Chapter 160 029
AMELIA suddenly broke away.
It wasn’t dramatic, not loud, but it was abrupt enough to snap Charles out of the haze he had been drowning in. She lifted her hand to her mouth, wiping her lips as though something had startled her into awareness. She took a step back, breathing unevenly, her eyes darting away from his face.
Charles stared at her, stunned.
“Hey… hey,” he said softly, confusion settling into his tone. “What is wrong?” He searched her face. “Did I do something? Were you not enjoying it? Or—” he laughed nervously, trying to lighten the air, “—was the moment too much?”
She shook her head quickly.
“No. No, it is not that.”
“Then what?” he pressed, his brows pulling together. “Amelia, you just— you pulled away like you saw a ghost.”
Her shoulders sagged. The adrenaline drained from her posture, replaced with something heavier, something quieter. She hugged herself briefly, then looked up at him.
“I can’t,” she said.
Charles blinked.
“You can’t… what?”
“I can’t let this go further,” she replied, her voice firm but laced with regret. “Not like this.”
He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair.
“Amelia, we were just kissing.”
“And I stopped it for a reason,” she said gently. “Because I know where it leads.”
A beat passed.
“And what is wrong with where it leads?” he asked, his tone sharpening slightly. “We are not teenagers sneaking around. You are my fiancée now. Not just my girlfriend anymore. Why are we still doing this?”
She shook her head again.
“It’s not about titles, Charles.”
“Then what is it about?” he asked, spreading his hands in frustration.
She hesitated, then spoke slowly, carefully.
“It is about my kids. And it is about dignity.”
His lips parted in disbelief, and then he scoffed, a short, humorless chuckle leaving his throat.
“Dignity?” he repeated. “Dignity for what, Amelia?” He stepped closer, though he didn’t touch her. “You are a divorcee. A mother of three. Grown children, at that. What dignity are we still talking about here?”
She stiffened but didn’t retreat.
“And the kids?” he continued. “They are not even around tonight. They won’t be. So what exactly is the problem?”
“The problem,” she said quietly, “is that they exist.”
He stared at her. Said nothing.
“They exist,” she repeated, her voice stronger now. “And everything I do reflects back on them. On how they see me. On what I teach them without words.” She took a breath. “I want to do this right.”
“Right?” he echoed, shaking his head. “We are engaged.”
“And engagement is not marriage,” she replied calmly. “Charles, I don’t want us to have sex until we stand at the altar. Until it is official before God and before man.”
The words landed heavily.
Charles’s shoulders fell, the fight draining from his stance. Disappointment washed over his face, clear and unhidden.
“This is…” he exhaled slowly. “This is hard.”
“I know,” she said immediately. “I know it is. Please try to understand me.”
“Well, that is what I have been doing,” he muttered. “Understanding you. Every single time it comes to… bedmatics.”
The word hung awkwardly between them.
She closed the space between them before he could step away. Gently, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I truly am.”
He looked down at her, his jaw tight. He lifted a hand and wiped his mouth again, as though grounding himself.
“This isn’t easy for me, Amelia,” he said quietly. “Very hard.” He paused, then sighed. “But I respect you. And I respect your decisions.”
Her lips curved into a soft smile against his chest. She tightened her arms around him.
“Thank you, babes,” she murmured. “Thank you so much.”
After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her too, holding her close. She closed her eyes, relief washing over her.
“It is fine,” he said after a while. “But that kiss…” He pulled back just enough to look at her. “That was a connection. If you didn’t feel it, I did.”
She chuckled softly.
“I did too, my love.”
“Good,” he said, nodding. “Because I felt it deeply.”
“Yes,” she smiled. “I know.”
They stood there quietly, the earlier tension settling into something calmer, more fragile.
Then his expression shifted. His eyes brightened slightly, a thought clearly forming.
“Speaking of connections, my love,” he began carefully, “I need a little favor.”
She lifted her head, curious.
“What is it?”