Chapter 118

118 Conversation by the Stream

Brandon swung his leg over his horse and gracefully dismounted. I quickly did the same so that our horses could rest. I led my horse over to the stream as I followed Brandon’s example.

“I never knew that you liked the outdoors like this...” I said as I recalled his days working on the computer.

He was always indoors and didn’t seem like the active type. Of course, I wasn’t surprised that he could ride. It was almost expected that we learnt these things as part of etiquette and to make sure that we could ‘socialize’ properly in the ‘right society’. I just never thought that he would enjoy it as much as he seemed to.

“I don’t. I don’t mind spending time with you, though,” Brandon replied before flashing me a charming smile.

That smile was very dangerous. I looked away as I pretended to pay attention to my horse before he would see me blush. Old habits die hard, and I found myself responding easily to his smile.

“The horses shouldn’t run off but let’s tie them to the tree here just in case,” Brandon suggested as he tied up his horse and then took the reins from my hands.

Brandon came back to my side after tying up the horses. I could see them dipping their heads down to the stream to drink water. He had chosen a place in the shade for them, and they seemed very relaxed. I was certain that they had a good life and probably didn’t have to deal with the headaches that we humans had to.

“Want to sit?” Brandon asked.

“Sure. The weather is great, and this is such a pretty and peaceful place. Looks perfect for a picnic,” I replied with a smile.

.....

He took my hand and led me to the patch of lush grass next to the stream where we sat down. The wind blew my hair and I had to gather them in my hand. It was very quiet and peaceful. When we stopped talking, the place became silent save for the sound of the water flowing in the stream and the sound of the wind. It was such a contrast to the busy city life that I led.

“Don’t worry. I’ll choose a reputable hospital for you for the check-up. I’ll also go with you if you want...” Brandon spoke up before smiling reassuring at me.

His words took me by surprise. I had thought that our conversation about that was over, but it seemed like he had been thinking about it.

“No, that’s ok. The reputable hospital part is great, but you don’t need to come with me. Please...” I replied.

It was bad enough that I had to get the test and I probably had to deal with the questions that came along with the test. It would just make matters worse for him to be there. For some reason, I knew that I would feel extremely embarrassed if Brandon was there with me. The doctors will probably think that we are seriously planning to have a child and then we’ll both be asked many more questions. A shiver ran through my body just at the thought.

“If you say so. I’ll cover all the bills of course. Also let me know if there’s anything that you need or want,” Brandon said as he decided to respect my wishes.

“Ok...” I replied and hoped that we could just drop this conversation.

It wasn’t the bill for the check-up that I was concerned about, but I decided not to argue about it anymore. Partly, Brandon was right. Like it or not, I would probably have to get it over and done with so that we could move on with our farce of a relationship. I looked up at the blue sky above before taking in a few deep breaths of fresh air to relax myself. The air felt light, and the faint smell of the grass made me very aware of the beauty of the nature around us.

I wonder how long we can keep this sham of a relationship going. After the results of the fertility test is out, how much time can we stall for? It probably won’t take very long for people to realize that we weren’t actually trying to conceive a baby. Brandon seemed so relaxed about it that it made me wonder if he had a plan in mind like he always usually does. My mouth opened before I slowly closed it again as I changed my mind. Maybe I shouldn’t ask him about it after all.

“The water is so clear. I can see little fishes swimming here and there,” I said instead, as I stared down at the fish in the stream.

I pointed to a few that I could spot to bring Brandon’s attention to them. His eyes followed my fingers before he smiled.

“Probably one of the few positive things of owning this hill is that we can keep the natural habitat intact,” Brandon said as he dipped his fingers into the water.

“Is it cold?” I asked curiously.

“You try,” he urged as he grabbed my hand.

“Wait...” I mumbled, slightly shocked at his sudden touch.

“It’s just water...relax,” Brandon said with a grin before he slowly dipped my hand into the water.

“Wow...it feels refreshing. Surprisingly, it’s not cold at all,” I said.

The water was so clear that I could clearly see our hands together in the water. A few small fishes swam by, and I wasn’t sure if this kind of fish was small or if they were baby fishes.

“Do you think I can touch a fish?” I asked, randomly.

“No, I don’t think so. They’ll just swim away but you’re more than welcomed to try...” Brandon replied with a small laugh.

I felt very stupid after a while of trying to get my fingers to graze the fishes that were swimming by. They were so agile and fast. Brandon was right, in the end, I gave up before I could touch a fish. I laughed so hard at myself and what I was doing. Suddenly, there were small ripples in the stream, and I was sure that it wasn’t from my hand.

–To be continued...