Say My Name [ Teacher-Student Romance -- Robert Downey Jr ]

Ch.32 - Embracing The Shadows

Look at that goober showing up on the civil war set a few May days ago. Silly cutie.

Oh my gosh 30k?? insane! Absolute insanity.

You guys commented, now heres your second update of the day and hey, surprise surprise-->Next update will be Monday (could be a potential double upload again that day).

Enjoy!
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Oh.

Smile fading along with the light, sinking deep so quickly. Like blowing the flame from a flickering candle. He's... of course he is. Trying not to show the bitterness she's feeling seeping into her heart at the words, instantly knowing how she won't do that to him--or her, betray them to each other. Fast forwarding to when she'd have to leave him, and break herself in the process. Sharp pain jabbing at the organ pumping slow blood through her body. Mouth going dry and trying to not let out the sad whimper hiding within her. She curses her ears as they spread a deep red colour instead.

Married.

Technically?

Something she had willed her mind to not think about and then had promptly forgotten. Not letting her mind wander further because he had said technically which suggests he's not married married. Maybe theres hope. So she stays tight lipped, giving himself a chance to explain, carefully controlling her expressions, she waits on. Hopes. Keeps herself together.

He's analyzing her, a beat of silence as he continues. "Lacy. The, umm, the women who just came passed. That's my... wife." A low grunt tainting the last word. He waits again, giving Charlotte a chance to speak out but she's honestly just trying to keep up and not say something premature to what he's trying to say.

"We're separated, but, again, technically, still married." She breathes in a breath of fresh air, huffing like a boulders been raised from her chest, but again trying to keep a soft look to her features so he knows how much she wants him to feel comfortable. Her heart not so dark, and a little warmer again. He's... Okay. Okay. Still a lot to take in but-separated. Why couldn't of he had said that first?--anyways.

He speaks on, fumbling with the watch tight around his wrist. "We're, uhm, we're in the process of getting the divorce papers printed. We're both just a bit busy with work. She's a professor as well, which was, we just didn't match up at the end of it all. Some history. It's been messy between us if you couldn't see. For reasons. It's uhm. Well, I--I and her, we, together, sorta, we have a daughter." Charlotte very strictly tries to keep her face neutral as that knowledge rolls her way, blinking a few too many times. "Ava. She's just celebrated her fifth birthday the last week and a bit in Chicago with myself and family."

Charlotte sits still and quiet for a moment, thoughts keeping the ringing of married--separated, child, making rounds in endless loop in her head. Dizzying. A little person who shares the man before her, his DNA. A child. Five. So young. A year younger than Molly. Ava. Why does she feel like she understands him that much more? Like she should've known this. She's not--a kid. It doesn't shock her in the same way she's still swaying about him being separated. It's just... It's different. Nothing rousing or terrifying, it's just. Yeah. Different. Familiar.

He's looking at her. He's waiting. She's just... she doesn't know. Its weird and maybe super abnormal but it doesn't bother her. He's got a history like anyone does. She was expecting, well, something but hadn't expected for it to be something she had overlooked as being too simple. Too, she doesn't know, too life. She can see the anxiousness in his brown eyes, the waiting on rejection that she herself wore too often. How he's resorted to just shoving his hands in his pockets to keep them from fidgeting further, much like she does. He's waiting on her bated breath to either shoot him down or tell him exactly what she knew she was going to say. The first bit of confidence leaking back into her voice, the tone long forgotten. Unused.