Charlie's Utopia

The New Beginning

Hi everyone, I realized that there is still so much left to tell about Marcus and Charlie. I have been asked to continue writing about them, so here it is. Charlie's Utopia is a continuation of Marcus Harrison's Paradise. I hope it will be as well-received as the previous book. 

Happy reading!

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Charlie and Marcus were supposed to leave for their vacation, but Charlie's injuries were taking some time to heal. Marcus didn't want to let her travel when she was fully recovered – even when both of them wanted to spend some quality time together. Charlie could have used this vacation to take her time off the fact that Maria had left to live in Chicago, the only person other than Marcus Charlie trusted, had left. It has been a week since Maria left and since then Charlie has been feeling down – with her healing injuries and with her best friend gone, Charlie was having the hardest time. Even if she was secure now that Ben and Joe were arrested and Marcus had put heavy security around her new apartment – she was still scared. Never in her whole life did she think that she will have to go through such trauma. She was living a normal life – she was okay with it until she started to get involved with the Harrisons and until her father showed up. It was easier for her to believe that he and her mother were dead, rather than knowing that he was alive and was in prison. She heaved a sigh and rested her head back on pillows.

There was a knock on her bedroom door before it slightly opened and pecked in Mrs. Atkinson, "Miss McGill, would you like to eat your lunch now?" Charlie was still not hungry but she needed to take her medicines and some painkillers as her healing wound had started to ache again. She nodded her head to which Mrs. Atkinson smiled, "I will be right back with your food," She said to Charlie and closed the door behind her. Marcus and Charlie had decided that she would be living on her own for a while. It was more of Charlie's decision. Marcus just didn't oppress her decision. She loved Marcus and Kathie. There was not a single doubt in her mind that she didn't but it was still new to her and Marcus. A soft smile stretched on her lips. She still couldn't believe that she was in love with Marcus Harrison and he loved her back – it feels like a fairytale. Charlie knows that it is still a little far out for Marcus to fully accept that he fell in love with someone other than Susan, therefore she was giving him the space that he needed to fully grasp the new reality.

Marcus sat in his office as he typed an email to one of his clients, personally apologizing for not being able to conduct the meeting with them. He has been very distracted lately – with Charlie recovering and the threats he believes are still there to his family and the guilt. Since the day, Marcus has confessed to Charlie for his strong feelings towards her, he has been feeling guilty – he was guilty towards Susan, who had left this world. When Charlie told him about her dream of Susan, Marcus couldn't help but feel liable towards Susan. It doesn't make much of sense to him, but then what has lately? He has been keeping himself busy with work, so he doesn't think about Susan. He was not ashamed of falling in love with Charlie, but he never thought that this day would come. He was ashamed for moving on. When he met Susan all those years ago, he never thought that he would ever fall in love with another human again, and then when she passed away, he locked his heart – he never believed that someone would knock the locks down and takes Susan's place in his heart.

Marcus hasn't even kissed Charlie since she was discharged from the hospital – something that Charlie must have felt strongly about. He kept on telling himself that once Charlie will be better and when the two of them will take some time off with Kathie and go on a vacation, he might get a grasp on his undeniable feelings towards Charlie, but with her injuries taking time to recover and with the work pressure – this plan slipped out of Marcus's finger. He sent the email before he closed his laptop and looked at Kathie as she slept in her bouncer, which was getting a little small for Kathie – she was growing up so fast. His daughter was a constant reminder of Susan. Where he loved Charlie – the thought of forgetting Susan in the process scared him and maybe this realization has been keeping him away from Charlie lately. Since the incident, he has been bringing his daughter to work – she is not much of a distraction since she only cries and whines when she is hungry or sleepy – other than that she is always busy playing with her toys. The corner of his office was like a tiny toy area, Marcus didn't mind nor did his employees. Marcus has opened a free daycare center at his office so that single parents could bring their children to work, he knows how hard it can be to leave them behind.