Free Web NovelChapter 209: What family looks like (2)
Ian took the bottle from Victor and lifted it to see just how much was left inside. "A cup and a half? It looks like one mouth full left inside. I told the two of you not to drink it. Did you drink this by yourself?"
"Owen had some," Victor revealed. "It was good. I’m hardly drunk. I think I can drink a lot and not get drunk fast."
"Unfortunately, you’re always smiling like a fool so I can’t tell if you are drunk or not. I should hit you with it. Maybe it would give you some sense," Ian considered.
Scarlet knew she had to step in to save Victor from his overprotective brother who was in denial. "Ian," she touched his shoulder. "Victor looks like he had fun while you were away. I can’t think of a time when Victor looked this relaxed. He normally looks like a little dog shivering from the cold."
Victor was thrilled to have Scarlet get him out of trouble until she made the last comment. "Must you add that?"
Scarlet nodded her head. "It is true. You always had a pathetic look to you. Being sick added to it because everyone had to pity you but now you look relaxed. It might have been our mistake of calling you over for lunch with my family not knowing that you were drinking a lot. There is a guest room for you to lie down in."
"No. I want to join everyone," Victor said, excited to attend a family gathering. The Collins were accepting Ian so it felt like they were accepting him too since he got an invitation. "I didn’t bring a gift."
"You were not to bring a gift. It is not that kind of occasion," Scarlet replied. "I suggest that you drink some water to try to get rid of some of the scent lingering on you from your fun. At least rinse your mouth. We were just speaking about my grandmother not being too fond of heavy drinkers."
Victor covered his mouth with his hand. "She doesn’t? I wouldn’t have drank if I knew I was coming here."
"You weren’t to drink more than a cup," Ian said, still upset that Victor disobeyed what he said. He gave one clear simple instruction and Victor couldn’t even do that.
"Well, when you look at it from my side, I didn’t drink more than a cup. I poured the drink into the cup and drank what the cup could hold- Ow!" Victor whined.
"Don’t try to be a smart ass with me. Go rinse your mouth. I don’t need you to give a terrible first impression to her family. When you are done, there is something important I must tell you about. Go on," Ian nudged Victor away from the door.
Victor moved as Ian wanted but he would like the two to remember that he had never stepped foot in the Collins estate so he did not know where the bathroom was. He feared Ian would get upset with him if he turned around to ask where the bathroom was so Victor continued on, hoping to find a maid who could help him.
"You are not a protective brother? I fear your actions just now showed otherwise, Ian. It is not bad to admit that you care for him and want to protect him. I understand that new knowledge of what he experienced at home would change your ways. Don’t try to fight it," Scarlet advised Ian.
"For once, I am feeling sorry for Victor now that the two of you will be living together. He cannot do as he pleases because you are so concerned about his health. Let him live a little. It might be the first time he can do things that he always wanted to," said Scarlet.
"When he does what he wants, he ends up passing out at my doors. You are not the one who has to catch him. He should let your grandmother help him and then live life as he wants to. I can hardly wait for him to be out of my home," Ian said, looking over Scarlet at Victor already being lost.
"And all this time you tried to paint me as the clueless one. You can’t even see how quickly you fell into the role of being a big brother. Now all that is left for you to do is spoil him and sometimes beat him up. At least that is what I have heard from those with older siblings," Scarlet said, thinking now that it was best Ian didn’t take her word.
"The last part sounds good. He needs a hit or two over the head to give him some sense," Ian said, finding being an older brother to not be so bad since he was allowed to bully Victor.
"I shouldn’t have mentioned the beating part. What are you doing, Ian? You cannot be so caught up in Victor’s drinking that you have forgotten that my parents are here," Scarlet said, touching Ian’s arms that were now around her waist to stop them from going any lower.
"Do you enjoy me being protective of Victor?"
His words puzzled Scarlet. "What is there for me to enjoy? That is between the two of you."
"Doesn’t it show that I could be a good father?" Ian asked.
Silence fell upon the two of Scarlet who were expecting this question.
"You just tried to hit Victor with a bottle. I don’t think you should use this to convince me as I am very concerned. I wouldn’t want the father of my child to-"
"Children," Ian corrected Scarlet. "As annoying as Victor was, seeing you as an only child looks boring. Our homes have plenty of rooms, why don’t we fill them."
Scarlet stepped on Ian’s shoe to get him to let go of her. "First of all, don’t be ridiculous. I have also told you not to get ahead of yourself. I blame my grandmother for getting you started with this. I cannot have the two of you being left alone. We are at the start of our relationship and everyone either wishes for me to get married or pregnant."
Ian brought Scarlet closer once more when she tried to run away. "Unintentionally, we have started to work on one of the things they want. In two ways, you have taken my seed inside of you. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are at the early stage of being pregnant. The next couple of weeks might tell."
If what he thought was true, Ian knew he had to be ready to propose so they could quickly marry to avoid Scarlet being ridiculed for having a child out of wedlock. Ian did not want any child of his to face the ridicule he did because of the circumstances of his birth.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Scarlet? The woman with your ex-husband had to lie about being pregnant. I still doubt it was your doing that you do not have a child. You are the one who said that I didn’t need to pull out-"
"I understand!" Scarlet exclaimed, covering his mouth with her hands. "I do not want to speak of this now when my parents and grandparents are not too far away from us. I know what I said and what we did when we were intimate. Should something come from those moments, I would just accept it."
"Promise me that you will not bring up a child or marriage for the rest of the day and if someone questions us about it, you will help me turn the conversation to something else. I hate rushing and it is starting to feel like everyone is pressuring me. Do not join them," Scarlet pleaded. ƒreewebɳovel.com
"Sorry. I was only trying to tease you. I won’t speak of it again," Ian promised though he was too excited to stop. He could see how she could tolerate his teasing about having a child but with everyone else, it felt like pressure. "Do I get to spend the night with you?"
"Why would you do that when you have a home and you must take Victor there? Don’t you have plans concerning your father to finish? I do not want to distract you so I will let you return home. Now, please let go of me so I can join my guests," said Scarlet.
Ian’s plans needed to start and be done with soon so he could finally agree to go on a trip with her. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
"Let go of me or you will find yourself lying on the floor. You cannot spend the night when my grandfather and father are staying here tonight. You wouldn’t be able to sleep in the same room as me so what fun would it be?" Scarlet asked.
Ian let go of Scarlet as a night like that did sound boring. He wouldn’t put it past Leonard or Elijah to be waiting around outside her door with a gun in their hands to threaten him to return to his room.
