207 Will You Die With Me?

"This is because of the poison," Amber sniffed as she said this.

Ashton who was driving just raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously, it just its effect," she repeated but Ashton still remained silent.

"Why don't you believe me?" she complained.

But Ashton still remained silent.

She looked at him with an aggrieved look, "You were in it, weren't you?"

She had been wiping tears all this time, despite feeling weak because of the poison. It was not as bad when the side effect of her medicine would kick in.

Tears streamed down her face as she stares at him, Ashton sighed and stopped the car on the side of the road.

They were far enough that those people would no longer be able to follow.

He faced her, "Get mad at me then."

"How could I?" she asked in return.

"Then stop crying now, you are not feeling well because of your wounds and the poison on the knives that hit you. Do you think despite having such immunity your body won't fall ill? Crying would just make it worse," he berated her like he was berating a child.

"But I am not ready to face them as me, as Nathalie," she replied.

"Will you ever be ready then?" he asked once again.

She pursed her lips and continued crying as she just look at him.

Ashton wiped her tears with his thumb, "No matter how amazing you become they will always be your brothers. You have to face them sooner or later."

"All of us can see that they would surely be of great help to you in this revenge. Most of it was emotionally, without being worried about them, you could focus on taking your revenge."

She bit her lower lip, Ashton was right. But she was too scared to see just how they will react.

She is not that strong in reality.

"I know you are but a crybaby and not the person you portray yourself to be to outsiders. Isn't that why I am here now? Rely on me, you can hide behind my back if you are too scared to face them as Nathalie."

*****

"I can't get through," Xander muttered as he tried calling a number on his phone.

"Is she mad then?" another voice came on the side.

They are staying at a vacation house near the beach, he went out to make the call while Liana and the others took care of Amber's wounds.

She had fallen completely asleep after they started driving again.

"She might be, or she might be very much worried right now," he answered as he tried to call again.

"You should have called her when you felt that something bad would happen to you," was the answer.

"I realized that I haven't messaged her when I was already on the plane. I was planning to do it upon landing, yet I was taken just as I walk out of the gate."

He repeatedly dialled the same number but to no avail.

"That's why I'm telling you that you should have done it before."

"That's why I am saying that-"

Timothy shrugged before leaning on the railings, it was the balcony of the first floor.

"You really do knew?" Xander being caught red handed could no longer hide it.

"I have a feeling, an intuition I suppose?" he replied before glancing at Xander.

"I really can't keep secrets, can I?" he sighed before leaning on the railings as well.

"How long have you been together?" Timothy asked.

"Three years."

Timothy chuckled, "Quite long yet none of us noticed."

"You guys were just too focus on your own things that you didn't notice at all."

"Who was she?" Timothy asked again.

"Someone I met during one of our seminars in Celestial."

"A doctor?"

Xander shook his head, "A hotel management major. They have their own seminar on the same hotel."

"What makes her stand out?"

Timothy had a smile on his face, this was actually the very first time that the two of them spoke over something personal.

They were close but because both of them are trying to take care of one another, a wall was still built in between them.

"I don't know, she just did. Even with all those nurses and doctors surrounding me. With all those business women, she just did," he replied with a smile on his face.

"You really were struck, weren't you?" Timothy looked at him and teased.

"Yeah, yeah, back at you," was all Xander could say.

He then tried to call her all over again.

"I'm starting to get worried somehow," he muttered.

"She'll be fine, if you were able to really keep it a secret from all those people," Timothy replied.

"That is what I am worrying now, somehow I have no confidence that we were able to really keep quiet about it," he shook his head as he said this.

He really is worrying right now.

"Just try and try, you'll surely get through. Try messaging her as well, she may not be answering because you are using a new number," Timothy suggested.

Xander nodded, before he looked towards him.

"How about you then? What are you planning?"

Timothy knew what he was referring to, he could only shke his head, "Still has no idea."

"Why? You seemed to already be certain of your feelings so why?" Xander asked, probing further.

"There are still so many things at hand that I must face before I could really face thi one," was what Timothy replied.

Before he realized something.

~"I'll call you once I arrive."~

He chuckled, "We really are brothers, I have forgotten something as well."

He stood straight and walked on another side. Xander could only shake his head with a smile.

Before he tried calling her again.

*****

"Alissa?"

Among the numbers he had memorised, Alissa's number was among them.

After getting the call through, he asked when no one was speaking on the other side of the call.

"Are you there?" he asked again when there was still no reply.

"You just arrived now?" was the question he heard.

"Were you waiting?"

"You were caught?"

They each ask questions without answering the other.

He heard her choke before hearing a sniff through a covered phone mic.

She must be crying and was trying her best not to make him hear.

"Were you worried?" he asked.

Now he knew, why Ashton would always run to where Amber is whenever he knew that she would be crying.

When you love someone, you just couldn't be at ease whenever you hear them cry. You just wanted to jump up and stay by their side.

"Can't I be?" she once again asked.

Timothy smiled, "You are entitled to do so."

Alissa who was trying her best to keep her sobs low could no longer hold it upon hearing his answer.

She had been receiving calls from unknown numbers for the past two weeks, she is after all a retired model.

So there are companies who would want to try and poach her.

At the same time she was also waiting, when she didn't receive any call from him after three days, she already knew that something bad has happened but she didn't try to move.

Amber was already there, she can take care of it herself.

Her trying to help wouldn't be helping but instead would just be a burden with her turmoil of emotions.

"You really are a crybaby," he once again said after hearing her cry.

This time he was in both worry and happiness.

His feelings are quite clear now to him after accepting the fact that he loves her.

He still tried to stay a good distance from her.

One reason was because he has no idea of what she feels for she interacts with him like the way she did on the first day that they met.

Second is because of how chaotic their family is, he has no confidence that he would be able to protect her.

But after seeing the way Xander acts and knowing how long he had been with the lady, he just thought, 'Who cares? If she were to die by their hands then I shall die by my own hands.'

'If she were to suffer in their hands then I will make myself suffer even more. If I can't protect her from those then I will just double the pain I will inflict myself.'

He would now face everything head on, the way Nathalie always do.

He will do his best to protect her but at the same time if he really can't then he will die with her.

"Will you die with me?"

Somehow he just had the urge to ask this.

It is a question full of meaning.

I will do my best to protect you.

But I can't guarantee that you won't get hurt.

I can't guarantee that you won't suffer.

Even with that are you willing to be with me?