Stand By Me Darling Chapter 401: She Was Angrier Than She thought

"Calm down, Iris... I’m holding you, aren’t I?"

Arthur’s magnetic voice resonated in her ear as his warm breath spread on her neck.

"I won’t let go of you. No matter what... Trust ..."

"Just close your eyes and relax..."

He spoke in his magnetic deep baritone voice that was much sexier than any ASMR voice artist out there and Talia actually cald down like a baby listening to its mother. Her heartbeat steadied and her breathing got regular. She found herself calm for the first ti in forever in this much water.

She felt his hold loosening around her waist and she imdiately hung close to him.

"Easy, Iris... Relax... I am still holding you. Relax yourself and allow the water to hold you... find your balance... Free yourself and feel the embrace of water..."

Like a Yoga Guru, he went on with his instructions and Talia with her eyes closed, got imrsed in his voice. She could feel his big hand holding her waist and she was deep in the pool with her legs above the floor and the water was up to her shoulders.

She really was floating!

Arthur on the other hand smirked seeing her entirely trusting him. He knew how much she hated to be in this much water and here she is standing in the middle of a seven foot deep pool, with her eyes closed, entirely depending on him.

I know how much you love and trust Iris... I am sorry I got impatient with you. I even planned to provoke you to get the ’truth’ when in fact you never have changed... I’m sorry.

He pulled her closer to him so that both of their waists were touching each other. The white triangle bikini top she was wearing beca prominent as the flimsy kaftans she was wearing on top got wet. The little knots she tied in her back and behind her neck seed like they wanted to get untied by him.

Talia opened her eyes and her eyes t with the very provoked and sharp eyes of Arthur.

His hands slowly slithered inside the kaftans and reached her back. While his long fingers got a grip of the string at her back, his lips started to kiss her shoulders and slowly reached to the string at the neck.

"Fred..."

Talia could only tremble in his embrace and she reflexively wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Soone might-"

She felt him pulling out the string in her back and she hugged him close, pressing her cheek on his.

"Hmm, no one will enter,"

He spoke in a low rumble and bit the string at the neck. Before she could react to the snap her lips were covered by his.

Kissing her, Arthur slowly walked to the edge of the pool. In a spit second Talia opened her eyes, she saw both the top and bottom of the bikini she was wearing floating at a distance.

Eh, whatever!

The intensity of Arthur’s kiss beca severe and Talia’s hands reached inside his trunks. He was as big as ever and was hard as a steel rod.

"Let’s get out of the water, Fred," she asked as she gently ran her hands holding his mber.

"Hmm..."

Arthur let out a grunt and leaned on her shoulder letting her caress him. No matter how better and experienced he is as he touches himself, her average way of holding his mber gives him the most pleasure.

"Fred..."

Before she could say anything his hand wrapped around his and he started to thrust himself in her closed hand.

Talia’s back was pressed at the side of the pool; Arthur was leaning on her shoulder kissing her collarbone while thrusting.

His hair fell on her shoulders and tickled her face. The position however, reminded Talia of sothing else.

That day at that beach, she was holding him in this position wondering if he’s dead.

She didn’t know why in this situation she suddenly thought of that image, but it popped up out of nowhere dosing the fire of desire that was kindled after a long ti.

"Keep your thighs together," he asked, but Talia was frozen. "Iris..."

Arthur had passed the threshold of holding back and the intensity of his thrusts increased. Gripping her hand firmly and guiding her hand long his mber, his breath got heavy.

"I love you, Iris," he kissed her lips as he finished.

Talia was not all out. She could feel the twitching in her hand and knew Arthur had finished.

Breathing heavily, he rested on her chest supporting his weight on him.

Talia felt the heaviness on her. He wasn’t as heavy as he was that day but holding him, she felt weak.

"You okay, Fred? Is it hurting sowhere?" she asked. "How is your head?"

She gently massaged his forehead and her eyes widened out of fear.

