Convincing her

"What are you thinking about?" Brian asked Rachel who was lost in her thoughts. Rachel snapped out of her daze and focused her gaze on him.

"It's nothing," Rachel said as she continued to eat her dinner. Brian put down his fork and leaned back in his chair and looked at her. He had tried not to be too intrusive so he wouldn't scare her away, but it didn't look like what she was thinking about was related to anything traumatic that happened in her past.

Rachel looked up from her plate and ended up making eye-contact with Brian, which she avoided after a few seconds. She felt like he was staring right into her heart, especially with the calm expression on his face and his black eyes that just looked like a bottomless lake.

"Rachel," Brian said, and the hand that was toying with her food paused. She nervously bit her lip before looking at Brian in the eyes. However, she did not have the mental fortitude to hold his gaze, so she ended up looking at his chin.

"What's going on?" Brian asked, deciding not to address her behaviour at the moment. He patiently waited for her answer in silence, but the silence just created more pressure for Rachel. She put down her fork and hid her hands under the table. Brian noticed that they had started shaking before she hid them.

"Is something up at work?" Brian asked as he leaned forward and Rachel shook her head before her gaze dropped from his chin to her plate. Brian silently vowed to repay the person who made her the way she was.

He had noticed that whenever there was a sudden change in his emotions, she would either tense up or tiptoe around him. He couldn't live like an emotionless robot for the rest of his life. His family would sometimes make him angry, sometimes it was one of his businesses.

He had never overreacted or done something to scare off. It was like something conditioned her to respond the way that she did.

"Come here," Brian said with a sigh. Rachel looked at him a bit before standing up from her chair and walking around the table to his side. Brian looked up her, and Rachel nervously bit her bottom lip.

Brian took one of her hands and tugged on it so she would get closer to him. Rachel took one step closer, and Brian pulled her hand again. She finally noticed that Brian was gesturing for her to sit on his lap. She looked at him with some hesitation, but eventually; she sat down on his lap.

"Talk to me, what's bothering you so much you can't eat?" Brian said as he pushed a few stray hairs away from her face. Rachel placed her hands on his chest and looked at his face as if trying to see if he was okay or if he was upset.

"It's nothing," Rachel said, but she did not sound convincing at all.

"I can wait all night. If my legs stop functioning all the better, I'll have a legitimate reason to take a long break from work," Brian said as he pulled Rachel along with him as he leaned against the backrest of his chair.

"Brian I really-" Rachel started but was interrupted by him.

"Shh, it's okay. I'll wait until your ready," Brian answered as he placed his hand on her head so she would rest it on his chest. Rachel waited for a few seconds, thinking that he would get fed up soon and let it go, but he didn't. After five minutes of silence, Brian opened his mouth to say something.

"You're not planning on staying like this all night are you?" Brian asked jokingly with a chuckle, which made Rachel's tense body relax. He smiled and stroked her hair when he felt her shake her head to say no. After a few more seconds Rachel pulled away, so they weren't in such close proximity as she wouldn't be able to focus properly if they maintained their position.

"Can-can I go back to my seat?" Rachel asked nervously, but contrary to her expectations, Brian smiled instead. He thought it was cute how she was innocently asking for permission as if she did not know what to do with herself.

"No, you can't leave now," Brian said as wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Rachel bit her lip nervously before deciding that she would tell him her thoughts.

"I miss my mother," Rachel and buried her face in his neck.

"Are you all right?" Brian asked as he patted her back, and she shook her head to say no.

"Jen going back to City K to see her family reminded me of my mother. I left three years ago without saying goodbye. She probably doesn't even know if I'm dead or alive. I was running away, and I didn't want to implicate her, and I've felt guilty about it this whole time. I just-" Rachel couldn't continue talking as tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Brian had been listening quietly and when she started crying, he also started stroking her back to comfort her.

Rachel stayed like that for another thirty minutes, as if all the built-up pain and frustration she accumulated was finally being released, and Brian patiently comforted her without saying anything.

He felt that this was something she needed to do, so he did not bother with the superficial words of comfort of telling her how everything will be okay and how she should stop crying.

After Rachel calmed herself, she pulled away from Brian once more. But this time, she noticed how her tears had soaked his t-shirt. She looked at him guiltily and Brian smiled at her, still thinking she was cute even with her puffy eyes and red nose.

"I'm sorry about your t-shirt," Rachel said as she tried to wipe away the tears that were still on his neck.

"You don't have to be so polite with me. Are you done? If not, this side is still dry," Brian said as he patted his dry shoulder while Rachel's face turned red.

"Should we go to City K for Christmas?" Brian asked and was immediately rejected. He understood that Rachel was probably apprehensive about going there.

"Then, should we start by calling mom?" Brian asked and Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise. Why was he calling her mother mom? When did she permit him? Brian was unaware of how possessive Rachel was with her mother, so he just thought his suggestion surprised her.

"Do you have her number?" Brian asked, and Rachel nodded as she took out her phone from the pocket of her sweatpants.

"Do you think she'll talk to me?" Rachel asked as she looked at the dark screen of her phone before looking at Brian.

"She probably misses you more than you miss her," Brian said in reassurance. Rachel bit her lip before dialling her mother's number.

"Is it really-" Rachel hesitated but Brian had already tapped on the call button. She wanted to end it quickly, but she hesitated before she put the phone to her ear. Brian made her lean against him so she would feel reassured that there was someone there for her. After her call, he was determined to know what she was running away from.

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