Next to Me

Chapter Twenty-Two: Engagement Party

Charlotte frowned as Sergio wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked into the hall where his parents were holding an engagement party for the couple; the blonde didn’t know what it was but she couldn’t shake the bad feeling that lay inside of her.

It had been a week since she had become engaged and Charlotte had noticed a lot had changed in that time; the Sevillian barely left her side and she wasn’t allowed to leave the apartment alone.

Sergio knew that she had picked up one what was going on but he had yet to find the power to tell her what was going on; he only hoped that no one would tell her before he had the chance to do so.

“Sergio what is going on?” Charlotte whispered as she looked at him, she knew that he was hiding something and he had been a little rigid since they had gotten out of the car; it worried her that there was something going to happen that she didn’t know about.

Sergio shook his head as he offered her a reassuring smile, he pressed a small kiss to her lips knowing that his sister had explained what would happen that night to her; the blonde’s life was going to change for her and nothing would ever be the same.

Charlotte was wearing a berry maxi dress with shoulder embellishment paired with black heeled sandals; she had been dressed by someone that Paqui had sent to the apartment so that the blonde looked the part for the engagement party. “

I swear I will tell you when we are home… but I need you to trust me right now,” Sergio said gently as they stopped outside of the main hall, he glanced at the door knowing they didn’t have time to talk; his mother would want them inside.

***

Sergio nodded his head as another family friend congratulated the couple, he glanced at his fiancée knowing that she was starting to get tired since they had spent the evening meeting friends of his family and business partners.

“You okay?” the Sevillian asked as he ducked his head down to whisper into Charlotte’s ear, she nodded softly as she smiled at him and moved closer to him; the blonde refused to move from his side since they had arrived.

Person after person that she met made her wonder what she had gotten herself into, she loved Sergio more than anything but the people that his family knew scared her; Charlotte had a feeling that her fiancé could already sense her unease about this gathering.

“We’ll leave soon I promise amor,” Sergio whispered as he pressed a kiss to her lips, he refused to allow her to be alone with all of these men; she was a prime target if she was alone and he didn’t want anything to happen to her or their unborn child.

Charlotte looked at him gratefully as they moved away from the group of people that they had been talking with, she knew that this was going to be difficult but she hoped that she wouldn’t have to see any of these people again.

“Sergio look who I found,” Paqui said as she approached the couple, she smiled softly as she glanced at Charlotte before she stepped aside to reveal Lara Álvarez; she smirked as she saw the look on her son’s face knowing that he hadn’t expected this.

Charlotte swallowed as she realised who the woman was, she had never thought that she would come face to face with her fiancé’s former lover; it made her feel unsettled that the woman was at her engagement party. 

“Lara what are you doing here?” Sergio asked as he drew Charlotte closer, he had no intentions of letting anyone come between him and the blonde; they had been through a lot to get to the place that they were in now and nothing was going to take away from that.

Lara glanced at the blonde that was with her former fiancé, she knew that it was wrong for her to be here; she had run away when he had needed her most and what had happened had not been easy on either of them.

“I wanted to see you… to congratulate you on your new engagement,” Lara said bitterly as she glared at the couple, she had broken off their engagement only a year ago since she couldn’t bear the loss of her own child because of what Sergio did but to see him with someone else killed her now.

The Sevillian looked at his mother wondering what she was playing at, he knew that this wasn’t going to end well and he didn’t want Lara anywhere near Charlotte; they hadn’t parted in the best of ways after she had ended their relationship so that she could leave the country and him behind.

Charlotte frowned as she watched Lara, she didn’t know what it was but she had a feeling that the other woman was going to cause them some trouble in the near future.

***

“She doesn’t seem like your type,” Lara said as she cornered Sergio in the bathroom, she had been wanting to talk to him alone since his mother had shown her the couple; the brunette still couldn’t believe that he was now with someone else.

The Sevillian glared at her as he quickly readjusted his suit and moved to wash his hands, he didn’t know why she was here but he wanted her gone; Lara had broken his heart and he didn’t want her around his new life.

“She’s more my type than you were,” Sergio said as he checked himself in the mirror, he sighed wondering why his mother had invited his ex-fiancé to his engagement party; he had made it clear after what Lara had done to him that he didn’t want anything to do with her now.

The brunette pursed her lips as she sauntered towards Sergio, she had made a mistake in letting him go and now she had to act quickly if she wanted him back before he married and had a child with another woman; one that didn’t deserve him. 

“I know what I did was wrong but do you blame me… I lost our baby Sese and I wasn’t able to cope,” Lara said as she looked at him innocently, she smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her lips against hers; however she didn’t expect him to push her away.

Sergio checked himself in the mirror before he shook his head, he didn’t want anything coming between him and Charlotte and he wasn’t about to mess this up; Lara was his past and the blonde was now his future.

“I’m not interested now Lara… I waited for you and you didn’t return until I have moved on,” Sergio said shaking his head disgusted, he wanted to make a life for himself and he was finally able to do that with Charlotte; he was sure that she was his soul-mate and the one that this would all be worth it for.

Lara blinked as she stared at her former fiancé, she had envisioned a lot of their reunion but she had never expected that he would refuse completely; the Sevillian didn’t even look at her as he left the bathroom, she had hoped that he would fall into his arms like he had done a year ago but he hadn’t.

Lara closed her eyes as she frowned wondering what she was going to do, she knew that he couldn’t deny her for long and she hoped their next encounter would go well.