Chapter 21

I rang the doorbell and Brianna opened the door looking at me with shock, “What are you doing here, Mr. Anderson?!” she asked with a stern voice.

“Well, Keyshia asked me to baby-sit, baby Jade,” I told her with the same serious tone.

“You baby-sit?” she snickered. “You can’t even baby-sit, your own self. Why don’t you just go home and stop wasting your time here?” she scoffed and tried to slam the door at my face but I’m too fast. I managed to stop her.

I pushed the door opened, “I promised Keyshia that I will look after her baby and that’s what I intend to do. No one is going to stop me.”

“Fine!!” she scoffed again, “I leave her to you then,” she said taking her coat from the closet.

“Brianna,” Keyshia called while coming down for the stairs making Brianna turned and look at her sister. “Hey, Rick, come on in,” acknowledged Keyshia, when she saw me at the door and I waved at her.  “Good the two of you here,” she smiled, “Albert, hurry up, we’re late,” she yelled at the stairs.

“You ask him to take care of Jade too?” Brianna angrily asked looking at Keyshia then at me, taking off my coat.

“Yes,” nodded Keyshia, “You two have done a good job last time, so Albert and I thought, why not again,” she shrugged and patted Brianna’s back, “At least you have someone to accompany you.”

“I don’t want anyone’s company,” I heard Brianna scoffed while following Keyshia taking her coat from the closet, “I more comfortable doing it alone.”

“Aw, come on. Don’t tell me to ask Rick to go,” whined Keyshia, “I’ve told him to come and accompany you and he’s been such a good guy coming here after office. I thought you said you like his company?”

“I never said that,” hissed Brianna while Keyshia just laughed.

“Come on, you never complained about spending time with him before, why now?” Keyshia asked pretending as if she didn’t know. God, I swear that lady really know how to act.

“Thank guys for agreeing to take care of Jade at last minute arrangement,” said Albert coming down the stairs kissing Brianna on the cheek and walked towards me, shaking my hands. He then helped Keyshia with her coat.

“Jade already taken her milk and she’s already sleeping,” she told Brianna as she kissed Brianna’s cheek, “But she might wake up for another drink.”

She hugged me and I kissed her on the cheek, “Thanks, I owed you guys one,” I whispered softly on her ears. She just smiled and walked out of the door with Albert, “Enjoy yourselves,” I yelled at them, “Don’t worry, Jade is in a good hands.”

I closed the door and turned around looking at Brianna who’s rolled her eyes at me. She then ran up the stairs, “Where you’re going?” I asked.

“I’m going to Jade’s room,” she said to me.

“I’ll come with you,” I said to her following her to upstairs.

“You don’t have to,” she scoffed, “I’ll take care of her. You can go downstairs and watch TV or something?”

“No, I promised Keyshia and Albert that I will take care of Jade with you, so that’s what I’m going to do,” I stressed.

“You such a stubborn guy,” she said to me.

“Can’t say much about you either,” I said smiling sweetly at her. She rolled her eyes, ignored me and walked into Jade’s room watching the baby sleeping. She took her bottle and went downstairs, I followed her again.

Brianna stopped her track and glared at me, “Why are you following me?” she asked.

“I’m actually trying to see what I help,” I told her.

“There’s nothing to help. I’m just going to wash this,” showing me the bottle, “Why don’t you just sit down and do nothing,” she scoffed.

“I can’t sit down and do nothing, I promised……” Brianna cut me off.

“Yeah, you promised my sister to help me to look after Jade but there’s nothing else to do, so relax,” she snorted.

“If that the case than maybe you and I could talk,” I said to her.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she grunted.

“There is,” I pressed, “I need to explain you some things and you need to listen.”

“What if I don’t want to listen?!” she hissed.

“I will force you then,” I threatened and walked towards her.

“Go away, leave me alone,” she pushed me, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“You have to talk to me,” I grabbed her hands, “You have to listen what I have to say and then you can judge me.” She tried to push me away again but I hold her hands tightly, “Believe me. I didn’t pretend to like you. I really like you because you are fun to be with.”

“You expect me to believe you?” she said angrily.

“Brianna, let me explain,” I said softly to her but she tried to push me away from her again.

“I don’t want to listen to your crap,” she hissed.

“Brianna, please” I pressed her against the wall making her stop. She glared angrily at me. “I don’t have to pretend to like you. You are very easy to be liked. I honestly like and enjoy being around you,” I honestly told her. I think my words finally caught her attention because she stopped struggling.

Seeing her remain quiet, I continue, “Its true our family wants to us to be together but I’ve told my grandpa that I’m only going to married a Silverstone if she falls in love with me too. Once I’m sure that we are in love with each other, then, I’m going to propose and if we find that we just wanted to remain as friends, we shall remain that way. I’m not going to force you to accept me if you don’t love me, Brianna.” She didn’t say a word but remained quiet. I take that as a cue for me to continue again. “I’m going to court you first before anything.”