"I’m fine. Stop rubbing my head. "Arthur lifted her up and started kissing her earlobes. "I still haven’t made you cu-"

"Later, Fred. We can continue this later." Talia tried to get out of his grip.

"Hey, what’s wrong? I really can go another round right-" he paused and looked at her face.

Seeing her face terribly affected with fear, he was stunned.

"What is it Iris?" he tried to hold her shoulder, but she gave that smile she gives him lately. The smile

"Nothing...I’m having a headache. We can do this later."

Holding the edge of the pool, she walked to the pool steps to get out. She felt her stomach churning and she didn’t want to stay in the water anymore.

Arthur saw her scrambling to get out and let out a sigh. He knew she is not feeling right. There is sothing stopping her from getting intimate with him.

He didn’t like that feeling of getting rejected by her again and again. He decided to ask her about it.

Picking her up, he exited the pool.

"Iris... Do you not want to do it with anymore?"

Passing her a robe to cover herself, he asked.

Talia saw the seriousness in his face. "Of course, not. Why would I not want to? I just am worried if you’re-"

"Don’t pin this on , Iris. Say it as what it is. You don’t want to do it with anymore. I am feeling fine as I say-"

He spoke angrily and Talia interjected. "Are you though for real, Fred? Are you really fine? Even if you are not fine will you tell ? When will you tell ? After you tell everyone else and arranging for your surgery?"

Talia spoke angrily tying the belt of the robe and only after she spoke did she realise that she was angrier than she thought by Arthur hiding his condition from her.

Arthur froze hearing her lash out like this. Never once did he think that she might be angry at him for hiding his tumour from her.

But she is really mad about it. And rightfully so. But why didn’t she tell about it? She even stopped from apologising.

Talia noticed Arthur’s face turning stiff out of guilt and felt bad. "I’m sorry, Fred. I know you hid it from out of love and you’re the one who suffered a lot. I have no right to complain about sothing so trivial and-"

"Trivial? You’re obviously mad about it. Then it can’t be a trivial thing right?" Arthur spoke in s soft voice.

"It doesn’t matter anymore... True, I felt like I was the only one who is not in your circle of confidants. I know you think of as fragile and that I can’t handle a big news like a tumour and-"

"I don’t think of you as fragile..." Arthur felt his heart clench as he said it.

Fragile..? Did I think of her that way?

He did think she won’t be able to handle the news of his tumour and thought she’d die hearing the news. But in reality, she behaved completely opposite to his beliefs.

He thought she won’t be able to handle it, but she was the one who took care of him from day one. She even handled the workload of the company along with taking care of him. He thought she’d lose her smile, but whether she felt like it or not she was always smiling.

What did I do?

Arthur looked at Talia bowing her head looking at the floor. He thought of her as that girl who locked herself in the bathroom a year ago and bawled her stomach out. But she is not that girl anymore. She has grown a lot stronger. She was soone who faced a gun without fear and the one who was willing to put her all to train herself to be stronger person.

Why didn’t I trust her with that information? I made her confidence waver and think of herself as weak. Every ti she smiled, she smiled to prove to that she is strong.

I pushed her to do that.

I made her feel excluded from ? That is the last thing I would want for her. She is my everything. How can I think of her as soone else?

But that’s what I did!

How terrible would she have felt when I suddenly collapsed? If she knew of my tumour, her worry would have been reduced as she knew why it happened right?

"Iris...I’m...I shouldn’t have waited till the-"

At that ti they heard a knock and Talia allowed them to enter.

It was Mr. Ed and he reminded them that dinner was ready. Talia sent him out after telling him that they will be there soon.

"It is fine, Fred. I know I am acting immature, but-"

"No... no, Iris... It is not immature. I did hurt you. I won’t downplay it." Arthur hugged her. His heart felt heavy realising how much he has hurt her after promising that he will make her happy.

"Fred, it is nothing. It’s not like you got sick purposefully." Talia rubbed his back.

After letting the thing that was bothering her and after seeing Fred’s obvious guilty reaction, she really felt light. She really didn’t needed an apology.