Chapter 101 - Sister in law
Two weeks after, Katherine sat at the familiar café opposite the hotel where she worked as she looked at Alia, who was gently sipping her juice, fidgeting.
Although Katherine hadn’t gone back to work from her indefinite break she took from the up and down that collided with her from Amanda’s sche, separation with Aaron, then the Internet.
She was scared to go outside the first ti after the pictures, paranoid that soone was out there trying to take pictures of her. She even forbade her children from going to school until Aaron kissed her senselessly and reassured her there wouldn’t be anything and she shouldn’t fret.
So after two weeks of being cooped inside, she was here with Alia. Katherine saw an unknown number, and she nearly had a heart attack, staring at the ssage for hours, maybe minutes, she didn’t know.
202x
Unknown:
Hey, are you free?
Katherine’s finger had hovered on her keyboard, her brow creased in worry before she gulped and inhaled deeply, then skeptically responded.
Katherine:
Who is this?
Katherine stared at her phone screen and imdiately a response ca, and she nearly jumped from the sound.
Unknown:
I’m so sorry for the impromptu ssage. It’s Alia, I stole your contact (sheepish emoji) from the contact list.
Katherine sighed out from relief, then smiled a little and imdiately saved her contact.
Katherine:
Oh, what’s up?
Alia:
Can we et up? Sorry, are you free?
Katherine:
Yes...
Alia:
I want to ask sothing about Mathew.
Katherine stared at the exchange between her and Alia. She knew Alia had sort of an attraction to Mathew and wondered why she wanted to see her.
Katherine quickly shot Aaron a ssage that she had a quick et-up with Alia. Because since the day they had a heart-to-heart conversation, Aaron had sohow beco clingy, and she didn’t mind it. She loved his clinginess.
So here was Katherine in the cozy café, staring at Alia, who looked uncomfortable. Alia was still in the hotel uniform.
Alia, noticing Katherine’s gaze on her, pulled the straw from her lips with a pop and slightly parted lips. Sincerely, she wasn’t thinking when she ssaged Katherine this morning. She wanted to talk to soone who knew Mathew. It had been long since she saw Mathew, since that day they parted in the hotel.
And she really wanted to give Mathew space to co to terms with that night, but his distance was doing sothing to her. She could feel herself going crazy from trying to catch a glimpse of him.
Alia even shalessly stalked his apartnt, but all was futile. So her only hope now was Katherine.
The key to everything.
Alia wetted her lips softly, staring at Katherine under her lashes. Sincerely, the woman in front of her was beautiful effortlessly without makeup, without anything. And her eyes were so enchanting, the way she carried herself was so sophisticated that she understood why Mathew loved Katherine.
Would he ever look at her like he looked at Katherine? She thought. She wasn’t feeling inferior to Katherine’s beauty because she knew she was beautiful; she didn’t need soone to tell her about it.
"I’m sorry for calling you out abruptly..." Alia trailed off, placing her right hand on her leg to stop it from shaking in agitation.
Katherine smiled, that beautiful smile of hers that made her eyes twinkle like a star. "It’s okay."
Alia gulped, feeling so small in front of her. "Thank you for honoring my ssage," she mumbled, everything she wanted to ask stuck in her throat, yet no words ca out. It was like her brain left her on her own.
And as usual and always, Katherine gave her a warm smile. "It’s okay, and I don’t bite. You can ask anything you want." She said, her hand stretched forward and took Alia’s cold, slightly trembling hand gently.
"Sorry, I’m not usually like this," Alia smiled sheepishly, really appreciating Katherine’s effort to make her comfortable.
Katherine smiled again, and Alia was tempted to ask her if she was always this bundle of a person. Because every ti she saw Katherine, she always had a smile on her face. Always smiling like she had no worry in the world.
"So about Mathew?"
Alia hitched and fiddled with her fingers. Where should she start from? She couldn’t possibly tell Katherine that she and Mathew shared a bed. Or could she?
Alia hesitated, "I love Mathew—I fell in love with Mathew since the mont I saw him," a small blush coated her cheeks as she glanced down. Mathew was her prince charming. People would think the first ti she and Mathew t was that day in the hallway when she clumsily poured wine on herself, but it was way back before she started working at the hotel.