She stared at me in shock and then looked at the ground, “So when you actually going to start courting me?” she asked coyly.

I laughed, “That’s what I’ve been doing the last few days.”

She snickered, “That’s not courting, that flirting. All this while, you have been flirting with me.”

“I did not flirt,” I protest.

“Yes you did,” she scoffed, “Teaching me playing guitar, telling me I taste like strawberry and whipping my bottom lips with your thumb and lick it, all those are flirts.”

“But you like it, don't you?” I wiggled my eyebrows up and down teasing her.

She rolled her eyes and make faces at me, "No, I did not."

I laughed, "Yes, you do. You blushed when I did that. Girls blushed when they like something."

"Says who?" she denied.

"Says me," I chuckled and tickled her.

She let out a giggled, "Stop it, Rick, you’ll wake up Jade."

I stopped but my hands still around her waist, "Admit it then."

"No way buster," she said hitting my chest and pushed my hands. "You better stop it and start courting me for real if you want to make me really likes you," she smirked.

 “So you are ok now?” I asked her.

She heaved deeply, “I don’t know but my parents look very happy with the idea.”

“How do you know about this? They tell you?” I asked her.

“No they didn’t,” she shook her head, “I overhead mum and dad discuss with your parents on the phone about it just before I came down the stairs to go out for ice-cream with you that night. They were saying how happy they were seeing us are getting closer,” she explained. “But I felt angry and sad at the same time. I felt being betrayed by you,” she said. “I thought you were pretending all this while.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, “I didn’t mean for you to find out that way.”

‘Huh, you actually hoping that I didn’t find out about this at all, am I right?” she mocked. I chuckled and nodded, “Why?”

“Well as I explained to your parents, Keyshia and Andrew, I don’t you to feel obligated that you doing our parents a favor. I want us to be married if only we love each other. I want the feeling to come naturally, not by force or because you have to,” I told her.

“So you mean you really become my friends because you enjoy my company?” She asked.

“Yes, I enjoyed being around with you,” I told her again.

“I enjoyed being around you too,” she admitted shyly.

“Well that’s a good sign. We know that we like each other company and now what we need to do is to find out whether we could further our relationship,” I said to her, “People always says first it’s like then comes love.” Seeing she nodded her head I continued, “So can I start courting you from this very moment?”

She blushed but responded, “Hmm, I like that. You better court me properly like a real gentleman before I start to reject you.”

I laughed, “I’m always a gentleman,” I praised myself and she pretend to gag. “Hey,” I scolded her and tickled her again.

She laughed and pushed my hands, “Rick, stop it.”

“Say you sorry first,” I threatened.

“Alright, alright,” she giggled, “I’m sorry.”

I stopped and looked at her, “I really like your laugh.”

She blushed but teasingly said, “I don’t think that’s considered as courting, right?”

I laughed, “No, that’s flirting.”

She laughed with me and pretending to scold me, “You not supposed to flirt, you supposed to court me.”

“Well flirting is part of courting,” I smirked.

“Says who? You again?” she mocked.

“Yep,” I nodded and she chuckled but stopped laughing when she saw me staring at her. She blushed instead and I smiled, “I think I’m glad you know about this. I don’t have to hide from you anymore.”

“Does everyone know about this?” she asked.

I nodded, “Just you and Lily don’t know about this plan.”

“No wonder they were so happy to leave us alone in the house that day,” she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, except Lily. She doesn’t seem happy about it,” I pointed out.

Brianna chuckled softly, “She would make your plan easier because she’s already in love with you.”

“Yeah, but she’s too young for me and I really like her like my own sister,” I told her.

“Would you court her if she’s older?” Brianna asked.

“I don’t know,” I shook my head, “Maybe but if she’s older I don’t think she'll be that easy too.”

“Hah, really?” Brianna queered.

“Yeah, she’ll play hard to get, just like you because you women would prefer men to flirt and court you. Am I right?”

Brianna rolled her eyes, “No,” she denied.

“Just admit it. You look so happy just now when you know that I’m going to court you,” I accused.

She rolled her eyes but the looked at me seriously, “Are you sure you’re going to court me?” she asked, “I’m a bit of tomboyish.”

“So?” I queried.

“I’m not like other girls who love make-up, doing all those girly things,” she pointed out, “I love outdoor and I’m rough.”

“I know but I don’t care about those things. What I know is I like you, and I really want to get to know you better.” I shrugged.

“Alright, if you said so but I hope you don't regret it later. I’m quite difficult to fall into any man’s charm,’ she warned.

I laughed, “Hmm, that why I like you because I love the challenge I going to have with you.’ She snickered and rolled her eyes. “So, can I start courting you by asking you out on a date with me tomorrow night?” I asked smiling as sweetly as possible at her. She just keeps on rolling her eyes instead.