Next to Me

Chapter Seven: Separation

Charlotte stared at the bracelet that Sergio had left with her, she knew that he had given it to her for a reason but she didn’t know why; the blonde shook her head as she turned back to the paperwork that needed doing.

“So who is he?” Layla asked as she sat down next to her friend, she glanced at the 9ct gold one carat diamond bracelet that Charlotte had on her left wrist; she knew her friend never took it off unless she had to and she always had it with her.

“No one,” Charlotte said as she glanced at her friend, she hadn’t told Layla anything about what had happened and she knew that she couldn’t tell her about Sergio; Layla was one of her best friends but this wasn’t something that she could share with her.

Layla frowned as she looked at the blonde, she knew that Charlotte was hiding something from her; she didn’t know what it was but she was sure that there was a man in her friend’s life even if Charlotte refused to admit it to her face.

“Come on Charlie…” Layla said as she attempted to get her friend to open up, the blonde had never kept secrets from her and she didn’t know why she had started now; Charlotte sighed as she looked at her friend as she wondered what would make her go away so that she could finish her paperwork.

“You’re wearing an expensive bracelet, so come on who is your fancy man?” Layla teased as she leant towards Charlotte, the blonde looked down at the bracelet on her wrist; she had figured that out herself but she still wasn’t going to tell her friend about Sergio.

Turning her attention back to her paperwork, Charlotte went back to ignoring Layla so that she could work; she knew that there was no way that she could ever tell her about what had happened.

***

“I’m glad that you’re home,” Paqui said as she hugged her youngest son, she had worried about him and was thrilled that he was home at last; she had wondered for a brief moment if she would ever see him again.

Sergio smiled as he hugged his mother in return before he noticed his father watching him; he didn’t have to guess that José María was far from pleased with him.

“Padre,” the young Sevillian greeted with a stiff nod of his head, he had been home for about a week now and this was the first time that he had approached his family home; he had done so for his mother and nothing more knowing that his father wasn’t going to be pleased.

“I heard about the mess that you made in Madrid,” José María said as he stared down at his youngest son, he had heard about what had happened and he knew that if it wasn’t for the blonde then his son would have been killed; however he didn’t know what he transpired between the woman and his son.

“There was a small incident,” Sergio said softly as he remembered what had happened and how he had come to meet Charlotte; he ignore his father’s disapproving look before Paqui ushered them all into the living room, she sensed an argument brewing and she doubted it was going to be pleasant.

“A small incident that nearly led to your death… do you think that Victor would hesitate for an opportunity to kill you?” José María snarled as he turned on his son while Paqui left the room so that she could make some coffee; she doubted she wanted to hear what her husband was going to say to their son about the mistakes that he had made.

“It was never like that… I was careful,” Sergio snapped knowing that his father was going to compare him to his older brother; he adored René and he would do anything for him but he was sick of being how perfect his brother was.

Both of his older siblings had settled down and their parents were now starting to pressure him into finding a perfect wife for their family; they needed someone who would help them and he doubted that he would ever find someone suitable.

“But not careful enough… you endangered an innocent,” José María snarled as he stared down at his son, he was forever a disappointment to the family and he wished that Sergio would just grow up and settle down.

He didn’t understand what had happened between him and his last girlfriend but he knew it had been down to Sergio that Lara had left.

Taking deep breathes to calm himself, Sergio glared at his father as he tried to keep calm; he didn’t like what his father was saying even if it was true.

***

Charlotte shook her head as she checked on her John Doe patient, it had been three weeks and he hadn’t made any signs of waking up and she was starting to doubt that he ever would.

The blonde made a couple of notes in his file before she headed out of the room where he lay unconscious; every time that she treated him, Charlotte couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something odd about him.

“Dr. Perez,” one of the nurses greeted with a nod as Charlotte approached the nurse’s desk, she smiled politely as she quickly checked the file before she set it back in the holder.

The blonde sighed as she checked the clock glad that her shift was nearly over, even if it meant going home to an empty apartment; she missed Sergio and she knew that she had to move on with her life since he had gone back to his.

Charlotte headed towards the locker room when she spotted a man watching her, she shook her head knowing that she was probably overreacting; she had done it a lot since Sergio had left and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.

“Any plans tonight Charlotte?” one of the other doctor’s asked as the blonde stepped into the locker room, she glanced behind her at the man that seemed so familiar to her and she didn’t know why; shaking her head she smiled at the doctor that had spoken.

“Just a quiet night in… I have the long shift tomorrow,” Charlotte replied as she held back a sigh of relief that Layla wasn’t around; the brunette had been annoying her as of late and Charlotte didn’t know why she was being so annoying.

The doctor looked at her and nodded in sympathy knowing that the long shifts weren’t easy on anyone especially if there was some sort of emergency.

“Well I wish you the best of luck,” the doctor said making Charlotte smile at him and nod her head, she quickly headed to her locker so that she could head home; she couldn’t shake the feeling that tomorrow was going to be interesting.

Heading out of the locker room, Charlotte didn’t notice the man that was watching her; he smirked as he glanced around knowing that all his hard work had paid off, the blonde had no idea what lay in store for her and he couldn’t wait to see her face when the plan was put into action.

The man watched her knowing that none of this would have happened if she hadn’t saved Sergio; he had everything planned out in detail and it had all fallen apart when she stumbled across the scene outside of her apartment.

He had planned to set her up for the murder even if she was innocent but now he just wanted to make her pay for her mistake.