ma chérie | cl16

chapter forty-three

"Good morning, ma chérie." A brush of Charles' soft hand against her cheek woke Adeline from her deep sleep. Her lips curled into a smile instantly as she opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the sunlight. "I brought you breakfast."

Adeline's sleepy eyes landed on a wooden tray with a glass of orange juice, a steaming hot coffee, scrambled eggs with bacon, bagel and strawberries on the side. The aroma of the delicious meal filled the whole bedroom, immediately kicking some energy into Adeline.

"You really are the perfect boyfriend, do you know that?" Adeline sat down on the bed, putting the tray on her lap.

"You can keep saying that as much as you want. I won't mind," Charles said with a smirk. He leaned in to place a tender kiss on Adeline's forehead before settling on the edge of the bed, watching her eagerly taste her breakfast.

He couldn't believe that this woman was finally referring to him as a boyfriend. Each time he heard the word, happiness surged through his veins. He loved the way her eyes would sparkle with joy and pride whenever her lips uttered that word.

"I'm gonna call you like that every single day. Even via video calls," Adeline sipped from her perfectly made coffee with a smile on her face.

Eleven days without seeing Charles felt like an eternity to Adeline (Charles was leaving for the United States and Brazil), but she also needed to go back to the office. Despite the separation, she knew her days would be filled with work, Knightley, hanging out with Hazel and some therapy sessions—the long distance seemed more tolerable with Adeline's busy schedule. Adeline and Charles had agreed to call each other every day, coordinating specific times due to the time difference.

"I can get used to that," Charles smiled, stealing a strawberry from Adeline. She had to force herself to rip her gaze from Charles' fingers bringing the strawberry to his mouth, leaving a faint, red tinge on his lips.

As Adeline gazed down at the wooden tray full of food, a painful memory appeared in her mind. It reminded her of the times her mom had used to prepare scrambled eggs with bacon every Sunday. Back then, they would enjoy TV shows and rom-coms together while Adeline's father had worked in his office. Suddenly, there was a lump in Adeline's throat. She had been thinking about something for a long time now.

She needed to tell Charles. She didn't want to hide anything from him now.

"I need to tell you something," Adeline cleared her throat as she put down the glass of the orange juice, and Charles attentively nodded. "I want to meet with my parents and talk to them. I never really had the chance to speak to them about everything I wanted... And I don't want to forgive them. But I need to do this for myself."

As the words escaped from her lips, she could feel her heart racing. Even the thought of reuniting with her parents after almost six long years was making her palms sweaty, but she needed to do this. She needed to tell them her whole point of view, to express her feelings openly and fearlessly, without holding anything back.

"I think it's a great idea, ma chérie. As long as you do this for yourself, not for them," Charles grabbed Adeline's hand, feeling its slight tremble. "I can go with you. If you want," he offered, his gaze fixed on their intertwined hands.

"You would actually do that?" Adeline parted her lips in surprise, looking into Charles' loving, emerald eyes.

"Of course. I know that this is a huge step for you. Of course I'll be there if you want me to," Charles said, causing a blush to creep across Adeline's cheeks. When Charles noticed the flush in her face, Charles tenderly brought his hand to her cheek, gently caressing it.