11: Fight Back

"What are you doing?" Arabella, intoxicated by his kisses, managed to ask. She pushed him. He stopped nibbling her ears and looked at her in the eyes. Then, he smirked.

"Turn around," he ordered. Chills crept to her spine.

"Luke... this is not right~," Arabella said struggling to speak because of the heavenly sensation she's feeling from his touch.

He pulled down her shorts and her underwear with a single stroke and began taking her from behind. Arabella couldn't focus. She was torn between her near orgasm and the embarrassment she was feeling.

"Luke~ Owen is~" she barely finished her sentence as Luke thrusted harder and deeper.

"I don't give a damn! You're mine, Arabella. Understand?" he said. "You are mine!" Afraid of making orgasmic noises, Arabella just nodded.

"Speak. To. Me." Luke said with every thrust.

"Yesss~ I am yours!" she whimpered.

Moments later, they reached the heavens together. Luke reached for the paper towels and wiped himself. Then, he grabbed more to clean Arabella and fixed her short pants and panty. He turned her around to face him and kissed her forehead.

"Make me jealous once more, Arabella and you'll regret it," he stated in a firm voice.

She just looked at him move around the kitchen. She let out a playful smile.

"If this is how I should be punished, then I'll make you jealous all the time," her inner goddess said.

"Anyway, what will you be cooking for lunch?" Arabella asked Luke, busily chopping spices on the island table.

"Well, I decided to cook some stir-fried meat with mushrooms and vegetable salad," he answered.

Then there were knocks on the door. Arabella swang it open.

"What?" Arabella asked Owen, who looked momentarily flustered.

He grinned mischievously at Luke, who gave him a warning stare. Owen then shrugged, went straight to the refrigerator, and took two bottles of water.

"Luke, the two boys are coming here for lunch as well. So, please add more meat dishes," Owen told him.

"And I think you need water. You look flushed," he told Arabella. In his hand was a bottle of water.

She subconsciously turned to Luke, who was taking out more meat from the freezer and pretending not to hear what Owen said.

"Thanks!" she said after receiving the water from him.

Owen left her nervous to her core as she slowly turned to Luke. She was relieved when he wasn't paying attention to them or to her.

"Do you need help?" she asked.

"Yeah. Please dice these onion bulbs and mince this head of garlic," he said. Then, he turned his attention to the defrosted meat and began chopping them.

"Where did you learn how to cook? You seem professional," she said.

"When you live alone with no one around to help, you are forced to learn how to cook. Basically, to survive," he stated casually. In Arabella's point of view, she couldn't help but empathize with him. She realized that they were still strangers. She sniffed.

"Are you crying?" he asked worriedly.

"Huh?" she uttered, confused. She touched her cheek, wet with her tears, with the back of her hand.

"Uh~ probably the onions!" she exclaimed.

"Really?" he said, unconvinced with her words.

She laughed. He smiled.

The table was set. It was half-past twelve. A sound of engine shutting off was heard. Shane, Brad and for the first time, Sheryl came. Owen met them with Saraknib in his arms.

"Your timing is superb, guys!" Owen said joyously.

"And here come the orphans!" Luke mumbled, acting annoyed.

Arabella laughed at Luke's reaction.

"Come. Join us," Arabella welcomed them as they sat around the table. They, except Sheryl, gushed over her son. Saraknib chuckled as they tickled him.

She washed her hands and took her son from Owen's arms. From her peripheral view, she could see Sheryl staring at her son. Her eyes were full of yearning and pain making Arabella start asking herself why.

In the middle of their meal, Shane spoke.

"How are you, Arabella?" he asked which made her surprised by the sudden question.

"Huh? Me? Fine~" she answered.

"I hope that's true. If you see the news~?"

"Hey~ just eat!" Luke yelled, interrupting Brad.

"What news? I thought she stopped, didn't she?" Arabella asked. Her voice was full of confusion and worry.

"Eat first!" Luke commanded. His voice thundered in the room while giving his friends a deadly stare.

She tried to finish her food even if she lost her appetite.

After their meal, they gathered in the messy living room. Toys were scattered all over the place. They all looked at Owen, who smiled childishly.

"Guys, I really would like to know what's going on. Luke told me that everything's under control and advised me not to watch the news nor should I use my social media accounts," Arabella stated, confused about the current situation.

They looked at each other before staring at Luke, asking for his approval for them to talk.

"I think, I should be the one to explain," Luke said.

"For the past weeks, Regina had been quiet, so we thought that she stopped. But, recently~," he cleared his throat, "our friend in the entertainment industry informed us that she was trying to locate your boyfriend and use him to testify against you."

"She knows about Jason? Did she find him?" she asked. She wasn't sure of her feelings whether to be excited, relieved, or worried.

"Not yet," Brad answered.

"What will she do with him? He left us in a vulnerable situation," Arabella asked angrily. Luke immediately reached for her back and began stroking it to calm her down.

"According to a reliable source, she will use him to prove that you are a "dirty" woman and worst, to remove your custody from your son," Shane added.

"What?! That's insane. That's unfair!" Sheryl blurted.

They were all astounded by Sheryl's voice. And Sheryl herself was surprised by her reaction.

"If I were you, I should~ no--- I must fight back! I shouldn't wait for Regina to ruin my son's life," she firmly said.

"She's right. We must think of a plan before Regina finds your ex-boyfriend," Owen told Arabella.

She exhaled harshly knowing exactly what she's going to do.