‘Do you know why after all this time I'm still here?  Because when love is true, it waits.’

Songs for the chapter:
                                    It's All Coming Back To Me - Celine Dion
                                    Fallin’ - Alicia Keys
                                    Sandcastles - Beyonce

Chapter Fifty-One: Halo

Char woke with a start.

She smacked her lips together, cringing from the taste of morning breath. Her eyes roamed her room.

Six weeks had passed since she'd last seen Daniel. Or heard from him.

A month ago, Char had come to the realisation that Daniel was never hers to keep. Maybe they were just meant to be friends. Nothing more.

At the moment, she didn't even know if Daniel was with Abby. If he'd gotten back together with her, then there.

All the assurance she needed.

I wish you could knew how much this hurt. But then again, no, I don't. It would be too embarrassing to have you know that I cry at night, that I wish you were there, and that I pretend I'm holding your hand, and that I relate all this sad songs to you.

But one thing was clear, they were never going to be the same again. She wasn't even sure there were going to be friends after all this. There was no way he'd break her heart, twice, and still come back to her with a “hey Char, miss me?”

Hell fucking no.

I'm having a hard time getting over the relationship that we were never in.

What was worse was that she didn't even know if she wanted him to explain. To look into those dark chocolate eyes and see all the clues she'd failed to notice.

And her heart hurt at the knowledge that not only had he left, but he hadn't even sent a text or even said goodbye. Just like eight years ago.

She got up, stretched, and headed to her bathroom to freshen up. It's just ridiculous that you're expected to get out bed every day. Another yawn.

After all this while, she'd learned to keep her emotions at bay. She hadn't cried in a week, and to her, that was the biggest achievement of the year.

She stared into the mirror. At least, she didn't look Po anymore, she looked more like those penguins from Madagascar, only taller.

Heaving out a sigh, Char reached forward to grab her tooth brush. Might as well get ready and leave the house, no way she was sulking all day in her room.

Five minutes and a clean mouth later, she stepped into the shower.

Immediately, her mind drifted to Daniel. She still thought of him, once in a while.

Okay, maybe a lot.

What he was doing, what he was wearing, his smile, his voice, his—

Snap out of it, you fool.

She was supposed to be thinking of another woman's husband. No, she wasn't.

You were my cup of tea, but now I drink Champagne.

********

All dressed, Char headed for the door.

She had her purse, which contained her phone, powder and lip balm, worn over her clothes. Needing nothing too fancy, she'd thrown on a faded ripped blue jeans, a maroon coloured cashmere sweater and her white all-stars.

She fixed her hair, running a comb through the soft curls. As she did, she thought about the last six weeks she'd spent doing nothing. Love really was wicked. She could imagine the kind of pain she'd put her family and friends through, and as much as she wanted to regret it, she didn't.

Because she also suffered. Way more than they did, she thought. She'd needed to be alone, mostly because she didn't want pity. If there was anything Char hated more than heartbreak, it was pity.

Pity.

Pity was why Daniel acted like he felt something for her. Pity was why her parents hadn't stopped her from loving and being with him, even though she knew she wouldn't have let them. Pity was the reason Abby let Daniel come back to be with her for a month, because let's face it, if Abby wanted Daniel then, she'd have gotten him with just a snap of her perfectly manicured finger. Pity was the only reason Char had locked herself up for a month.

It was only two weeks ago that she'd gone downstairs for a snack. Hunger hit her hard, and she'd tip toed down the stairs in the middle of the night, so as not to wake anyone up, but when she reached the kitchen, she'd seen her mother with her head down on the counter, asleep.

A small smile formed on her lips when she realised how much her mother knew her. She'd known Char would come down sooner than later. Quietly she grabbed an apple from the basket, and made her way upstairs.

But she knew Leslie was already awake.

Char sighed heavily, squared her shoulder, and walked to the door.

It was only when she reached for the doorknob and pulled, that she realised the door was locked.

From outside.

What?

Char pulled at the door again. What the hell was going on? Okay, so maybe she hadn't wanted to come out of her room but that didn't mean she wanted to be locked in.

“Hello?” she called out, her fist banging the door.

“Mom? Dad?” she yelled, her banging increasing. Why the hell would her parents lock her in her room?

Wait.

What if it wasn't them?

What if something had happened to them and in their bid to protect her, they'd locked her in?

Panic set in and she fisted the door aggressively. “Mom? Mom, open up! Dad! Someone open the door! Hello?!” she yelped.

Char took several steps back. She shook her head. Nothing could have happened to her parents. Nothing.

Window.

Yes! She ran to her window, lifted the windowsill but it didn't bulge. Whoever had locked her in took serious measures in ensuring she stayed put.

Now Char was really scared.

She ran to her purse, grabbed her phone and dialed her mother's cell.

She paced around the room as the phone rang.

No answer.

She dialed her dad.

No answer.

Char slowed. “Okay, Charlotte. Calm down, maybe they went out.” she told herself, but she didn't believe a word. Even if they went out, they wouldn't have locked her up. Impossible.

Thinking hard, she dialed Cat's number.

“Pick up. Pick up, Cat.” she whispered and almost groaned when the operator came on. Voicemail.

She tried Zach's cell too. No answer.

Now Char was confused. How could all four of them be busy at the same time? What the hell was going on? When she hadn't wanted to come out of her room, she'd locked herself in. And now that she wanted out, she'd been locked in.

Ah, the irony.

Char retreated to her bed in defeat. Maybe she really wasn't meant to go out today.

She didn't know when sleep came and took her away.

*********

That door better be unlocked when I get there, was the first thing Char said to herself when she woke, staring at the door like it was  her greatest enemy. Which in this case it was, seeing as it was the only thing keeping her from the outside world.

If that door was still locked, then somebody better get ready because she was ready to kick it to the ground.

Char heaved out a sigh of relief when she twisted the doorknob and it bulged. She poked her head out the door, no one was in sight. So how in the world did it open?

She decided not to torture herself with irrelevant things. The door was already open.

Char made to step out, when her eyes caught sight of something by her door. She glanced around for signs of any homo sapien within close distance. Nada.

She bent, slowly, and saw that it was a card, with a white rose sticking out of it.

This was getting really strange.

As carefully as she could, she opened the card.

What do you think is in it? Her mind snorted, a freaking bomb?

It wasn't a bomb.

They were words written on it in bold curves, prefectly written and arranged, and surprisingly the handwriting looked all too familiar.

‘Hit me with a ray of sun,

Burning through my darkest night,

You're the only one that I want, think I'm addicted to your light,

I swore I'd never fall again, but this don't even feel like falling,

Gravity can't forget to pull me back to the ground again.

Feels like I've been awakened, every rule I had you breaking,

It's the risk that I'm taking, I ain't ever gonna shut you,’

Wait, what?

—————

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