Fan Fiction |
by Sensitivegal
Chapter Thirty-One 'Reflecting on the Past 2'
A delivery had come for Charlene that morning. She was overjoyed with what she got. She couldn't believe she could forget him. K¨§ ¨¤i, her puppy she left back in America. She guessed that Edison had got the guy that was keeping him to send it over. She kept the dog in her room and sent her housemaid to go shop for the puppy's food.
Charlene lay on her bed next to the sleeping puppy watching it sleep soundlessly. She ignored her stomach growling. She was starving. If she ate, it would always come back up. She couldn't keep her food down. She didn't want to starve herself but her body was rejecting food. She didn't want to think of food. Her thoughts wandered back to Edison. A tear rolled down.
Would she never get over him? She thought, frustrated. Would the tears always come when she thinks of him?
The time she spent with him in America would always rush back in her head. It was like a memory that could never be erased. She let her memory over come her. Her thought going back to beginning and flowed like the time she shared with Edison is repeating itself.
*****Flash Back One*****
Her lips went dry just looking at his. She licked them. 'Now I have to apologize.'
He narrowed his eyebrows. 'Apologize for what?'
'For this.' She leaned forwards and kissed him.
Edison pulled back. He bit his bottom lips stopping himself from smiling. 'You want to apologize for that?' Charlene nodded looking down at her shoes. She was all of a sudden shy. 'Well, I have to tell you something,' Charlene looked cocking her eyebrow up questioningly. 'I want to apologize for this.' It was him now kissing her.
She pulled back. 'I'm offended!' she exclaimed.
'Why, honey?'
'Nobody ever apologizes for kissing me!' she told him haughtily.
*****End of Flash Back One*****
*****Flash Back Two*****
'I guess the car is a little crazy. But you know boys and their toys.' It earned rolling eyes from Charlene. 'It must be symptomatic of a latent death wish. C'mon, get in. I can't wait to put it through its paces.' She was right.
Charlene hesitated before climbing in. She thought she should be able to trust him to drive safely. Edison got in after her. He leaned forward and put her seatbelt on for her. In doing that he brushed his lips on hers.
'Hey!' she exclaimed. 'That was really sneaky of you!'
'Hey, I got to get something out of doing things for you.' He shrugged his shoulders at her.
She stared at him. 'Do you do this to all the women you're with?'
He shook his head. 'Only you.' He grinned sheepishly. She turned to face out the window not wanting him to see her blushing.
'The amazing thing about windows,' he began. She faced him. 'Is that sometimes you can see the reflection.'
Her blush deepened when she realized that he meant that he saw her blushing.
'Whatever,' she muttered trying to hide her embarrassment.
*****End of Flash Back Two*****
*****Flash Back Three*****
She shook her head. 'I'm not crying!' she told him. She gave him a smile that came out wryly.
'Don't lie to me.'
'Fine. But for future reference - if you want to live that is - you better keep this to yourself!' she threatened him.
Edison had to laugh at that. 'You can make a joke when you're crying.'
'Thank you.' She took the comment as a compliment.
'For future reference - if you don't want to see me angry that is - don't joke about being hurt or anything.'
She smiled that he had took her joke to his heart. 'I will.' She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek.
'Actually forget that. You can scare me anytime you want.'
She laughed.
******End of Flash Back Three*****
*****Flash Back Four*****
'I didn't mean to say anything bad about the counter tops,' Charlene whispered desperately to Edison.
'They looked like petrified elephant hides,' he whispered back. 'Frankly I thought you were very, very, very diplomatic.'
'I thought I'd committed some terrible real estate faux pas. Next time you want me to be the fall guy, give me a signal.'
'What kind of signal?' Edison bent close to her ear.
It tingled. Charlene hoped she wasn't blushing. 'How about you tug your ear?' She had ears on her brain. That wasn't all.
Edison smiled. She was pretty sure that he knew that wasn't all. He bent closer. 'If it works for you, it works for me.' He knew.
*****End of Flash Back Four*****
*****Flash Back Five*****
Edison uncrossed his arms. 'You realize of course that you've now fulfilled requirement number six for a future wife. You want to meet my mother.'
'Oh, stop with this future wife requirement stuff, will you? As a long running joke, it's really getting pretty played out.'
Edison didn't say anything.
'It's a joke, isn't it? Oh don't even bother to pretend otherwise.' Charlene waved her hand in disgust. 'And another thing.' She leaned towards him, gesturing with her finger for further emphasis. 'Stop with this bit about how important my opinion is! You're just trying to make it all my fault if the sale doesn't go through.'
'I'm just trying to make you apart of things.'
'I don't want to be a part of things. How many times do I have to say it? I'm just the receptionist!' she poked his chest with each syllable or 'receptionist'.
He looked down. 'You know, I bruise easily.'
'Oh, I'm sorry.'
Before she could snatch her hand away he grabbed it. 'Not that I'm complaining, mind you.'
*****End of Flash Back Five*****
*****Flash Back Six*****
'He has a usual type?' Charlene asked.
