She's angry and upset and confused and maybe rightly so. But then maybe not. When did it become the right thing for my life to end because Elvis' had?
She's still grieving and so am I in a way. Just not as painfully as before. I'll always miss and love him, but I've finally accepted that I need to be loved too. He would want that for me.
"You... it's you"
Not sure if it's a question or a statement but either way I'm staying silent. Don't wanna end up swallowing me lovely teeth.
"All this time, it's been you"
Charles wakes and is startled by the commotion but it ends there (for now) as she storms past me almost barging me into oblivion in the process.
"What's going on?" He asks, confused.
"She's cottoned on to my connection to Elvis. She knows who I am"
He immediately starts pulling at the curls at the back of his neck with both hands, an anxious habit I've noticed.
"Fuck" is all he manages. Fuck indeed.
I remove his hands from his neck and begin to massage away the tension or at least try too. He needs to worry more about getting better than he does about Olivia Harte's feelings.
"This is bad" he confirms - well no shit Shirlock.
"Listen to me, all you need to worry about is getting yourself out of here. Leave Olivia to me"
I continue to massage his shoulders, although it's mostly for my own benefit to give me something to do otherwise I might scream in pure frustration at the mess I've caused.
I see her sounding off to Georgie through the glass and the look on her face says it all.
Georgie's eyes widen in shock and I feel my stomach drop as she looks right at me. I'm struggling to remind myself that I'm not a villain here and I won't be made into one so they can ease their own pain. I don't deserve that.
"We need to get out of here" he says and starts shoving his belonging into his Bergen.
"No we don't. We haven't done anything wrong! And you need to get better, properly this time. No short cuts"
He thuds heavily back onto the bed, utterly exhausted and despondent.
"This was the last thing we needed"
I agree, he is stressed enough and I can see by the tension in his battered and bruised body that recent events and the loss of life on tour are eating away at him.
"It wasn't your fault" I whisper, and even if it was - I don't care. All I care about is the man in front of me. Not the soldier of Her Majesty's army but Charles, my Charles.
-OG-
As he gets stronger the insistence from Olivia that he stay with the Harte's seems to be fucking growing too.
Once again on arrival to my fella's bedside, I feel like I'm intruding. The way her hand lingers just a second too long and the way she touches his body when assisting him feel sexual. She touches him the same way I do.
Being the typical bleedin' man that he is, he can't see the wood for the trees and absolutely will not have it that she's flirting with him.
"I've known her since she was a child Molly and there is absolutely no way her feelings are anything more than platonic. I promise you"
The way he cradled my face has me weak at the knees. Beautiful, dark chocolate eyes stare back at me, as intense and sincere as always. How can I not believe him?
I can feel her eyes burning in my back as I pack his things to finally leave this place. I know my place ain't right for his recovery, but he insist his parents home in Bath isn't an option so my home it is.
"Are you sure I can't make you see sense Charlie? Mum already made up the guest room when I mentioned you are being discharged. There's no stairs and you'll be waited on round the clock knowing mum. And best of all, Nonna's cakes! She hasn't forgotten that banana loaf is your favourite"
I see a sadness flicker across both of their faces that I feel too, like a knife to the gut. Nonna's famous banana loaf bread was also Elvis' favourite. In fact he adored it so much that I took great care when learning to bake it, in the hopes it would be just as good or at least an good substitute.
His hand reaches for hers and he squeezes it tightly to comfort her. Seems they have forgotten I'm even in the room. I fight back tears that threaten to choke me before Charles realises and releases her.
"As much as I appreciate the offer, I'll be just fine with Molly. It's where I'm meant to be now"
She rolls her eyes but doesn't protest.
An unfamiliar voice announces their arrival in the door way and I think both of our jaws hit the floor at exactly the same time. Shit!
"Mrs Harte" He croaks And Before I know it, she's rushing towards him. This tiny lady who meant so much to Elvis was here in front of me after all this time.
"My Charlie" she weeps. Pulling him closer to her, cradling his head like he was her own.
"Look at you!" She starts checking him over, again in a motherly manner, rambling thing in Italian which I don't understand but sounds as though she's sad about the state he is in.
"My boy, you are coming with me. No arguments!"
His eyes meet mine for approval and I nod because I know he is better off there. I have to put his recovery first.
"I'd like you to meet someone"
He holds his hand out for mine and pulls me as close as possible to him. A sign of our unity.
Mrs Harte strokes away an unruly tendril of my hair and I see nothing but love in her eyes. They are warm and kind, just like Elvis had promised they would be but I'm meeting her under totally different circumstances. No longer his girl but Charles' now and I want her to love me or hopefully just like me a bit, that will do at least.
"I know exactly who this is" the warmth I see in her eyes is present in her voice too. She pulls me into her arms, holding me in a way I've never been held before and I feel every bit of emotion with along with her. Like we're connected by our hearts. I suppose in a way we are thanks to Elvis.
"Thank you for loving my boy" she says as she wipes away the tears from my cheeks "and now thank you for loving my other one"
I can almost feel the anger radiating from Olivia as she eyeballs me from the doorway. However she had planned for this to go, clearly hasn't worked in her favour.
"You come with me... both of you! My home is your home"
Well I can't argue with Mrs Harte now can I?
-OG-
