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“It’s only been a few weeks, Philip. And we’ve been through a rollercoaster of drama together. I’ve got loan sharks after me. My ex fiancé is trying to paint me as a whore. His girlfriend might be trying to kill me. I mean—” She shakes her head. “—Any answer I give you would be based on how we’ve been thrown together in this adrenaline rushed time.”
I already know the answer to my next question, or at least part of the answer.
“But do you think you could love me?”
Charlotte blushes then, her cheeks turning a dusty red.
“Do you have to ask?”
“Yes,” I answer honestly. She lowers her forehead to my chest.
“Of course, I love you, Philip.” She lets out a breath, and then sounds almost vaguely annoyed as she looks up at me. “I’ve always been in love with you. You’ve always been the yardstick I measured every other man by. I also blame you for all my failed attempted relationships, however, few they were.” I find myself grinning.
“Yeah?”
She frowns.
“Don’t look so pleased with yourself. You know I tried everything, right? I tried to hate you. I tried to move on. I – stop smiling like that!”
I can’t help it. Her admission makes me feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I want to drag her off to bed. I want to place the world at her feet.
However, I settle for the only thing that time allows, and I cup her face, forcing her to meet my gaze.
“I love you, too. More and more each day.” When she blushes again, I kiss her, a sweet kiss filled with love and longing.
Her eyes are dazed when I move away a moment later.
However, that moment doesn’t last for long, because her eyes fall on the clock behind me and she makes a small sound of distress and pulls away from me, grabbing her bag.
“I’m getting late! I’ll see you at eleven!”
I am left grasping for air, as she quickly rushes to the door and slams it behind her.
I know Tim and Jim are going to drive her there, and one will remain in the car while the other will be standing outside her classroom door, protecting her. Despite my happiness being like a physical thing inside me, as I stare at the windows the rolling dark clou
ds that warn of imminent rain and promise deafening thunder make a sliver of uneasiness unfold inside me.
I pick up my laptop and put it to charge as I look around for the contracts that I need to review. The crashing thunder sounds just minutes after I settle on the couch makes me look up, and I feel the phone vibrate in my pocket.
I blink at the caller ID.
It is Agatha’s friend, the medical practitioner, who did a full check-up of Charlotte last week. I haven’t been too keen on Zayn’s dubious doctor.
I answer the phone.
“Brenda, hi. How can I help you?”
“Philip. There was something I need to check with you, since you’re Charlotte’s husband and all.” Her voice holds a little static, probably due to the thunderstorm outside.
“Yeah?” I ask, my voice wary at where this might lead to.
“Charlotte told me she is barren. She sounded very confident about it. But, uh, the results I’m seeing say otherwise.” I freeze, hope blooming in my chest.
“Are you saying she’s not?”
“No. I don’t know why she thinks she is. The tests are very conclusive. I have them in front of me, right now.” My eyes stare blankly outside as the first raindrops start falling on the terrace floor.
“Thank you for letting us know.”
