IDTMB — Chapter eight

Clearing her throat not once, but twice, it appears she suddenly lost all the fluid in her system as she felt dried up on his hard, tanned six pack abs and wildly massive biceps as he moves the axe through the woods. Ellie uses her hand to fan herself as the atmosphere grows hotter and hotter, just like him. She can even see the sweat that makes his body shimmer and can't take her gaze away from his body. He had last seen him ten years ago when he was thin, but look what she had missed, he was now hot as hell.

"Why don't you help me here instead of drooling over me?" Arthur interrupted her thoughts as he done cutting the woods.

Her eyes widened as she realized what he had said. "I wasn't drooling on you!" She exclaimed defensively, then quickly fixed herself, pretending she wasn't.

"Oh, really?" He arched his brow, not convinced by her response.

"Yes! I-I wa-wa-"

"You can say it later if you can talk correctly, but for now, help me get this woods inside." He cut her off and began carrying the woods he cut. "You can bring the other woods." He ordered as he passed her where she was standing.

"Aish! What was I thinking?" Ellie just gave herself a facepalm for what she did a minute ago. It wasn't her intention to drool over him, but she couldn't help herself when she saw him. She sighed, looking up at the sky, where the sunset was already hidden behind the tall trees of the forest. "Perhaps I should get the woods now," she thought to herself before collecting the remaining woods and went inside.

Ellie placed the woods in Arthur's side as he was resetting the fireplace. She was now standing directly behind him while her gaze locked on the tattoo she had noticed on his back. The tattoo drew her attention because it portrayed a little girl and a little boy facing each other, and the clothes were clearly visible, almost in dirt. It made her remember something, but she doesn't want to assume anything because it could all be a coincidence. She turned around and went into the kitchen before he caught her and claimed she was drooling over him.

"What are you going to cook?" She was now looking inside the grocery bags and had no idea what Arthur was going to cook with so many ingredients he bought.

"I'm not sure. You decide." He'd already finished resetting the fire, and it was getting warm inside again. "Can you cook?"

"You know how bad I am at cooking; you're the one who told me never to cook again because I'm always murdering it." She grimaced and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I remember how bad your first cook was, and I thought you'd learn cooking while you're in Canada," he replied casually, helping her take the ingredients out of the grocery bags, "How do you eat there then? Who cooks your food?"

"It's Tony who cooks food in the house because no one else will."

When Arthur heard the name, he arched his brow and turned to face her, saying, "Who the hell was Tony?"

"He was the son of a dad's friend-"

"But dad told me you were staying with his friend!" he cut her off as she began to feel jealous, believing that in the ten years she had been gone, she was with a man. He can feel the jealousy in her deepest level, and it worsens when he imagines how close the two are.

"Yes, I'm staying with dad's friend, but they aren't always around in the house, so it's just me and Tony always," she replied, irritated by his sudden attitude toward the topic, "Damn you, what the hell is your problem? You don't have to shout at me!"

Arthur sighed and his eyes went blank as he tried to turn off his emotions before losing control due to jealousy. "Do you eat Beef Stew?" he asked, changing the subject, and he took the apron from the mini refrigerator and wore it even though he didn't have a top.

"And now he's calm," she said irritably.

"I'll just cook Beef Stew and Eggplant Omelette, so if you will not a help here, stay in the couch and let me cook here alone," he said coldly as he began selecting the ingredients he would use.

"Whatever!"

Ellie does as he says and stays on the couch while she stares at him in the kitchen. She was watching him from her vantage point and couldn't deny that he was hot on his apron. I think he'd be better off without the apron, she thought in her head, not realizing she was grinning. When she realized what she was doing, she turned around and stared at the fireplace, her big eyes wide with surprise.

"What the hell?" she whispered, slapping herself several times, "I must be bored, that's why I'm acting strange. Drooling over him giving me a gross feeling. Damn him!" she sighed, looking at the fire that was burning the woods, but her head turned again automatically to the back.

"What?" Arthur asked, surprised that he was looking in her direction where their eyes met.

"Huh?" she replied, dumbfounded.

"I noticed you keep staring at me; do you have anything to say?"

"Ahh-I was wondering if you had seen my phone?" she asked, her tone doubtful.

"I have it in my car and will get it for you later."

"Okay, I thought I lost it. Hehe," she said as she returned her gaze to the fireplace, sighing that he believes her alibi. She was planning to ask him about her phone later anyway, but now she doesn't have to.

The two are now eating at the table with the food that Arthur has prepared. They decided to eat as soon as he finished cooking so they could get some rest early because they are going to leave the next day. They were now facing each other in the dimly lit dining room with only the sounds of their plate as the utensils touch it. Ellie was silently enjoying her food, and she can't deny that he improved his cooking skills, which she admires. She envies him for being a better cook than she is, despite the fact that she is the woman.

"Ahm, by the way..." Ellie pauses her meal because she remember something that she wants to ask. She had caught his attention, causing him to stopped eating also and they were staring at each other. "There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Go on."

"Before I passed out last night, I heard what you called on him, and I remember the name that mom and dad told me during dinner about the man I'm going to marry."

"They are the same person, if that's what you were thinking; that man who almost raped you was Dominick Yuzon, the one they arranged for you. This is also what I want to tell you for you to be aware with him."

Hearing the answer she seeks caused her to blink twice as she remembered what the man did to him. There's no way they're not going to meet again, especially since he was the one her adoptive parents arranged for her. "I'm not sure I can continue the arranged marriage; what if I tell mom and dad about it? Maybe they'll reconsider the arranged marriage and take me into someone who isn't like him."

Arthur was stunned by what she said and searched for a suitable response. After all, in his opinion, the woman was still naive. "Even if you tell them, do you think they'll reconsider it? You're the one who told me that we can't just make decisions based on our desires because it always depends on them, so why are you now expecting them to reconsider what you want?" He tried not to be sarcastic, but he failed and offended her. "You want to follow them, right? Then obey them like a puppet that you always do, Ellie."

"I think I'm already full," she said, rising from her seat.

"You're not even halfway through your plate."

"I can't take it any longer; if you want, you can have what's on my plate," she replied, turning away from him and returning to the room where she had been earlier.

Arthur clenched his fist on the table as he saw her shut the door in rage. He also lost his appetite and did not finish the remaining food and after all of his hard work in cooking had been for wasted. "Tss. She really still thinks they care about us."