Love in the Dark

Chapter Four: The Aftermath

After changing from his suit into casual clothes, Carlos emerged from the guest room and entered the nursery. He smiled, seeing Kaia snoring softly in a deep slumber. Re-adjusting her blanket, Carlos bent down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before moving out of the nursery toward the kitchen to grab himself a glass of water.

As he poured himself a glass, he frowned upon hearing a soft sob from the living area of the apartment. It was late, and after the long day, he had decided it would be best to stay at Matteo's apartment where Charlese and Kaia stayed. He was certain Charlese was in her bedroom, sleeping after the exhausting day, making him wonder who could be in the living area.

Carlos quietly set the glass down and made his way toward the sound. As he approached the living area, he saw Charlese sitting on the floor, leaning against the back of the couch facing the window as she stared into the clear night sky.

She looked lost and broken, the weight of the day finally crashing down on her.

"Charlese," Carlos whispered gently, crouching down beside her. She looked up, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered, wiping the tears which rolled down her cheeks. "Did I wake you up?"

"You didn't wake me," Carlos reassured, noticing the bottle of wine in her hands. "Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes expressing nothing but concern as Charlese stared into them.

She looked down at the bottle of wine before meeting his gaze again. "I don't know," She replied, her voice cracking as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

Carlos sighed, then sat on the floor beside her, resting his head against the couch and looking up at the night sky through the window, just as she was. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Carlos turned his head to look at her. He watched as she wiped another tear from her cheek before raising the bottle to her lips and taking a long sip.

Gently taking the bottle from her, Carlos raised it to his own lips, taking a sip before passing it back to her. "I know it's difficult," He whispered, unsure if his words would finally allow her to open up to him.

Charlese stared at the bottle, her grip tightening around it. "It's more than difficult, Carlos," She said, raising the bottle to her lips once again, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's unbearable. I feel like I'm drowning, and there's no way out." She passed the bottle to Carlos, who took it, swiftly taking a sip before returning it to her.

"I feel like it's my fault," She confessed, taking another sip from the bottle, her eyes welling up with more tears.

Carlos turned to look at her, his heart aching at the weight of her words. "Charlese, it's not your fault," He said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have known what would happen. It was an accident, a terrible accident, but you are not to blame."

Charlese let out a dry chuckle at his words and his attempt to make things better. She took another sip from the bottle, her hand trembling slightly. "You know, I was living with them for the past year," She confessed, her voice heavy with sorrow. "And I go away for four days, and this happens."

Carlos listened, his heart aching for her. He could see the guilt and pain etched on her face. "Charlese, you can't blame yourself for what happened," Se said gently. "It's not your fault that things turned out this way."

"But still," She muttered looking down at the bottle in her hands, her fingers fiddling with it as her mind recalled all the memories they shared. "I just keep thinking, that if I had been there, maybe I could have stopped it. Maybe things would be different." She said, her voice heavy with guilt as she took another sip from the bottle.

Carlos shook his head, his expression firm but compassionate. "No one could have predicted this," He said softly. "Sometimes, things are just out of our control. Matteo and Esme wouldn't want you to carry this burden."

Charlese looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of desperation and gratitude. "I just miss them so much," She admitted, her tears flowing freely.

"I still hear their laughter ringing in my ear," She said, tears falling down her cheeks as her voice cracked. "Their voices when they used to talk to Kaia," She continued, making Carlos' eyes soften as he looked at Charlese, wondering just how much she had been going through during these past three days. "I clearly remember how proud and happy they were whenever they saw Kaia; I just cannot forget it," She cried.

"I miss them so much," She whispered, before another sob wracked through her body, and this time, she didn't bother to hide it, she didn't bother to wipe her tears, she didn't bother to pretend to be stronger than she was; she just missed Matteo and Esme.

Carlos gently took the bottle from her hand and set it aside. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as she buried her face in his shoulder. "I know," He murmured, his voice filled with empathy. "I miss them too. But it will all be okay."

Charlese clung to him, seeking comfort in his embrace. Carlos felt a deep sense of responsibility to support her through this painful time, knowing that she was struggling with an immense loss. "You're not alone, Charlese," He whispered, stroking her hair. "We'll get through this together. I promise."

As she held onto him, Carlos hoped to be there for her and Kaia, to help them navigate the difficult days ahead and find some semblance of peace amidst the grief.

___

Carlos groaned in annoyance as he heard the persistent knocking on the door and the ringing of the bell. He opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them and frowning when he realized he was still in the living room from the night before. Charlese's head was resting on his shoulder, and his arm was securely around her.

The constant noise had also disturbed Charlese. She stirred, opening her eyes to find herself face-to-face with Carlos. For a moment, she stared at him, confusion clouding her gaze. Then, as the reality of their proximity hit her, she hurriedly moved away, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Memories of the previous night began to surface, making her eyes widen in mortification. She realized just how inappropriate her behavior must have seemed, and her heart raced with a mix of shame and anxiety.

"I'll check on Kaia," She said standing up, making Carlos nod as he watch her hurrying away with a slight smile on his face.

Standing up, Carlos headed to the front door, his fingers rubbing through his hair as he stopped a few meters away from the nursery, smiling at the sight of Charlese who was gently cooing to Kaia, who was in her arms.

Padding over to the door, Carlos pulled it open and stopped as dread filled his stomach at the sight of Amelia, Matteo's aunt, who he knew, was someone Matteo never liked.

"Amelia, what are you doing here?" Carlos spluttered, he hadn't seen the woman at Matteo's wedding or yesterday at his funeral, however her was well aware, of how much Matteo despised his aunt and made sure to never get close to the woman interested in her social status and property.

Amelia smiled; she had arrived as soon as she could, and she couldn't dare to miss out on an opportunity like this; she had to do something even though her nephew wouldn't have wanted him alive.

"I came as soon as I heard," Amelia said, nudging Carlos out of the way and inviting herself inside the apartment, ignoring the glare Carlos threw in her direction. She had to get her hands on Kaia, certain how everyone would love to hear how generous she was to care for the orphaned child of her dead nephew.