Sweet Escape

Twenty-Two

It was unseasonably cool one summer afternoon. Charlize had decided to take a walk in the garden to have a moment away from her family. There were plans being discussed for the end of the summer gala that was held every year. Her mother was discussing clothes and possibly hosting a tea for some of her friends the day before. Arielle took great delight in it, especially because they were also discussing plans of finding her a husband. Elliot was visiting an uncle so he was not there to help keep her sane. She was uninterested in all of it and was just going to be constantly reminded to be on time and on her best behavior. Something she had heard time and time again and she was sick of it.

"Charlize." The familiar voice put a smile on her face before she even turned to look at him.
"Elliot isn't here so may I ask what business you have here today sir?" She asked teasingly, facing him. He chuckled as he approached her.
"I didn't come for Elliot." He said, meeting her gaze with his green eyes.
"Oh?" Her eyebrow arched.
"Yeah. Um..." He cleared his throat and looked down at his feet momentarily before looking back up at her. "There is something I want to talk to you about."
"Is something the matter?" She asked, sensing the hesitancy in his tone. It worried her.
"No. I just...there's just something that has been on my mind for a while and I think it's time I stopped hiding it." He said. Charlize felt her heartbeat quicken. She immediately had an idea of what he was about to say, but wasn't sure she was ready for it. She may have been feeling the same way but was also afraid to say it out loud. She swallowed hard, feeling her mouth going dry as she waited for him to continue. "I know that we've been friends for a while, but I can't lie and say that I haven't been feeling differently for some time now." Charlize was not expecting Dimitri to be so upfront about it, but then again, he was never really one to beat around the bush. "I've fallen in love with you Charlize and there is no convincing myself otherwise. Even when you tried to distance yourself from me after your father passed, I thought I would get over my feelings, but that didn't happen. I was miserable without you. Your mother probably has different plans for you and even though she despises me, I don't think I can ever stop loving you."

After all of this time, she could not believe what she was hearing. With each word, her heartbeat slowed from its erratic pace to almost a complete stop. She tried to tell herself that they were just friends and that nothing should or could ever come from it. The main reason being her mother would never stand for it. Despite all of that, nothing altered the feeling she always had whenever he was around. The elation and fluttering when he smiled at her. When he held her hand for even just a moment. When he simply just looked at her. She never really knew when she started having those feelings, but she did know that for sure she had hoped something would become of it. "Charlize? Please say something." She crashed back down to the present. He now had worry in his eyes. She slowly shook her head and he looked taken aback. "N-no?" A smile spread across her lips before she pulled him in for a kiss. Electricity fired up her nerves as they settled into it. Her arms around his neck, closing in the space between them. His arms around her waist, holding on as if she would float away if he let go. She finally detached her lips from his and smiled again.
"There's nothing to say." She said.
"I would disagree, there's actually quite a lot to be said and a few words I would like to hear very much." He said. She threw her head back in laughter, moving her hands to lay lazily on his chest as he still held her. Their eyes locked.
"I love you too Dimitri Montes." He grinned and leaned in to steal another kiss.

Evening time came and Charlize was still daydreaming about that afternoon. She had still not descended from the clouds. Part of her did not believe it was real, but she could still feel Dimitri's lips on hers. She closed her eyes and imagined it once more. The image was so vivid. She didn't know when she would break it to her mother, but that was not what she was worried about at the moment. She had decided to wait until Elliot returned to tell him first and they could figure out a plan together. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door.
"Come in." Charlize called. When it opened, Aurora entered.
"Ms. Charlize, your mother is requesting for you in her study." She said.