. But if she had tired to escalate further, he won’t let her off.