Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 313: Change Of Heart

Chapter 313: Change Of Heart

Walter didn’t want to give her hope, but he cannot deny that other voice in his head saying - If you let her go, will you find anyone else who’d love you and be suitable for you in the future? Talia will never fall for you, and you’re stupidly going to push away the one woman who truly loves you?

With his forehead still touching hers, he looked at the small woman in his arms with a smile in her face. He knew she had no experience in dating and that kiss she gave him was probably her very first kiss. He didn’t want to involve her in his messy life. She is too pure to be a rebound for his long-term unrequited love. He himself couldn’t say with certainty that he could love another woman as much as he loved Talia. And he didn’t want to damage this pure girl in front of him. He decided to make her back off.

"You’re too young to-"

"Twenty five is not young!" Celine really didn’t want to back off. His warm breath was falling on her face and she was so exhilarated, she didn’t want to leave his embrace. She who in the past, used to be afraid to be alone with a man; even her brothers. But now in the embrace of a man whom she is not that familiar with, she felt no fear. She felt so comfortable and relaxed; she wanted this moment to last forever.

"Listen to me, Celine..." his voice was so gentle and pleading. "You are not experienced in relationships and-"

"I can learn, Walter. I assure you I’m not afraid to learn," Celine interjected him. She knew Walter is going to cook up some excuse to keep her away and she was not willing to let go.

"If you’re not going to let me speak, how am I-"

"You b@stard! What are you doing to her?"

An angry voice interrupted both of them and Walter who was facing the man who shouted at them, tried to pull Celine to his back. That man resembled Andrew - Celine’s brother and without thinking twice Andy had already fisted his hands for a punch.

Walter knowing that his punch might hurt Celine too, took a step forward to take the punch himself. But he was stunned when Celine pushed him back and stood in front of him, keeping him away from Andy.

"What are you doing here, Andy?" Celine’s voice was fierce and Walter didn’t find it surprising.

"What? Move, Celine! Let me teach a lesson to that b@stard who dared to lay a hand on you!" Andy tried to push Celine aside and get to Walter, but Celine stood firm and pushed her brother back.

"He didn’t do anything. It was me. I kissed him." Celine said gritting her teeth in a little hushed voice.

"You!" Andy was tongue-tied for a moment before he continued, "You’re lying to protect him. I’ll never believe you initiated anything, Celine. I know you. He must have wanted to exploit your feelings for him and forced you. Don’t be naive-"

"Andy! Mind your words, please. I’m an adult. Why is it hard for you to believe that I might want intimacy? Why couldn’t I have initiated a kiss? Should I do it again for you to see and believe? Should I-"

"Oh dear me, Celine! How did you fall this deep into his snare? Walter, you-" Andy tried to lunge at Walter, but Celine stopped him once more.

"Do shout Andy! Create a scene and invite more gossipers to the balcony. That would be good..."

Celine went on and Walter who wasn’t allowed to interfere, took a step back and leaned at the railing of the balcony. The brother - sister pair was still fighting and he didn’t find Celine’s behaviour off-putting. On the contrary, he found it very protective.

He in his life had to stand up for himself, all the time. Growing up without a mother and with a step-mother who hated his guts, he had always tried to keep himself out of trouble. But trouble always found him and each time, with no support, he had to stand up for himself. Yes, he lost many times and was punished for no reason, but it had honed his character. It made him the aspiration to make his own household, where he had to answer no one.

But one day when he saw a little girl defended by her mother for something she actually did, made him realise something - if his mother was alive, he wouldn’t have suffered this much. He wished he too had a protector growing up, but he didn’t and he knew he can’t change that.

And so he who realised the need for a protector for every child, got interested in charities that helped in child abuse and mental health issues. It was his wish for a protector, that extended from children to the weak and the vulnerable who are oppressed. It was for the same reason he went against his father, in support of the people of his fief who are being oppressed and in need of a protector.

He in his thirty years of life, received little to no protection and he can say without betraying his heart that he had protected hundreds, if not thousands. The women he dated were protected by him, as he considered it his duty.

For the first time in his life, he is being protected by someone. It is the woman who loves him. Considering all the problems he had handled in his life, this one is nothing. But he’s being defended fiercely and getting protected by her.

This feeling... The feeling the boy in him missed... the feeling making the man he is grin like an idiot... this happiness...

It’s Celine’s doing, isn’t it?

He himself found it funny and hypocritical that all it took for his heart to be moved was this little act of Celine, defending him in front of her brother.

He who was planning to refuse her, lost his conviction to do so. He thought it wouldn’t be bad to give this relationship a chance.

He looked above and this time it was the star Spica that came to his view. During his lonely childhood, he always imagined that star was his mother and would talk to her for hours at nights.

Mother, should I give her a chance? She makes me happy... I should, right?

Celine who was making sure her brother gets her point, realised only after a while that she’s acting uncouth in front of the man she loves and was embarrassed enough to want a black hole to form out of nowhere and swallow her. Andy left in a huff seeing his sister’s conviction.

Looking at the floor, Celine bit her fingernails, not knowing how to face Walter. She knew she had blew her chance of getting together with Walter this lifetime. She sounded like a shrewd and said many weird things to her brother.

"Celine..." she heard Walter’s gentlemanly voice from behind her and slowly turned. "Come here."

Celine looked at Walter leaning on the railings. the moon light from above, illuminated his hair and his silhouette looked like a sculpture made by a Renaissance sculptor. She was mesmerised.

At that time, there was a little commotion in the hall, and everyone were talking to each other in low voices as if they just saw a shocking thing, but cannot talk about it openly. A group of young girls entered the balcony giggling .

"Can’t believe he tried to kiss The Princess!" one girl said.

"Yes! When he is engaged with another woman! I don’t know what to feel about it...They look good together. I ship them."

"But it’s cheating!" another said.

"Poor Princess... she looked stunned..."

"I’d have kissed him!"

"You’d have pounced on him, with your hands inside his pants..."

All of them laughed.

Arthur tried to kiss Talia in public?

Celine was stunned. The girls noticing the balcony already occupied with someone else, went back to the hall, to find another secret spot to chat.

"Did you hear? What was Mr. Sinclair thinking?" Celine forgot about her embarrassment and walked to Walter.

"Hmm... I’m not sure. In fact I think there is more to what we are told about their relationship. You should know. You’re close with her, right?" Walter held Celine’s hand. It was so small and it fit pretty well inside his palm.

Although he said it casually, his heart felt painful imagining Arthur trying to kiss Talia. He wanted to know what Celine’s reaction would be for him to speak about Talia.

"Talia...should we talk about her?" Celine asked. She would be lying if she said she was not at all jealous of Talia.

"You know I still can’t get over her, right? I might talk about her from time to time. Can you handle it?" he asked. Although he knew it would be cruel to talk about one’s past love to his current girlfriend and he had no intention of doing so, he still asked to see her reaction.

"You are planning to accept my confession? You are willing to give us a chance?" Celine cared only about that detail. She was so happy, she wanted to jump out of joy.

"That’s what you get from what I said?" Walter chuckled. " This is why I said you’re inexperienced. What if I’m just using you to gather news about your friend?"