A Date to Always Remember

Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

"Charles?" 

I called out to him as I came into the doorway. Scott gave me a ride home, but I think I could've run here, how elated I was feeling... or perhaps fly?

I smiled at the thought, and couldn't wait to see my husband, I had five years to make up for, and I wasn't losing another minute.

"Charles?" I called again, going into his office area, without knocking. But he wasn't there. 

Turning to call for the maid, I almost ran her over in my haste, she was so close behind me, starling us both.

"I'm sorry," we both murmured together.

"Do you know where I can find my husband?"

"Mr. Dante stepped out, Ma'am," the girl told me.

"Stepped out? Out where?" I asked hastily. I really needed to talk with him.

"I don't know," she shook her head, "Maybe he went out to his usual hangout or something?"

"Yes, maybe," I murmured, and went upstairs to our room.

A dreadful thought occurred to me. Charles couldn't have left, could he? He couldn't have thought I'd leave with Jake? I hoped against hope that I still found his clothes and belongings in the room. There was no way Charles could have left me. He wasn't Jake.

Throwing open his closet, I sighed in relief. All his stuff was still there. The bedside table on his side of the bed still had his watch, cufflinks and the book he was reading. I picked up the book, and smiled broadly. He was determined to finish this book, but he always feel asleep with it on his chest after reading a few pages. Sometimes he never even made it past a few lines. I would then have to put away the book for him, before he either crushed it or hurt himself. It was a hard cover, 400 pages novel. The hazard risk was beyond belief.  Two years and counting, since he first started reading this particular novel, and the injuries sustained from it- about 1000!

Smiling at the thought, I placed the book back on the table. A flash of silver caught my eye, from inside the bedside table's drawer, which wasn't properly closed; a result from pushing it in too hard, or in a hurry. I should know; I have the twin set on my side of the bed. I had to open the drawer to close it properly, and saw what the silver object was. It was my wedding ring. Holding up my left hand, I realised for the first time today, I wasn't wearing it. I had taken it off last night, but forgot to put it on again this morning. 

But I remembered placing it on my side of the bed; on my table. How did it end up in Charles drawer?

I went over to my side of the bed and sat down to rummage through my table. Of course I didn't find another ring; there was only one ring. Maybe Charles' eyes caught the flint of silver also and just placed it in his drawer. For what? Safe keeping? Or did he think I didn't need it anymore?  

"Oh Charles," I sighed softly.

The alarm clock on my table chimed the five o' clock hour, bringing my attention to it. It was not a loud obnoxious sound that distracted me, more like a soft, gentle ring of wind chimes. My attention towards it was more with who had given it to me, than what it was. Jake.

This clock, the one I now held in my hands, was a symbol, a reminder of Jake. On one of the many mornings I had overslept and ended being late for whatever it was we were doing that day, he gave this to me. It didn't improve my tardiness, but I kept it because Jake gave it to me. It was the only thing I had of him that had reminded me of him for the past ten years. 

A reminder I no longer needed nor wanted. Putting on my wedding ring, where it belonged, I got up with the alarm clock in my hands. This morning the sight of it was too much for me to bear. I could barely open my eyes to grasp my surroundings, much less to see the clock. 

Walking on steady feet, I went straight down the stairs and out the front door. We had garbage containers in the house, but I needed to extricate my past from my present and future. So it needed to be in the big garbage barrel. Placing it in there I said goodbye to my past, and went back to the house to wait for Charles to come home.

And he would come home. There was no way he would just leave, without a word. He wasn't Jake. He would never hurt me. He knew how leaving just like that always upset me, and I would bet my bottom dollar, Charles would never do anything to hurt me; whether it be willful or not.  

So I sat in the parlor and waited. And waited some more. At seven, the butler came and asked to serve dinner, but I refused. I was waiting on Charles. He would come. Sooner or later he would come. It was selfish of me to be so confident in my belief that he would never hurt me. I knew I constantly hurt him, but he never hurt me. I would deserve if he did, but he wouldn't. He wasn't that type of person.

Thus, I waited. Impatient that I was to tell him I loved him, I still waited. Still dressed in my clothes from all day, I didn't want to risk going and shower in case he came while I was in there. I must look like hell, given that I cried out my tears, but it didn't matter. I was smiling now, my heart full of joy.

It’s hard to believe that I could have been so blind, not to see what was right in front of me. I was holding on so long to something that was never meant to be, when I had the real thing all along.

I couldn’t sit still anymore. I began pacing, well, not exactly pacing, more like walking slowly from the chair to the window, and pausing to look out. The pauses at the window became longer and longer, until I finally just stood there, staring out into the blackness of the evening.

The sense of déjà vu enveloped me. I had spent many mornings ten years earlier, in this same position, waiting for a familiar silhouette to come up the path way. This time, however, I was waiting on Charles, not Jake. And Charles would come back; he never left in the first place.

My heart started pounding when I saw headlights coming down the driveway. Running a hand through my hair, I fixed my dress properly, regretting now, that I didn’t take a shower. Too late for regrets, Charles was coming up the porch steps.

I came to stand at the side as he came through the front door. He took one look at me and sighed. Then he walked right past me to go into his office, and slammed the door shut.

I stood there shocked. Of all the reactions I had pictured, knowing full well that there was a chance I might be too late, I hadn’t expected him to just right past me, as though I didn’t exist.

Should I go after him? Should I just leave him alone? I was at a loss of how to approach Charles, and whether or not I should approach him at all. Walking up to his office door, I placed a hand on the door knob, but didn’t turn it. Releasing it again, I took a step back.

The entire afternoon, I was waiting for him to tell him how stupid I’ve been, and how much I realise I loved him. The thought that he wouldn’t believe me, or that he would reject me so, didn’t cross my mind. But I was suddenly feeling panic at the thought that my husband’s patience had run out. 

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A/N: Hey...sorry for the short update!! ... will post soon...hopefully by thursday =)..

Anyway, I wanted to know if u guys can help me with the cast of the story? I just need a Victoria, Charles and Jake. I'm drawing blanks as to who to choose...so I was wondering if u can give me some suggestions?? Pretty please? ..=)... oh, and if u have suggestions for her brothers, sisters in law and parents too, u can let me know...but I just really want the 3 of them... Hope to hear some suggestions for u guys...but u don't have to if u dont want to... =)