Chapter 21- His call

A month had passed in a blink of an eye, and it’s getting hotter and hotter. The sun radiates heat throughout the city M. But the scorching heat couldn’t subside the enthusiasm and eagerness of Abigail. She was happy since morning. She was giggling and humming her favorite tune. One month later, she received a call from Charles, and he asked her to see him. She always wished to call him, but every time, when she went to dial his number, she remembered about his girlfriend and dropped the idea to call him. She missed him, but she couldn’t say it loudly to anyone. So she jotted down her feelings in her diary.

All these days, Aidan spent time with her every evening. Abigail tried her best to keep this relationship going, but the love in her heart for Aidan was already dead. She couldn’t love him anymore, and spending time with him had become strenuous for her. She smiled at him and acted to be serene as much as she could, but only she knew how uncomfortable she was with him. Several times, she wanted to call off this relationship, but every time, she swallowed back her words after seeing his seriousness. But now that Charles took the initiative to call her and meet her, she made up her mind to reveal her feelings to him. It was getting difficult for her to suppress her feelings further. She would feel relieved only after confessing to him even if he rejected her, she thought.

Her hope and contentment increased, even more, thinking that he had called her on her birthday. Perhaps he already knew about her birthday. But she really didn’t care if he knew about it or not. She was delighted, thinking that she had a chance to spend time with him on her birthday. It would be her best birthday ever. This thought broadened her smile.

She went to her walking closet and started trying the dresses. After trying on countless dresses, she eventually chose a shimmering gold mermaid dress with a sweetheart neckline. She looked at herself in the mirror and murmured, “Perfect.”

The smile on her face only grew wider. She held her hair with a messy updo, leaving a few locks on both sides of her face. When she was almost done with her makeup, she received a call from Charles.

A wide grin surfaced across her face the moment she saw his number, and she answered the call quickly, “Hello.”

“I am waiting for you down here.”

“I will be there in a minute.”

After disconnecting the call, she grabbed her purse and hurried out of the mansion. She saw him standing beside his black sedan, putting his hands in his pocket, looking at something on his right side. He wore a pair of black trousers and a white shirt. The two buttons on the top of his shirt were undone, showing some portion of his muscular chest. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, exposing the slightly tanned forearms. His hair combed back meticulously. His beards were trimmed short. All in all, he was looking killer handsome.

Abigail couldn’t avert her gaze from him and ended up staring at him blankly. Her heart was beating faster and faster while her breathing was becoming irregular. She could feel her cheeks heating up. She was nervous, and she clasped her dress on both sides instinctively.

Charles sensed her presence and turned his head, only to meet her deep blue eye. She was staring intensely at him. She had a bewitching smile on her face. He smiled but that smile didn’t reach his eyes. A glimmer of sadness clouded his eyes, but he soon looked down at the tip of his black shoes before she could notice it. When he raised his head and looked up at her again, the sadness was gone. He grinned widely, showing his white teeth, and greeted her, “Good afternoon, Abigail.”

She approached him, smiling profusely, and said, “Good afternoon. How are you?”

“I am good.” He mustered a smile, suppressing the pain in his heart. He tried his best to stay calm. The smile on her face was telling that she was happy in her life, happy with Aidan. Although he guessed she was doing good, still, he asked, “How are you doing?”

“I am also good, and I am happy too.” ‘to see you.’ She couldn’t utter loudly the last three words and only muttered in her mind.

He turned his head to look away from her and chuckled bitterly. ‘Yes, she is happy.’ He also murmured in his mind.

“Shall we go?” He glanced at her.

“Yeah.”

He opened the door to her, and she sat down on the passenger seat. After closing the door, he walked to the other side of the car and got inside. Without delay, he started the engine, stepped on the throttle, and the car exited the mansion area swiftly.

Abigail looked at him and asked, “So, where are we going?”

“You will come to know soon. It’s a surprise.” He replied while driving without looking back at her.

‘Surprise?’ She repeated the word in her mind and stared at him. Now she was certain that he knew about her birthday. She was eager to know what surprise he planned for her. She turned her head before he could notice that she was staring at him. Her eyes focused on the rapidly moving scenery outside. Contentment was apparent on her face. The faint smile was never leaving her face.

Charles was agitated. He was driving, but his mind was not there. Several things were going on in his mind. His restlessness only increased with every passing minute.

After driving for a while, he couldn’t stay calm any longer and parked the car on the roadside near the beach. He turned off the engine and got out of the car without a word. He leaned over the car, putting his hands inside his pocket and looking at the sinking sun in the sea.

The water of the sea was glowing with orange light. The sky was tainted with flamboyant pink. Many people were roaming around the beach, enjoying the sunset. The sea breeze was cooling down the heat, but the anxiety and the confusion in his mind remained as it is. He was trying hard to calm down, but he knew his agitation would only go away if he expressed his love for her. He also knew what the outcome would be, but he still wished he could say that he loved her.

Abigail stared at him, stunned. She didn’t know why he suddenly pulled the car off by the beach. Could it be that he brought her to enjoy the sunset? She sighed softly before opening the door and walking up to him. She saw him staring in the distance. He seemed lost somewhere. Now she was a little worried about him. She tapped on his shoulder and called him, “Charles…”

Her mesmerizing voice snatched him out of his trance. He turned his head and looked at her. His gentle gaze roved on her face. She looked so beautiful. He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her. He wanted to shout loudly that he loved her. But something was pulling him from inside, preventing him from revealing his feelings. He feared that she would reject him. He feared that she would hate him and end the friendship with him if he revealed his feelings. He mustered a smile and said, “Happy birthday, Abigail.” His voice was low and hoarse.

A smile brightened her face, and she asked, “You knew it?”

“Yes, always.” His hands inside his pocket formed tight balls while resisting the impulse to caress her cheeks.

Abigail was so happy that she couldn’t stop smiling. ‘He knew it. He always knew it.’ She muttered in her mind. She wanted to jump up and down and yell out of happiness. And what’s more, he planned a surprise for her. Did it mean that he had feelings for her too? Did he plan to confess? Her heart was beating wildly, contemplating this. If he confessed, this would be her best birthday gift ever. Her eyes shone in anticipation.

Her smile was so contagious that Charles’s lips also curled up gradually. He summoned his courage to take out the gift that he prepared for her. He placed a box in her hand. She was surprised and looked down at her palm. It was a blue velvet box. She was yet to recover from the shock, when she heard him say, “This is a small gift from me. I know it’s nothing compared to the gifts you received from others, but I would be pleased if you would accept it.”

“Why did you say that? Of course, I will accept it. It doesn’t matter whether it is small or big. It is priceless for me.”

She had mixed feelings in her heart. She was a little upset when she heard his words, but at the same time, she was thrilled, thinking that he had brought a gift for her.

With a smile on her face, she opened the box and found a gold chain with a small diamond pendant in the form of a heart. She was overjoyed, and tears of bliss started filling her eyes. She caressed the pendant and said, “It’s beautiful.” Her voice was as low as a whisper.

Charles heaved a sigh secretly to hear her and mustered to ask, “Do you like it?”

She nodded and said, “Yes, I like it.” She pursed her lips and looked down at the pendant. Then her eyes moved to him. After hesitating for a while, she asked, “Can you help me to wear it?”

Charles’s smile grew wide, and he responded promptly, “Sure.”

He took the chain out of the box and put it around her neck. Then he clasped the hook to secure the chain. His soft touch sent a shiver down her spine, and she shuddered. He couldn’t stop his hands to caress her cheek and called her name affectionately, “Abigail…”

His voice was gentle. Many emotions could be seen in his eyes.