Exception

Chapter 52

The next morning, Engfa woke up with a mischievous grin on her face. She had thought of a little prank to lighten the mood—after all, she loved teasing Charlotte from time to time. She stretched out in bed, noticing that Charlotte was still asleep next to her. Quietly, she grabbed her phone and started texting Nudee to go along with her plan.

**Engfa**: "Hey, I'm gonna prank Char today. Gonna tell her I'm racing. Play along if she asks, okay?"

**Nudee**: "Haha, you're asking for trouble! Sure, I'll help."

Engfa giggled softly to herself, slipping her phone back under the pillow. She gently nudged Charlotte, who was just starting to stir.

"Babe, wake up," Engfa whispered. "I've got something to tell you."

Charlotte groaned, rolling over and pulling the blanket up over her head. "Hmm... what is it?"

Engfa bit her lip, trying to hold back her laughter. "I'm thinking of racing today. Nudee's already on board."

There was silence for a moment, then Charlotte slowly sat up, her face tense and her eyes narrowing. "You're what?"

Engfa blinked, taken aback by the serious look on Charlotte's face. "Uh... racing? You know, just for fun. It's no big deal."

Charlotte sat up fully, her expression dark. She had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, clearly not in the mood for jokes. "Engfa, you know how I feel about this! You just bought a car, and now you want to race again? Do you ever think about your safety?"

Engfa winced at the harsh tone in Charlotte's voice. This wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "Babe, it's just a joke—"

Charlotte interrupted her, throwing the blanket off in frustration as she stood up. "I'm not in the mood for your jokes today. You know how worried I get every time you do something reckless! Do you think this is funny?"

The playfulness in Engfa's demeanor disappeared immediately. She felt terrible for upsetting Charlotte. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry..." she said quietly, standing up to approach Charlotte. "I thought it would be funny, but I can see you're not in the mood. Please don't be mad."

Charlotte took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She hated feeling this way, especially toward Engfa, but the thought of her fiancée putting herself in danger—again—was too much.

Engfa wrapped her arms around Charlotte from behind, resting her head on Charlotte's shoulder. "I'm really sorry," she whispered softly, her voice filled with guilt. "I won't race, I promise. It was just a prank, and I didn't think it through. Please forgive me."

Charlotte's tense shoulders slowly relaxed under Engfa's touch. She sighed, her anger beginning to melt away. "I just... I can't handle the idea of you getting hurt. Not again," she muttered.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Engfa said earnestly. "No more jokes like that, okay? Let me make it up to you."

She turned Charlotte around gently and looked into her eyes, her expression soft and full of remorse. Charlotte couldn't stay mad when Engfa looked at her like that. Slowly, she nodded, though there was still a bit of frustration lingering.

Engfa leaned in, pressing a kiss to Charlotte's cheek. "How about we stay in bed for a little while longer? I'll cuddle you all morning," she suggested with a small smile.

Charlotte sighed, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "You better," she mumbled, pulling Engfa into a tight embrace. "But no more pranks."

Engfa grinned, burying her face into Charlotte's neck as they fell back onto the bed. "Deal. I'm sorry, Char. I love you."

"I love you too," Charlotte replied softly, her hand gently rubbing Engfa's back. Though she was still a bit annoyed, she couldn't resist Engfa's affection. "Just... please don't make me worry like that."

Engfa nodded against her. "I won't. Promise."

They stayed like that for a while, the tension from earlier slowly dissolving as they cuddled together in the warmth of the morning. Engfa made a mental note not to play with Charlotte's emotions like that again—at least not when she wasn't in the mood.

Later that day, Engfa and Charlotte spent most of the morning cuddled up in bed, relaxing after the earlier tension. Engfa knew she had pushed the limits with her prank, so she made sure to make up for it by being extra attentive and sweet. Charlotte eventually let go of the last bits of frustration, feeling comforted by Engfa's affection.

By afternoon, they were lounging in the living room, both scrolling through their phones and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Engfa suddenly perked up with an idea.

"Hey, babe," Engfa said, turning her attention to Charlotte, "how about we plan a little road trip tomorrow? Just you and me, no racing, I promise. We can go somewhere nice and peaceful."

Charlotte gave her a soft smile, appreciating the gesture. "I'd love that. But are you sure you're feeling up to it? You were a little warm this morning."

Engfa shrugged, brushing off the concern. "I'm fine now. I just needed a bit of rest and your cuddles to feel better."

Charlotte chuckled. "I swear, you're impossible sometimes. But if you're feeling better, I'm all for it."

They began tossing around ideas for where they could go. Engfa suggested a quiet spot by the beach, while Charlotte thought maybe a cozy cabin in the mountains would be better. They eventually settled on a road trip to the beach, picturing a day spent lounging in the sand and enjoying the fresh air.

The next day, they hit the road, the car filled with their excitement and chatter about their upcoming wedding. Engfa was driving, her hand resting on Charlotte's knee as they talked about every detail, from the guest list to the venue. Charlotte had always envisioned a simple, intimate ceremony, while Engfa leaned more towards something grand and elegant.

"I still can't believe we're actually getting married," Engfa said, her eyes glinting with excitement as they cruised down the road.

"Me neither," Charlotte replied, a smile playing on her lips. "It feels surreal, doesn't it? Like, we've talked about it for so long, and now it's happening."

Engfa nodded, her mind swirling with thoughts of what their future would look like together. "I'm just so happy that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. You're everything I've ever wanted."

Charlotte's heart fluttered at the sentiment, and she reached over to squeeze Engfa's hand. "And you're everything I never knew I needed," she replied softly.

They continued to talk about the wedding, with Charlotte teasing Engfa about her aversion to vegetables, even wondering if they should sneak some into the reception menu as a joke. Engfa playfully groaned in response but promised to eat whatever Charlotte served her, as long as she got kisses in return.

As they arrived at the beach, they found a quiet spot and settled down with a picnic they had packed earlier. The warm sun and gentle sound of the waves provided the perfect backdrop for their conversation, which flowed effortlessly between laughter and heartfelt moments.

The day felt like a perfect escape from everything. Engfa's earlier worries and stress melted away, replaced by the joy of being in the moment with the person she loved most. Charlotte, too, felt at peace, her usual worries fading in the warmth of Engfa's presence.

That night, as they sat by a bonfire on the beach, watching the sun dip below the horizon, Engfa turned to Charlotte with a soft smile.

"This is exactly how I imagined spending the rest of my life with you," Engfa said, her voice tender.

Charlotte leaned her head on Engfa's shoulder, contentment washing over her. "Me too," she whispered. "Forever, just like this."

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, the warmth of the fire mirroring the warmth between them. Nothing else mattered in that moment but the love they shared, and the beautiful future they had ahead.