Beautiful Affair
BA #20 - With Him

Alira grimaces as Ryan treats the corner of Alira's injured lip. Ryan did not understand how Daniel beat his wife until the corner of Alira's lips was torn and bleeding.

While on the other hand, Daniel sat staring at the river bank while sipping a cigarette he had just bought.

Daniel shed tears as he recalled how he hit Alira, Daniel punched the stone in front of him many times until the back of his finger was injured and bleeding.

"AAAGGHHHH!!!!" Daniel shouted with all his might, venting all the burdens of his own feelings that he did not understand.

"It's all because of you!" Daniel shouts as he recalls the shadow of his broken family.

Daniel picks up his phone, then he sends Ryan a message.

"Antar Alira went home, maybe he's right, we better split up."

.........

Ryan who read his brother's message was quite surprised, but seeing the state of Alira, he felt this decision was right.

Ryan showed Daniel a message to Alira that made Alira smile and said. "I can go home by myself."

"It's night, Al. I'll take you, " Ryan said. Alira was silent for a moment, she looked at Ryan then she nodded in agreement.

Alira immediately packed her things, and Ryan took her to the car.

While on the way, Alira falls asleep in the car, while Ryan drives at moderate speed. Every now and then he glanced at Alira's shady face, Ryan's heart quivering, even he couldn't catch his breath properly.

When she realized Alira was still wearing her party dress, Ryan stopped her car and put her jacket on Alira.

For a moment, Ryan looked at Alira's face, the longer she looked at Alira, the faster her heart beat, even like a bomb about to explode.

"God! What the hell am I doing?" Ryan immediately drove his car to the orphanage.

.........

Arriving there, Ryan was immediately greeted by Linda's mother because Alira had told him that Alira would come home again.

Alira woke up from her sleep and when she got out of the car, Alira immediately hugged Linda's mother. "What did Mom say, Al? He hurt you again" he said.

"I think Alira needs a break" Ryan continued.

"You go in first, Ryan, too" Alira asked, and Ryan would never turn him down.

Linda's mother let Ryan sit down, while Alira went to her room to change clothes and after that she joined Ryan in the living room.

They chatted lightly there, talking about the parlors and so on until suddenly there was a lightning sound that struck along with the electricity that died. Not long after the rain fell so hard.

Ryan and Alira are still in the living room. "I think I'm going home now" Ryan said.

"You sure? It's raining hard, Ryan. And it's late, shouldn't you come home in the morning?" Alira asked half suggested, even he hoped that his sister-in-law would stay there.

"Hem, if you ask, fine," Ryan said, then that made Alira chuckle.

Using the lighting from his cell phone, Alira escorts Ryan to the guest room right next to Alira's room and only that room is empty.

"This is your room and that's mine" Alira said, but Ryan seemed reluctant to go into the room. "Why? Is it because the room isn't big enough?" Alira Goda.

"I ... I.." Ryan suddenly broke out in cold sweat, even his knees were shaking especially when suddenly. "Ahhhhh.." there was a sound of screaming children who made Ryan yell hysterically, even he immediately hid behind Alira's body. Along with that the lights lit up but flickered, making the atmosphere feel a little creepy.

"Ha-ghost...."

"Well...." Alira immediately laughed amusedly because she just knew Ryan who had lived abroad for a long time was afraid of ghosts. And Alira's laughter breaks as she shines on Ryan's face with the lighting of her phone, Alira realizes Ryan is sweating when the weather is so cold because of the rain.

"You're afraid of ghosts, eh?" Ejek Alira and along with that, the lights turn off at once and the sound of lightning strikes again.

"Listen, Al. I ... I'm not afraid of ghosts, I just ... just don't like the dark," Ryan said.

Alira laughed again, but when Ryan touched Alira's hand, Alira gasped, Ryan's hand was so cold and she trembled. "God! Are you really afraid of ghosts?"

Ryan refused to answer, instead holding Alira's hand tighter. "Well, let's go into my room and it looks like there's a candle" Alira said. Ryan just nodded slowly.

As Alira searches for the candles in some drawers, Ryan continues to spy on her, even holding the tip of Alira's shirt, like a scared child in her mother's house.

Alira just chuckled, when she got the candle, she lit it and put it on the nightstand.

As the candlelight illuminated Alira's room, Ryan slightly breathed a sigh of relief. "How now? When do the lights turn on?" Ask Ryan.

"It's usually a long time, let alone it's raining and lightning everywhere" Alira replied.

"In this room there is no sofa, so you can not sleep on the sofa" said Alira.

"And even if there is, I don't want to sleep on the couch, for God's sake, Alira! What if a ghost comes and pulls my leg?" Whiney Ryan who made Alira gawk and he laughed out loud, but back lightning struck that made Ryan jumped in shock and immediately mixed into Alira's embrace which made Alira lose her body balance and both fell to the floor with Ryan who overcame Alira's body.

As Alira's body stiffens, so does Ryan.

The two looked at each other, and when the lightning returned, Ryan immediately slid his face into Alira's chest.

Tbc....