Chapter 145 - I Don't Get It!

Caroline's car entered the gate of Alex's mansion.

She saw him waiting for her arrival outside the door. He's sporting a wide smile on his face.

She parked her car in front of the house, stopped the engine, and exited from the vehicle.

She looked at him.

He was checking her out from head to toe, appreciatively, and crossed his arms over his chest. He was wearing a smirk on his face, looking every inch a handsome devil in disguise.

"Oh, fancy seeing you here in my property, dear!" he teased her. "Welcome back! Come inside!" his right hand moved pointing to the door.

She wore a facade of indifference while continue looking at him.

"So... you're back in my house...eh? Nice seeing you again, Miss Caroline," he said and went to her side after noticing that she seems hesitant in entering the house.

"Where is Greg? I'm not here for you," she told him coldly.

Alex chuckled. "Yeah, I know," he said feeling a little bit hurt deep inside. "Come, follow me. My brother is in the garden, he's very excited to see you again. He gives me the honor to welcome you," he explained.

He ambled towards the door and disappeared behind the door.

Caroline followed him inside.

Alex instructed her to sit on the sofa. "Can you please sit down for a moment. I need to talk to you."

Caroline pouted, she lowered herself on the sofa facing him. "What is it?"

Alex gaped at her face keenly. She seems to be in a foul mood already.

"Did my sister Allison force you in coming here?" he asked casually.

Caroline sighed. "No. I come here on my own, no one forces me to come here if that's what you want to know," she answered.

Alex brows knitted together.

"B-but... the last time you're here you made an oath that you won't come back here anymore. I don't understand why you're here all of a sudden? I don't get it."

Caroline bit her lower lip. If she's the one to decide she wouldn't return to this house ever again. But destiny was playing a cruel joke on her again, making a murderer out of her.

"None of your business! Can you please bring me now to your brother?" she told him bitchily.

"Wow! Are you for real? You're now excited to see my brother? Did you and your boyfriend broke up that's why you want to get back with my brother to rekindle your past with him?" Alex pressed on wanting to tease her further.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I just want to visit your brother. I have no bad intention towards him."

Alex shrugged. "Nice to know that," he stroked his chin in deep thoughts. "By the way, is it true that you're going to live with us here in my house for a few months?" he asked eagerly, although, he doesn't mind having Caroline living in the house with them.

It's just so weird!

So impossible to believe!

There should be a significant reason why she's doing all these?

Caroline's face was impassive. 'It looks like he is not happy to have her living in his house,' she told herself.

"Why? You don't like seeing me around your house every day?" she asked.

Alex grinned. "To be honest, I'm willing to welcome you with open arms if you decide to live with us. But, I don't understand... why... would you leave your boyfriend and your family for a dying man? It doesn't sound right to me," he said in astonishment.

Caroline released a deep sigh. She's getting irritated with his endless questioning. She wishes Allison would arrive soon so that she can get away from Alex's interrogation.

"Sorry Alex, I don't want to answer your question. Would you send me away if I wanted to stay here with you and your brother for the time being until he passes away? Don't worry, after Greg dies, I will return to my family," she explained.

"Alright. If you decide to spend your time with my brother in his remaining days on earth then I would be forever grateful for your noble effort. Your sacrifice for my brother means a lot to me," he said, although, not convinced yet that she will do it.

He was still not satisfied with her answer though. It bothered him terribly that he can't get her to open up to him. She simply not trusting him at all.

He will be tolerant of her though. His opinion of her remains the same. She's not the type of woman who would make a stupid decision unless something big is behind all these. If he can't get her to confess to him, then he will pester his sister to reveal the reason why Caroline is acting strange.

Suddenly, they were distracted by the sound of the car parking outside the house.

'Whew, that must be Allison, thank God!' Caroline muttered in her mind.

Alex stood up. "Looks like my sister is here," he casually said.

Allison entered the living room.

"Hello, guys! I'm sorry I'm late," she told them.

"Nah, you're not late, Ali. Caroline just arrives a few minutes before you. We just kind of engage in a friendly chit chat. Just catching up with each other's lives," Alex grinned.

Immediately, the two women locked eyes.

Alex saw the women's eyes silently communicating with each other. 'Hmm, it looks like these two girls are hiding something from him,' he told himself.

Allison motioned for Caroline to follow her. "Girl, follow me. Let's go now and see my brother in the garden."

She turned around and sauntered towards the garden area.

Caroline rose to her feet and followed Allison.

Alex remained in the living room, he settled himself on the sofa, clouds of confusion still swirling in his mind. He's asking himself a lot of times. What is the exact reason why Caroline eats back her words?

