ma chérie | cl16

chapter thirty-eight

tw: abuse and trauma (beginning and end is marked by 🏁)
please, if you don't feel comfortable, skip that part. <3

"So, this is Knightley?" Charles asked after a few minutes of playing with Knightley and his favorite toy—a ball. Even though Adeline had bought Knightley many toys, Knightley had always preferred a simple ball. Or her shoes. "I love the name."

A flush came to Adeline's cheeks as she saw the playful smirk on Charles' face. He read Emma. He knew she referred to Charles as Mr. Knightley. Her dog's name was Knightley. Getting a rescue dog only two weeks after parting their ways (when Adeline was still crying her eyes out and missing Charles more than anything), the choice of the dog's name was more than evident to her.

"Yeah, that's him," Adeline said with a smile, placing two mugs of coffee on the top of the kitchen bar.

Charles chuckled, finally letting go of Knightley and his ball. "I had no clue you had a dog," he remarked, taking a seat on the bar stool.

"Yes, Marianne thought it would be a good idea to have some company. And she was right. She's always right," Adeline nodded, taking a sip from her espresso.

Charles lifted an eyebrow. "Marianne?"

Adeline realized that even though the conversation felt effortless, almost as if they had been seeing each other the whole time, they hadn't talked to each other in two months. A lot had changed. "My therapist," Adeline explained.

"You've been seeing a therapist?" Charles asked, his voice tinted with curiousness.

Adeline nodded. "Yes. Initially twice a week, now once a week."

"That's wonderful, Addy. I'm happy for you," Charles beamed at Adeline, his smile enveloping her in a familiar warmth she had longed for. It was as if his radiant smile, accompanied by his charming dimples, was a ray of sunshine that dispelled all traces of darkness.

"Thank you. She really helped me see... clarity. And she gave me the answers I needed," Adeline let out a sigh, preparing herself for a long conversation about her past. "I'm so sorry, Charles. I burned us down, but it's not what I meant. I thought I'd protect myself and you by going away... but I hurt you," she confessed, finally meeting Charles' gaze, which resembled the hue of jade, almost like emeralds.

"I know you didn't mean to," Charles reached for Adeline's hand, her heart almost skipping a beat. She could feel the waves of butterflies in her stomach. "I'm telling you the same thing like two months ago. Tell me what happened, and we can work this through."

The gentle yet firm touch of Charles' hand made Adeline feel increasingly at ease, encouraging her to open up about her past with him. Adeline took a deep breath before speaking. "I had a good childhood. My father has always been a little distant, but I had a good relationship with my mom. I didn't have siblings, but I had Pierre. And his family was like my family. It still is," Adeline's facial expression was almost stone-cold while talking about her father. As soon as she mentioned Pierre and his parents, her eyes lit up.

Charles had lived his whole life in Monaco, and even though he had traveled a lot, he had always had a place and people to come back to—his family, his friends. "Moving to Liverpool had to be tough," he pointed out, and Adeline nodded in agreement.

"Yes. I remember crying in the car, asking my father to decline that stupid job offer. I asked him to stay in Rouen. He told me to stop crying. That crying is for the weak. That made me cry even more," Adeline shook her head, remembering her father's words quite precisely. They had always echoed in her mind whenever she'd found herself on the brink of tears.