Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 78: Doubting A Friend?

Chapter 78: Doubting A Friend?

Talia tried to brush off Rebecca’s question but she could not as she remembered last night. She stupidly slept even though she could sense him trying to wake her up.

She covered her face that was burning red with her hands. Rebecca saw her ears peeking out from her neatly brushed hair and smiled.

"So you did it!"

This time she said as a confirmation.

"Tallie... You did it..."

Rebecca almost screeched out loud but held back seeing Talia glaring at her.

’This woman has no consideration towards anyone!’ Talia grumbled in her heart.

She still remembered how the gynecologist she went to looked at her and asked her age again and again when she went for a check-up last year. One of the interns even called someone in the phone and said that being a virgin at twenty five is pretty normal and asked them to not make fun of her.

Even though the interns were speaking in another language, thinking Talia cannot understand them, Talia was too embarrassed. Talia wanted to make them lose their licence to practice medicine, but she didn’t want to make that a big issue since she’d have to talk about her experience with more and more people and so she just left deciding to leave a bad review for their clinic in the Internet anonymously.

Andnow, this stupid Rebecca is shouting about it!

"Hey... Tallie... So you did it or not?" Rebecca was not willing to change the topic even though she sensed Talia’s unwillingness to discuss it. She was too curious and so she talked in a low voice to make it easy for Talia to talk about it.

"It’s... Complicated," Talia said hiding her embarrassment.

"What? How is it complicated? You either did it or not. It’s as simple as that!" Rebecca hissed leaning closer to Talia over the table and she genuinely looked confused.

"Well..." Talia did want to talk about it with Rebecca to get her advice but she thought this was not the place to discuss such intimate topic.

"Hey Tallie... You don’t have to be scared. Us woman... We are built to withstand a lot, actually... Only we can pop out a little human out of our..."

"I know!" Talia interjected her seeing the waiter walking towards them.

Talia’s tone had a firmness that indicated her unwillingness to continue that topic anymore and Rebecca understood that and she was embarrassed.

Talia didn’t notice the change in Rebecca’s expression as she checked her phone if she received any calls from Arthur. She tried to send a message but noticed the connection was not good for her to send the message. She decided to try to send the message from some other place.

Talia thought they’d be leaving after settling the bill but to her surprise, Rebecca ordered some more and continued to engage in small talks with Talia.

Talia felt doubtful of Rebecca’s attitude.

They were already in the restaurant for almost two hours and Talia could see Rebecca ordering more food. The table was filled with food half touched and some weren’t even touched and yet she kept in ordering and was trying to waste time here.

Talia could see Rebecca concentration was on something else and she was always watching the door to Talia’s back and checking the time as if she was expecting something to happen.

Talia felt a loud bell ringing inside her brain. Back when she was thirteen, she went to a mall in S country with her then close friend Amala. Talia missed her acting weird that day. Even Cyrus warned her of Amala and asked her to return but she didn’t listen to him especially.

And in the end, the mall was echoing with the loud fire alarm and in the commotion, someone actually tried to suffocate and kill her. If they succeeded, she’d be one of the names listed as those who died in the stampede that day.

Cyrus was the one who protected her that day as usual and the investigation later revealed that it was her "friend" Amala’s family with her help organised this elaborate plan to kill her.

Talia couldn’t believe it for a long time even though she saw the proof right in front of her. In the end she broke down and lost her other close friend since she said hurtful words to her even though she was on Talia’s side and was genuine.

It was all a mess and for the thirteen year old her, losing two of her close friends was devastating. One of them betrayed her and the other, she pushed her away with her hurtful words.

This was exactly the same reason Talia never had any close friends in her high school, sparing Fred.

Well, to be precise, he was not a friend either!

And Rebecca... She stuck to her during her university days. And Talia has began trusting her as her friend recently a lot. There were no symptoms of her betrayal till then.

But...today...

Talia didn’t want to go though that road of not trusting anyone and drive a big wedge between her friend. That’s why she always tries to keep her at a distance, but with Rebecca’s bubbly nature, she had already become close to Talia without even her realising it.

Talia took a deep breath and tried to put off her confusing thoughts. She didn’t want to lose another friend unnecessarily but at the same time she didn’t want to be in danger trusting the wrong person.

’What should I do?’

"Rebecca, is there something bothering you?" Talia decided to confront whatever is in Rebecca’s mind.

If she has some ill intent, she’d be able to see it and if not... Rebecca will not misunderstand her for being skeptical, right?

"Um?" Talia could see Rebecca’s eyes having an expression she had never shown her before. It was filled with confusion and embarrassment.

"It’s... Nothing..." she gulped and Talia felt odd seeing that pain in her face.

"Let’s go," Talia stood up and walked to the exit without even waiting for her.

She could feel something was odd and couldn’t put a finger on exactly what was wrong.

"Wait...Tallie... I have to use the restroom...."

Rebecca said and without expecting Talia’s answer, passed her and walked through the hallway leaving to the restroom. Her finger accidentally grazed her hand and Talia could feel the chillness on her hand and twitched involuntarily.

What’s wrong with her?

Talia was perplexed as Rebecca was not nagging her to join her to go to the washroom with her but she decided to wait.

She saw Rebecca walking a bit unsteadily through the long hallway and she decided to take a small stroll and that’s when she realised there is a small area part of the restaurant in the balcony.

She saw Rebecca stopping and staring through the tall glass window outside. As Talia watched Rebecca placing her hand on the glass and soon she looked sickly pale and like she was about to faint.

Talia felt a tug in her heart and followed Rebecca’s line of sight and was shocked to see Joe and Rachel sitting under an umbrella laughing and having a meal.

Wait...

If it was any other situation, Talia wouldn’t have doubted Joe, but judging by Rebecca’s expression...

Talia looked at Rebecca who was holding back her tears and ran to her.

"Rebecca..."

She didn’t know what else to say and placed her hand on her shoulder and she staggered and almost fell. Talia held her shoulders to stop her fall and was lost for words.

Rebecca hugged her and started crying.

"He said... He had a meeting with a client... But I accidentally noticed his message received from Rachel about them meeting here at this time, alone in secret. I really wanted it to be a client meeting, Tallie... I really wanted to not doubt Joe... But you see it right...? He... Joe... My husband... "

Rebecca started to cry more and Talia patted her back knowing not what else to do. She felt sorry for Rebecca not only for what she saw but because she doubted her.

It would have been really awkward for her to say she was here waiting to spy on her husband. And I thought she brought me here because she wanted to hurt me. How stupid of me! Why am I judging people badly always? Why?

But... This Joe! Even after I warned him he dared to hurt Rebecca?

Talia decided to confront Joe.

How dare he make my friend cry?

" Wait... Where are you going?" Rebecca held her back.

"Let me..."

"No!" Rebecca wiped her tears hurriedly and pulled Talia out.

Talia didn’t know what to do. She looked back and Joe and Rachel seemed to be in their own world laughing. Although it didn’t look romantic for her and it could very well be a normal get together with a friend, he had no need to hide it from his wife right? And also, he can meet Rachel in the office daily. What is the need for him to come this far away for breakfast?

Talia couldn’t gather her thoughts and her mind entirely blanked out and she couldn’t find any words to say to comfort Rebecca.

"Well, Tallie..." Rebecca showed a couple of gold cards. "Today’s on me! Let’s spend to our hearts content today!"

She said and wrapping her arm around Talia’s arm, she walked towards the plaza and Talia followed composing herself.

If that’s what she needs, I can stay with her for a while.

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