After a few minutes of mental debate analyzing all the possible reasons why... he finally give up.

He stood up going the garden to witness what's gonna happen this time? The previous episode of Caroline's visit left a bitter taste on their mouth.

What's gonna happen today?

He prefers that he should be standing near the vicinity of the pool so that he can give them a hand just in case they will argue again. Although he already presented his brother a bit of golden advice on how to treat Caroline the better way, there's no guarantee that Greg will obey his advice. For a desperate man like his brother, anything goes.

On the path to the garden, he met Allison, on her way going back to the living room.

"How are they doing?" he asked.

"They look civil towards each other. I told Greg to behave so as not to scare Caroline away," Allison replied.

"I also advise him that way. I just hope he will listen to our advice and treat Caroline better this time," Alex said feeling hopeful that the situation between the estranged lovers will improve.

"You should head back to the house, don't disturb them. Let them figure things out for themselves. We have to remember that at some point in the past, these two people are lovers, they know each other better compared to us," Allison reminded her brother.

Alex's nodded his head in agreement. "Alright, you got a point, Ali."

The siblings went back inside the house and engaged in a pleasant conversation in the living room.

In the garden area.

Caroline and Greg were having a staring match.

They only utter a few words in greeting each other, that was the time when Allison was still around.

"How are you?" Caroline took the initiative to talk first.

Greg smiled. "Doing better I suppose? I dunno how to answer your question, Caroline," he said with a mixture of love and bitterness showing in his eyes.

He continued...

"I love you so much, how did we grow apart from each other? Our love used to be so strong, why it ended like this? I don't understand!" he said hopelessly.

Caroline breathed deeply. Right now, she was feeling sorry for him.

"Greg, that was a long time ago. Shits happen, destiny tore us apart from each other. I become a different person now and I have outgrown my love for you. I'm sorry that you're still stuck in the memory of our past, it must be pretty hard for you to go through it all alone and suffer badly. I'm sorry. Just that we can no longer go back to our old world. There's no more us. But if you want, we can be friends again, that is how we started in the province, right?"

Greg winced in pain. "But I still love you!"

"I know, but you have to understand that all my romantic feelings for you are already gone. The only things I can offer you right now are friendship and companionship. I'm sorry, the romantic aspect of our relationship has to go," Caroline explained.

"If...if...I won't force you...would you still visit me here? I just need to see you again even if we will not go back to the things we used to be, at least I can still see you," he asked pitifully.

"Sure. If you can guarantee to me that you will treat me nicely, starting from now on forward you will receive a frequent visit from me," she said.

Greg stared at the face of the only woman he ever loves in his lifetime. His brother was right. He should no expect things will return to normal between Caroline and him.

When the Drug Enforcement Agency declared and added him on their wanted list, he was always on hiding and scared of getting caught. He no longer made any contact with his girlfriend. Always waiting for the right time that the law enforcement would no longer be hot on his heels.

Due to depression arising from his difficult situation, he became both a drug user and drug pusher and was infected with HIV/AIDS later on.

His life only took a normal turn when he was finally located by his biological siblings and they took them under their care. He thought that after seeing Caroline again, his life would return to normal but his illness was getting worse and Caroline can't even endure his touch.

He felt miserable for a while.

But now that things are coming to end, he would love to die in Caroline's arms. It is his one last wish before he passed away.

"Alright, I'm very sorry for what I previously have done to you. I swear that I will never force you to do something against your will and I'll behave like a true gentleman when you're around me," he said in a serious tone.

Caroline smiled. "Great! Now that we finally understood each other, I will visit you from time to time."

They finally reached a truce and it's a good start.

Greg beamed, he feels lightheaded after having a serious talk with Caroline. He finally able to admit his mistake and apologizes to her. 'That wasn't hard to do at all,' he thought to himself.

They began warming up to one another and recalling the fun moments they shared in the province, they come back to the memory lane where everything started and soon lose track of time.

Three hours later.

Caroline finally bid goodbye to Greg.

"Time for me to go, you take care of yourself," she told him.

"Take care of yourself too, and drive safely," he responded happily.

Caroline patted his shoulder.

Her first sign of affection towards him. Tears fall from Greg's eyes.

Caroline walked away... heading to the front of the house, towards her car.

Alex saw her. He was standing near the door looking at the trees in the front yard. "Are you going home now?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied casually.

"Thank you for visiting my brother," he said warmly.

Caroline didn't reply, she just shrugs her shoulder and slid into the driver's seat. She saw Allison getting out of the door, she waves her hands at her.

Allison waved back.

Caroline maneuvered the car into the open gate and disappeared from the siblings' eyes.