Maripolite

Untitled Part 17

Nathalie sat on the edge of Jessie's bed her biopsy had confirmed that the mass was cancerous and growing she'd slipped back into her coma and Nathalie had come to visit when it was quiet and no one could see her slip in or out.

Seeing Charles with another woman had made her cautious again, just as she'd started to warm up to him he goes and does what he does best and now she felt that the best thing to do was retreat as far away from him as feasible without hurting Jessies' recovery.

Except as much as she wanted to lay the blame at his feet she somehow felt that she had pushed him in this direction and she should explain but just how eluded her so until then she hid knowing it was impossible to hide forever.

He'd called non-stop and showed up at her door willing to explain if only she'd listen but she didn't need to what truly concerned her was did she trust him or not because her feelings for him hadn't ebbed in the slightest in spite of what she'd witnessed.

They were both clothed but the woman sat so provocatively on his lap she swore she even saw her smile when Nathalie walked in as if she was happy that she'd seen them together that she'd shown her the truth about Charles but was it the truth and was that the Charles she'd come to know.

The lady plummeted to the ground when Charles stood but at that moment her emotions were frayed her blood boiling at the thought of him cheating on her despite the fact that they weren't a couple just jet and that was because she hadn't committed to him the way he'd asked.

I am to blame if she'd taken into account his needs while she made her decision about him or should he have been more patient in his attempts to prove his love for her. Charles knew that she was fearful of committing to him for just this reason, so why would he even allow her to get so close even if nothing happened as he kept trying to explain.

She knew she'd have to talk to him eventually but was hoping to put him off as long as possible.

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Charles didn't knock when he pushed the door to Jessie's room.

He'd been trying to talk to Nathalie all week and she'd made it a point to not answer his calls or open her door the argument crossed his mind that she was wrong to be acting this way but then reality hit and he remembered college and why she had disappeared with his baby and his heart the first time and his arrogance settled while his commitment to her matured to the point where he realized that he didn't need anything from her but she needed to be able to trust him wholeheartedly to stay and Diana had brought that trust into question.

His resentment for Diana surged even though his need for her remained constant if Diana wasn't at the helm of his companies he wouldn't be able to give Nathalie what she needed of him. There seemed to be no way forward without turmoil but for everyone's sake he'd have to fix this yet only after he and Nathalie were on the same page again would he be able to focus on anything else, right now she was his only concern.

Standing silently behind her he decelerated the approach even as his mood lifted at the fact that the nurses were right that she'd be here at night. Her pallid features were so focused on Jessie that she hadn't noticed when he entered the room behind her.

Drinking her in he considered the likelihood that she might turn and run as soon as she saw him.

"Good night" Nathalie cocked her head slightly over her shoulder to see him then shook her head and turned back to her daughter her chest rose and fell with each deep breath she took exhaling those difficult demons one-at-a-time

He moistened his lips with his sweety palms before putting both hands in his pockets there was no need to go any closer Nathalie's frigid response was enough to make him uneasy, she always made him nervous so he held his floor-space waiting for her to respond even so she never again turned in his direction