Chapter 16

Charlotte's POV

Arthur walked in, his face a bit confused, he turned to me,

“Are you okay?” Asking as he walked towards me.

“Huh?” My brain went blank from whatever he asked just now.

“Charlotte?” He called, making me jerk a bit.

“ Huh? Yes, everything is fine. He's just someone I know off” I said not telling him that was my ex-husband well it's not like I know him from anywhere.

I flashed a warm smile,

“It's great to see you. How come you're here?” I asked, looking at him, it's so funny how the universe worked.

“I'm here for a business meeting, you?” His warm expression suddenly made me forget how rude he was at the airport. He was wearing a different shirt now.

“Uhhmm… business too”. I answered, and he smiled impressively.

“That's nice, “ then it occurred to me,

“Oh my goodness, please sit. Pardon my manners.” I said, offering him a seat.

“Charlotte quit admiring,” I said to myself.

As I looked closer at him, I realized that he was more than he seemed. He was calm, but there was a storm raging underneath the surface.

He was hiding something, something that was eating away at him. He had the face of an angel, but the eyes of a demon. He looked like he had seen too much like he had experienced too much pain.

He was more than just a handsome man, more than just a stranger. He was a complex person, full of contradictions.

“Are you worried ?” He suddenly asked, I smiled and then said.

“Not really. I'm wondering how we ended up in the same hotel.” I laughed quietly.

*You may call it fate. I call it a coincidence.”

“Oh really,” We both shared a hearty laugh.

He then breathes out, saying

“Ok fine. You caught me. My friend owns the place and I kinda saw you drive in the lobby. So I had to pull some strings to her here.” He says, as he spoke, my eyes lusted at his lips.

His lips moved as he spoke, and I just found myself staring at them, mesmerized by their movement. His lips were full and red, his teeth white and straight. As he spoke, his lips formed the words perfectly, his voice steady and clear.

But it was more than just his lips that captivated me. It was the way he spoke, the way he said the words, the way he breathed life into them. It was as if he were speaking from the depths of his soul as if he were baring his very being to me.

“So I just came here to hit a few deals and probably get the client to like our work,”

I listened to him speak, his words washing over me like a wave. I felt myself being pulled under, lost in the words, lost in the meaning behind them.

And then, I realized what was happening. I was falling in love. Not with Arthur standing in front of me, but with the words he was saying, with the person he was trying to be. It was a love like no other, a love that transcended time and space, a love that knew no bounds.

“That's nice, Arthur. Although I just need to do this and this is my first time chasing a huge deal.”

“A newbie. Huh?” I smiled and then nodded.

“Yeah…and trust me..it's not as easy as I thought it would be,” I added, as I watched him stand up,

“Let's take a picture then, I don't know when next I might see you,” he said out of the blue. I smiled while taking out my phone as we both took a selfie.

“Now, I think I should let you rest. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. “ He added.

“Thank you so much for dropping by…. I appreciate it.” He smiled, patting my shoulders, then walked away, as he closed the door behind me.

As he left the room, the silence seemed to envelop me like a thick fog. It was as if the room had become smaller, the walls closing in on me. But I didn't feel claustrophobic and didn't feel trapped.

Instead, I felt safe, like the walls were protecting me like the quiet was a warm blanket that wrapped around me. I could hear my breath, the slow, steady beat of my heart. It was as if the world had stopped as if time itself had come to a standstill.

In the stillness of the room, my thoughts turned to my ex-husband. I had been so happy with him, so full of love and hope. But then, something went wrong. The spark had died, and the fire had gone out.

I had tried to rekindle it and had tried to keep the flame alive. But it had been too late, the damage had been done. I tried to forget about him and tried to move on. But now, here he was again, in my thoughts, in my heart.

I thought of Auden, I wondered if I had made a mistake.

Did I give up on him too soon? Did I not fight hard enough for our love? But then, I remembered Arthur, whom I had just met.

He had made her feel a love she had never felt before in just these short times.

I looked around the empty room, the walls bare and the floor bare. And I realized that this was not the end, that this was not the end of my story.

This was just the beginning, the beginning of a new chapter, a new life. I knew that I had to move on, that I had to keep going. I had to find a way to make myself happy, to make myself whole again.

I pulled out my phone and opened the photo album. There, in the first picture, was me and Auden, smiling and happy, our arms around each other. I looked at the picture, taking in every detail.

I remembered the moment the picture was taken, the feelings I felt, and the memories I made. And then, I swiped to the next picture, the picture that would change everything. It was a picture of me and Arthur, whom I had just met, smiling and happy.

“I'm so sorry, Auden. But this time it's over.”