Love Is An Obsession - #2

Chapter Twenty One - L.S.B.

"Shows over! Don't you people have some work to do?!" He snapped and within seconds the crowd began to bustle around us once more. "Shhh...Charlie, let's go inside-"

"No. I don't want to be anywhere near him." My voice was muffled into his shirt and barely comprehensive around my sobs. "I just want to go...I don't want to see him!" Daniel tightened his grip around me.

"Okay. I'll take you home?" I nodded, still not backing away from him. I was afraid that if he wasn't holding me up, I'd crash to the floor.

"Charlie please..." Aaron's voice was shaky and his hand ice cold when he pressed it to my back.

"I'll look after her." Daniel said this before walking me away. I'd been silent ever since we left, I walked into the apartment and sat on the couch, Daniel trailing behind me. He didn't push for an explanation and I was beyond grateful for that, all I wanted was to be silent. He brought me some water, then some tea and tried to get me to eat something for a good hour. "Charlie...I have to go. Will you be alright if I go?"

I could tell he was nervous, the poor guy probably thought I might self harm after my earlier outburst. "It's okay Daniel, thanks for staying this long."

"You know that's not necessary." Pulling me into his side he placed a quick kiss on my forehead. "Whatever's going on with you and Aaron...I hope you can work it out, you two only cause each other more pain by being apart. When you're together you're extremely intense and when you're apart you're both miserable."

He left me to think about what he'd said, he wasn't wrong. I'd never been more miserable in my entire life then when me and Aaron were apart, when I left him and returned to Seattle. I felt so lost and incomplete, without him...there was no living without him. But right now, right now all I could see, feel and think was about him and Arial. What they had once had was clearly not over, could I handle that? Would I be able to accept that he made a mistake and move on? My mind tortured itself with these thoughts for another hour. I'd finally made a decision, sitting at the dinner table I waited for him.

***

I stiffened when the door opened and his presence filled the room. He stood still for several minutes, sighing I slid the chair adjacent to me out. Almost instantly he was taking a seat. "You have one chance to tell me the truth Aaron, one chance." I met his eyes and he reached a hand over to sit on mine. I allowed it to remain, hoping he'd give me a straight answer.

"I...Charlie its so far from what you think-"

"Don't beat around the fucking bush Aaron. Just tell me." He tightened his grip on my hand and I realised he was afraid I'd pull out of the small contact I'd allowed. "Did you..." I trailed off, my words choking me. "Sleep with her?" My throat burned at the possibility.

"No." His reply was instant, for a second I allowed myself to believe him. I forced myself to ignore all the evidence, everything I'd seen with my own eyes and the threat that Arial had made on the cruise. I looked at him, his eyes shifting over my features, desperately trying to read my reaction, predicting it even.

"Where did you go with her?" My voice stammered, he brought his other hand to slid under both of ours entwining our fingers together.

"Court." My body sagged with relief, it wasn't a hotel room at least there was that. "But..." I tensed again, he tightened his grip further. "I...I can't tell you why." His head fell and the air was nocked out of me yet again. 'He had one chance...and I almost believed him.' I almost let myself believe that he'd never cheat on me, that the lies stopped at him not telling me that Arial works for Quinn industries now. My stomach ached again and I dug my nails into my palm as my free hand balled into a fist over my knee. "Please Charlie...I can fix this! I will fix this!"