Bound To The Seduction

Chapter 24: Closure I

One evening, Sarah came back only to find Brandon waiting for her at the gate. He seemed to have not seen a barber in a long time because his ever-skillfully trimmed beard now covered his face. The shirt that used to fit him nicely now hung loosely over his body. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes but quickly disappeared. She clenched her fists and walked straight to him. "What are you doing here?"

Her sudden voice startled him. "Sarah, you are back." He took a step forward and pulled her into a crushing hug. His scent filled her nostrils and she felt suffocated. The scent that she once loved disgusted her. She struggled out of his embrace, and sensing her rejection, he tightened his arms around her and added, "You have to stay away from him. He is not a good person."

"Are you?"

His back stiffened and he let go of her. Yes, he wasn't a good man either. Sarah pushed him out of her way, wanting to leave. He grabbed her arm and she had no choice but to turn around and face him. She tried to peel his hand away but Brandon held her hand with a death grip. "Sarah, let's talk," he begged.

Sarah suddenly stopped struggling and looked him straight in the face. She contemplated on something for a while and her lips curved into a smile. She seemed to have made a decision. "Yeah, we need to talk."

His grip on her hand loosened and he led her into the car. He got into the car and drove off.

Sarah sat in the front passenger seat and stared out the window. Brandon kept glancing at her from time to time. He wanted to say something but he couldn't seem to find the right words. Curly hair looked good on her and he wondered why he always asked her to straighten it.

Her slender fingers, which he liked to touch, fiddled with her phone. Her beautiful nails were short and rounded without nail polish but it did not diminish her elegance. She had always loved to file her nails short. He glanced at her empty ring finger and his heart twitched. The ring that should have been there was nowhere to be seen. She had long gotten rid of it just like how she had gotten rid of him.

Silence.

An awkward silence.

He had begged for a chance to talk, but now that she agreed, he didn't know what to say. Where should he start? Should he get direct to the point, or play around with words?

"How have you been?" Brandon finally said as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. Why didn't he ever realize that starting a conversation was this hard?

"Good," Sarah said without sparing him a glance.

Did you miss me? That's what he wanted to ask, but instead, "I heard your mom had a relapse a few weeks ago. How is she doing?"

"She's doing fine. Thanks for asking," Sarah responded indifferently.

"What about your financial situation?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the road. He glanced at her from the side and noticed her raised brows. He quickly clarified, in case she misunderstood, "I mean... you know... the bills and everything."

"Well, I haven't starved yet, so I guess I'm fine."

Brandon was silent for a long time. All they could hear was the soft humming of the engine, and occasional cars passing by. He kept opening and closing his mouth because the words stuck to his throat. Sarah's responses made it difficult to continue a conversation. The silence suffocated him. "Why didn't you tell me you were fired?"

Sarah sat upright and turned to face him. "I was going to tell that day but then you gave me a surprise. After that, it didn't matter anymore whether I told you or not. As for why I got fired, you can ask your little lover."