Chapter 291 - You should leave

Charles…

She had been avoiding him, mostly because of guilt. She still loved him but this was the best thing she could do for herself right now. She wanted to work on herself, become a better person, and going out with Charles wasn't going to help her.

Rejecting the call, she blocked his number before walking into her house, but her lips fell open when right there in the sitting room, Charles was standing with his phone in his hand.

They stared at each other, not saying a word. When Michelle finally came to her senses, she blinked and looked away from him.

''what are you doing here? '' she tried to sound annoyed but her tone failed her, her voice came out rather needy and she bit her lower lip. She didn't like being like this, weak and vulnerable.

''Michelle, I… ''

''you should leave… '' she cut him in knowing that one more word from him would send her running straight into his arms and she knew she would regret it.

''We've waited so long, why are you hurting yourself more by doing this? '' Charles asked, walking towards her, but Michelle inched away in return.

''I regret everything I did and I truly want to repent of my sins, so please, leave… ''

She saw him stiffen as his hands fisted on his sides;

''Why are you doing this to yourself? You've been hurting for so long, why do you want to keep being sad?''

''because that is the only way I'll be able to forgive myself and live with everything I've done; how do you want my son to look at you? Call you, father? Uh? How do you want your daughter to look at me after everything we've done to her mom? '' Michelle paused;

''Charles, if you can live with it, I'm sorry but I can't. We should have gotten married when we had the chance, but we missed it, we missed our chance, Charles and nothing can change that. I'm sorry, I truly love you but I can't, we can't anymore. ''

The words burned her tongue as she said them, she loved this man, she loved him dearly, but she couldn't do this to Richard. Even if it hurt her, she would bear with it. There was pain in his eyes as he stared at her; it still shocked her how he could love her after so many years, unwaveringly. His eyes still bore the want, the longing, the raging desire she saw in them the first time she kissed him.

Wow, it's been over 20 years and yet he had not changed one bit.

''Will you ever give us a chance? ''

Charles asked, his voice so broken. Michelle looked down at her legs, she wanted to say no, but her heart couldn't let her do it. Tears were welling up her eyes and she knew if he continued talking, she would actually cry, and she didn't want him to see her cry.

''Leave… '' the word left her lips before she turned and walked out of the sitting room, Michelle didn't know how she reached her room, but as soon as she got there she dropped down and cried bitterly.

...

'��� I promise you I can handle it, can you just tell me what's wrong? '' Leo's mouth ached from asking the same question over and over again. He was surprised when she came to his house by past twelve in the night, her face red and teary, she hugged him tight immediately she saw him, not wanting to let go.

She cried throughout the night and no matter how many times he asked her what was wrong, she refused to talk. He thought of a thousand things that must have happened at the white house but he could not imagine any.

''Claire, you hurt me when you're like this, tell me what it is okay, a problem shared is half solved. '' He tried to coax her into talking. If she actually kept crying like this, she was going to fall sick.

Claire stared at the pretty face in front of her, after a few seconds, she touched him with her hands, feeling his skin. There were a lot of things she still wanted to do with him. They haven't even done any of those things couples did and she was about losing him?

What was she going to do?

Her eyes stung as she blinked; leaning to him, she hugged him tight around the neck. Leo sighed as held her;

''Are you going away? '' he asked but Claire shook her head;

''Did someone threaten to kill you? '' she shook her head again.

Leo exhaled, what then could make her so sad?

Claire let him go after a few seconds and she smiled painfully;

''Can you kiss me? '' He was surprised by her question, but seeing that she finally spoke to him, he didn't ask why and shifting her hair away from her face, he tilted his head to the side and kissed her;

He took his time to kiss her passionately, making sure she was buried in every moment of it. Engraving his mark on her lips; Claire's heart welled up as emotions clouded her heart.

He was not like anyone she had met. He was a passionate and romantic lover when she needed him to be and the next moment, he was so brave and irresistible. He was everything she wanted and she was not about to lose him.

No, no, she had not even started loving him yet. She wanted to show him how much he meant to her, she wanted to propose first, she wanted to surprise him on his birthday and see him smile so sweetly while staring at her like she was the only woman in the world. She wanted to bear his kids, and hear their laughter fill the room, so they were not over yet. No, she wasn't going to let her father do this…

'his life is in your hands…'

The words of her father seeped into her head and Claire couldn't take it anymore, she broke away from the kiss with a shrill cry.