Chapter 9 Acting Like Good Brother

• Clara didn't get any answers to the questions she threw at Geralt. Instead, she watched her stepbrother close his eyes in her bed.
• "Geralt, you can sleep in your room. I want to rest."
• Clara approached Geralt. She reached for Geralt hand, but Geralt pulled Clara's body so that she fell right on top of Geralt's body. Their lips touched accidentally. Of course, Clara was so surprised. She tried to get up, but Geralt didn't let her go.
• "What the hell are you doing, Geralt?"
• "I'm Trying to be a good brother," Geralt replied. My dad said that I should be extra protective of you."
• "But that doesn't mean you can touch me like this. You're such a pervert, Geralt!" screeched Clara.
• "What's the problem? You are my sister. Isn't skinship perfectly normal for siblings?"
• "But we are not siblings. I'm not used to touching men before," Clara replied. "And don't you hate me?"
• "Why do you always say that I hate you? You make me seem like the bad guy in this family. You're the one who suddenly came into my life."
• Geralt's words were enough to make Clara uneasy. She never intended to come into Geralt's life.
• "My dad could have hired a bodyguard if he was so worried about you, but he forced me to carry you around like a pet. Do you think that's normal?"
• Clara was increasingly speechless. During Martin's relationship with her mother, Martin had never brought Clara together with Geralt, so Clara had no idea what Geralt was like. Martin only said that Geralt was a bit quiet and liked motorcycles. Martin was a good man, so Clara thought that Geralt must be kind and friendly like his father. Unexpectedly, their natures were one hundred and eighty degrees different.
• "You shouldn't have agreed when your dad was going to marry my mom. That way I would never have come here."
• "That's not a way out. If it wasn't your mom, my dad would have met another woman. At least your mom isn't a drunk and is younger than my dad."
• Something made Clara curious about Geralt. Although Martin's life was very luxurious and comfortable and seemed happy, Geralt was not like a happy son.
• "Is your relationship with dad okay?"
• Geralt grinned. "What do you mean? If he and I were at odds, I wouldn't be in this house."
• It seemed that Clara felt that her question was wrong. Whatever Clara did would feel wrong in Geralt's words. Although Geralt denied that he and his dad were feuding, Clara could feel that there was a cold war between them. Did this have something to do with Geralt's mother? Clara never knew about Martin's past, and Martin had never told Clara about his previous marriage, either.
• "Honey!" Matty's voice suddenly came clearly from behind the door.
• Geralt hurriedly pushed Clara aside. He then stood up and pretended to sit on a chair while playing with his phone. Clara was also so panicked that she didn't know what to do. She was silent when Matty entered and found Geralt and Clara in the room. Matty was relieved that they seemed to care about each other.
• "Oh, you're here, Geralt," Matty said.
• "I feel so guilty, Mrs. Grunt," Geralt replied. "I wanted to make amends by taking care of Clara.
• It's nonsense. You came to make trouble, Clara thought. How could you possibly want to take care of me? I don't want Geralt to take care of me anyway. He'd just make me feel like hell.
• Clara had no idea that Geralt was so good at acting. Although he seemed like a nice boy at home, he was actually very dangerous outside.
• "Oh, I'm glad that Geralt is accompanying you, Clara,” Matty said. “I really hope you don't get careless again, Clara. I've often reminded you to always bring a jacket when you go out. And I just found out that you haven't bought your medicine in months. Stanley told me. Why are you so careless?”
• Clara was silent. Clara had stopped buying inhalers and some medicines for her asthma because she felt she never had a relapse.
• "I've been fine all this time, Mom. It won't happen again," Clara replied.
• "But you were hospitalized for asthma. What are you going to explain to me? Did you do this on purpose? Is this your rebellion against me?"
• Matty was so disappointed with Clara. Although she was so worried about her daughter's condition, Clara just didn't care about her own health.
• "Mrs. Grunt, I know you're worried but Clara just got home from the hospital. You better give her some time to rest. I promise I'll look after Clara tonight. I'll also remind her always to make sure she has her medicine with her wherever she is."
• Matty looked at Geralt. She felt relieved because Garalt was now ready to take care of Matty. She had always felt guilty for Clara not being able to feel a father's love, but at least now she could make up for it.
• "I'm so lucky to have you, Geralt." Matty was so happy.
• Geralt smiled. No one knew what that smile meant, but it was clear that Clara felt that Geralt was just acting.
• "Then I'm going out." Matty ended her stay in this room. She felt that Geralt and Clara should be given more time together so that they could bond like siblings.
• After Matty left, Clara glared at Geralt.
• "You deserve an Oscar. Why don't you audition as an actor in Hollywood? You can play a monster!" Clara said.
• Geralt went back into his mode. It was like he had a switch inside his body. It really made Clara feel furious.
• "I need to sleep." Geralt lay back down on Clara's bed.
• "Get out of here," Clara didn't want Geralt here.
• "I promised your mom that I would take care of you tonight. Let's go to sleep. I leave for college tomorrow morning. If you don't want to get up early, I'll leave you. Your mom won't let you go out without me," Geralt said.
• "Why?" Clara couldn't believe it.
• "Because I'm the only one she trusts." Geralt felt he had won. He didn't care. All that mattered was that he could do whatever he wanted without anyone's intervention.