And raised her head to glance at Katherine, who had a soft, warm smile on her face, urging her to continue, and that was reassuring and genuine for her.
"So sothing happened weeks ago, a drunken mistake, and now Mathew has distanced himself from ..." she trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck, "It was like he doesn’t want to see or—I just wanted us to communicate."
Katherine listened carefully. She could guess what had happened between the two without Alia explicitly explaining to her, so she sucked in a breath, not knowing what to say.
"His distance is making unsure, it’s making doubt myself, and I—" her voice was coming out erratic now, and Katherine pulled Alia’s hand again, caressing the back of her hand gently.
"I understand," Katherine said. "Mathew was always soone who distanced himself whenever his brain was overfilled with emotions. He doesn’t always know how to process new emotions or strange emotions. So he takes his ti to analyze the new emotions to know how to react to the changes..." Katherine mumbled.
And Alia flashed to Katherine, blinking at the new revelation, and her breath shuddered.
"Mathew tends to close off most of the ti when he sees he’s already getting close or comfortable with sothing as a coping chanism to protect himself from being hurt," Katherine blinked, "I rember that ti he had to run away from the house for two weeks when the twins first called him dad." Katherine laughed at the happy mories and quickly cautioned herself. She didn’t an to laugh, not that she was laughing at Alia’s situation.
"Okay," Alia said softly, nodding.
"I’d just tell you Mathew has his own struggles, pain, and baggage he carries around while using his charming smile to reassure himself..." Katherine looked in the distance before a sad smile graced her lips. "I can’t tell you about his past or what shaped him to be like this, but what I’d just tell you is to treat him right."
"Mathew is a friend, a brother to , and as the person who knows him, my brother deserves happiness." Katherine stopped, then patted Alia’s hand gently. "Maybe you’ll be the one to bring him that happiness."
Alia was taken aback by Katherine’s words. Could she bring Mathew happiness when he didn’t look at her like that?
"Mathew doesn’t know how to love himself and always sacrifices his attention, love, and puts people above himself. And what he needs is soone who loves him for himself and loves him more than himself, loves his flaws and strengths, loves him with everything without hoping for anything in return. And I hope you can bring him that and peace also."
Alia licked her lower lip. She couldn’t believe Katherine could support her. And her words dripped with sincerity.
She couldn’t understand why Mathew was attracted to Katherine again. This woman was nice.
"If you need any pointers, I’d gladly help you. That boy needs a woman in his boring life." Katherine joked.
And Alia had a small smile. If she knew she was the one Mathew had been crushing on, had eyes for, maybe she wouldn’t say this.
"Hahaha!" Alia laughed awkwardly, pulling out of her thoughts. "Thank you."
Katherine smiled, "Don’t say thank you until I see both of you down the aisle." She grinned, and Alia felt her heart thud from the image her brain projected to her.
"Too fast," she smiled yet didn’t deny the words. She wanted to be his wife, his woman, and his everything because Mathew was already her everything since day one.
Then the smile on Katherine’s face vanished, making Alia straighten her back. She didn’t know why Katherine’s face looked cold abruptly.
"W-what happened?" she asked, stuttering from the change of expression.
Then Katherine had a smile, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, which made Alia want to flinch. The smile was cold and threatening. "I don’t care if you chase Mathew and make him yours, I’ll be happy to help with every step," then Katherine moved forward, her stance cold, "But if you break his heart or I catch a whiff you are just toying with his heart," she enunciated dangerously, "I swear to God who created you and , I’ll be your worst nightmare."
Alia gulped from the threat, and she felt cold air on her nape, which made her have goosebumps, then smiled. "I promise I won’t break his heart, make him sad, or betray him. Just pray he doesn’t do that to my fragile heart." She said with conviction.
And like a switch, a radiant smile, a welcoming smile, a happy smile made its way to Katherine’s lips, and she pulled Alia into a hug.
"You pass! I’m rooting for you, sister-in-law. Welco to the family." Katherine grinned.
And Alia smiled, yet flustered from Katherine’s statent.
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