Chapter 256 - NOT GOING HOME
Chapter 256 – NOT GOING HOME
Cayenne was listening to their conversation on the top of the stairs. Obviously, Erwin spoke to Stefan to let Cayenne hear what Stefan was really feeling. He was helping them mend their relationship.
"Erwin, when did you get back?" Cayenne asked even though she knew when he arrived.
"Sorry, I took so long to buy the groceries." Erwin stood up as he spoke to her. "I bought some take outs for lunch. I'll prepare them now."
"It's alright. You can take a rest. I can do it." Cayenne walked to the kitchen without even sparing Stefan a side glance.
Erwin looked towards her then shifted his gaze to Stefan. "You still have a long way to go."
"I know." Stefan whispered his reply. He was well-aware that Cayenne won't forgive him that easily. "You can go and do whatever you have to do. Don't mind me here."
"Uh. Alright." Erwin left and went back to his room. He already ate lunch on his way back home so, he didn't join Cayenne in the kitchen.
Cayenne, on the other hand, was eating her lunch without any care at all. She ate everything that Erwin bought for her and didn't leave anything for Stefan.
After lunch, she cleaned the table and throw the disposable containers before arranging the groceries inside the refrigerator and the cupboards. She was even humming a song while doing her work.
Stefan listened to her hum and a single tear fell on his face. It was the song that Cayenne sang to him when he had a nightmare. It was the song that pulled him back to her warm embrace. 'I deserve this punishment. She was so genuine to me but I ruined her.' He looked down on the floor and a shadow fell over him. When he looked up, Cayenne was standing in front of him.
"Don't kneel here. You're blocking my way."
"Sorry." Stefan moved to the side to make way for her. "Ayen, can we talk? I don't mind talking to you while kneeling."
"I don't have anything to say." Cayenne walked upstairs and stayed in her room. She refused to go out once again. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to be fooled by him. She didn't want to get hurt again. He also apologized to her several times before but he still hurt her in the end.
At three in the afternoon, Erwin came out to get some snacks and found Stefan looking on his phone. "Do you want some sandwich?"
"No, thanks."
"Alright." Erwin went to the kitchen and made some sandwiches for himself. Feeling guilty that he was eating while Stefan was suffering a little, he went back to the living room and handed him a glass of juice plus a sandwich.
"I don't want to eat."
"Hunger strike won't work to the young miss. You better eat and have energy to continue kneeling here."
Stefan looked at him and accepted the food from him. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because you're courageous and not prideful. I think the young miss still likes you but because of what happened, it would be difficult for you to get inside her heart again. Just hang in there. As long as you're sincere, she'll give you a chance for sure."
"I hope so."
Stefan ate the sandwich and drank the juice that Erwin gave him. In the evening, Cayenne ate dinner with Erwin while talking to Luiz and Kyle. She never mentioned Stefan to them during their conversation and Erwin didn't say anything either. They acted like he didn't exist.
Erwin wanted to leave some dishes for Stefan but Cayenne ate everything, not giving him the chance to help a certain someone who had been kneeling all day.
"Come home tomorrow. I'll cook your favorites." Cayenne told her brothers. "I will also show you my vegetable garden. And you can help me plant the seedlings, too."
"Sure. Sure. We'll be there. Make sure to sleep early." Kyle reminded his sister. Cayenne liked to act tough when she's facing people she cares about but when she's alone, she'll just cry her heart out. Kyle knew his sister that much.
"Alright. I'll end the call now. I still have so many things to do. Bye."
"Bye, sis."
"Bye, Yen."
Erwin put down his chopstick and drank his water. "You asked them to come home to help you chase Stefan out, right?"
"Smart." Cayenne responded with a wide grin on her face. "I'll leave the dishes to you. I'm going to my room now." She walked past Stefan and continued to walk without looking at him.
"Good night, Ayen."
"Good ni-." She turned around and glared at him for making her respond to his words. "I hope you're no longer here tomorrow."
However, Cayenne's wish didn't come true. When she woke up the next day, Stefan was still kneeling on the cold floor while scrolling on his phone, looking at her pictures.
Cayenne rolled her eyes at him when they met and walked past him to go to her garden and water the seedlings. After watering them, she went to the kitchen and prepare breakfast. Her brothers will arrive early and she promised that she'd cook for them.
"Sis, we're ho-home." Luiz blinked his eyes to see if he was really seeing things right. "Brother-in-law? Why are you kneeling there?"
"Who's your brother-in-law?" Kyle nudged his brother and glared at him. "Let's go and find Yenyen."
"Hn." Luiz looked towards Stefan and smiled at him faintly. When he was out of their sight, Luiz turned to his brother. "I thought you want them to get back together."
"Of course, I want it to happen but I won't help him. I won't recognize him as my brother-in-law either."
"What are you guys whispering about?" Cayenne looked at them with questioning gaze but they only shook their heads. "You go to your room first and rest. I'll call you down when we're going to have breakfast."
"Okay." Luiz and Kyle answered in unison and went out of the kitchen. They left Cayenne alone and when they passed by Stefan, they looked at him with complicated expression before leaving.
'Cayenne didn't tell them anything.' Stefan thought to himself when he saw the two brothers. He was always envious of them and he had no idea that it was their father who took what was so important to him. 'It was their father, not them.' He told himself over and over again. 'No, it was all Alexander's fault. He killed himself and framed someone else.' Stefan corrected himself mentally.
He looked so quite on the outside but in truth, he was having a mental battle of himself.