'You know, arm candy. Definitely high maintenance.'
'That's right, talk about me as if I weren't here,' Edison said from the couch.
Charlene did just that. She leaned conspiratorially to Selina. 'That's very interesting. I figured that was the case. You see, Edison had told me that I have already fulfilled five of the requirements that he has for a perfect wife, and denies that it's all a farce.'
Selina looked dubiously at Edison. 'Five, huh? And I thought you only had three. Thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six.'
Charlene leaned back. 'Well, that let's me out. Thank God I'm only the receptionist, or I'll be concerned.' She laughed.
No one else did.
'She says that a lot, doesn't she?' Selina said to Edison.
'Says what?' Charlene asked.
'You noticed?' Edison responded. He looked at Charlene and shook his head.
'Hmm,' Selina studied Charlene, then Edison. Then Charlene again.
'What?' Charlene asked, confused.
*****End of Flash Back Six*****
*****Flash Back Seven*****
Charlene frowned. 'You know I still can't believe that Selina gave you alcohol. And I can't believe you drank all of it!'
'It wasn't much,' he said. 'It's not like I'm drunk.'
Charlene's frowned deepened. Her forehead creased. She could tell that he was a little tipsy but she didn't mention it. 'Why don't we get in the car?' She tried to move him forward but he stood there like a statue.
'Can I ask you something?' he said.
'Yes. What is it?'
'Don't you love me?'
Charlene froze up. She didn't know if she should answer that. She loved him but she was afraid to have a relationship with him knowing there was a secret she had that he wouldn't like.
'Is it hard to love me?' he carried on, too impatient to wait for her to reply. 'I fell in love with you. Why can't you love me?'
Charlene's heart cried out for him as tears slid down his cheek. 'I'm sorry.'
'No,' he yelled. He yanked his arm from her grip then used the back of the hand to wipe the tears away. 'Don't say sorry!'
Charlene sobbed silently. 'I'm only doing this for you. You won't understand now but you will soon.'
'What won't I understand?' he spat. 'Why can't we be like before? Why can't things go back the way it was?'
Charlene covered her face with both her hands. 'Please,' she begged. 'Don't.'
Edison calmed down just looking at Charlene. Guilt washed over him all of a sudden. He grabbed her into a hug. None of them cared that the rain had went heavier.
'I'm sorry,' he said over and over again.
*****End of Flash Back Seven*****
*****Flash Back Eight*****
'You ran away?'
Everything came back to him. He saw Daniel that day outside his limo on the phone. Then he saw him again that day in the caf¨¦. He knew something was up with Charlene but not this. Why did she runaway?
'Why did you runaway?' Edison repeated out loud.
'It's a long story.'
'I can wait,' he quickly replied.
Charlene took a deep breath. 'I wasn't allowed out much nor do anything without his consent. It was like a prison at my place. Vicky, your cousin, is my only friend. My father is strict in what kind of friends I got.'
'So, you ran away?'
'Yes,' she answered. 'And you should know something else.' It pained her to say it but she had to say it. Edison waited. 'My full name is Charlene Choi Velcois.'
*****Flash Back Nine*****
'First I want to know if you feel anything for me.'
She looked at Edison confused at what he meant by that. She then thought of Gillian. She now had another best friend and she couldn't jeopardize there friendship. She shook her head. 'I can't feel anything for you.'
'What is that meant to mean?' Edison asked.
'It means that I can only like you as a friend and nothing more.'
'That's a lie!' Edison yelled. 'I know you love me as much as I love you!'
Charlene caught her breath. Did she hear what she thought she head? She searched for answers on Edison's facial expression but he quickly hardened his expression making it impossible for her to know what he was thinking. 'What did you say?'
'Forget it,' Edison spat. 'It's not like you'd care.'
*****End of Flash Back Nine*****
***** Flash Back Ten*****
'We were?' Charlene repeated. 'Aren't we still friends?'
Gillian shook her head. 'A friend is when she shares every secret with the other. And a friend doesn't go behind another friends' back with the guy she likes.'
'We haven't even had a relationship to begin with,' Edison said before Charlene could speak. 'I always wondered why Charlene kept running away from me. It was all because of you.'
Gillian jerked her head towards Edison. 'You're lying.'
'Why would I lie for? You say she wasn't a good friend? Well you're wrong. She could have had a relationship with me but she didn't just for you. I hope you're happy.'
Nicholas frowned. Charlene bowed her head low. Gillian felt guilty. Daniel, Mel and Leo didn't want to get involved. Patrick didn't like what he was hearing.
'I said let's go Charlene,' Patrick repeated impatiently. He walked ahead. Charlene followed obediently.
Edison snaked his hand over hers and gripped it making her halt at her step. 'Please don't go,' he pleaded.
Patrick stopped ahead and turned to look at Edison. 'Young man, let go of ma daughter's hand,' he demanded.
'Not until she hears me out,' Edison said stubbornly. 'Charlene, I love you and I know you love me too.'
Charlene looked at Edison helplessly. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered.
*****End of Flash Back Ten*****