close your eyes and feel me

17

Hi! There it is! After weeks and many -too many- updates, the 17th chapter is finally here ! I hope you like it because things are about to get pretty serious for our characters! 

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Two weeks later, a ball was organized by Williams and both Charlotte and Susan were invited. Dressed in one gorgeous pink dress, Charlotte looked breathtaking as she was walking with Susan.

She had been the newest thing the people of high society were talking about. Every friend of William's wanted to meet this new, young girl who had climbed her way into Lady Susan's house. They all wanted to know about that woman who shoots gun and saves injured legs.

The night was going well, and it was going fast. Charlotte was already on her fourth glass of wine when she was approached by a less intoxicated Sidney Parker.

- ''miss Heywood, may I speak with you?'' He asked. They were in public, in front of everyone to see.

How bold was he to come and talk to her like this.

- ''Oh, i doubt this would be appropriate'' she snorted, taking another sip.

- '' Please.'' he begged.

She looked at him and saw the man that she loved, hurt. If he had hidden his feelings for her in the past, if he had made it seems that he did not cared, right now, all she could see was the sadness and pain in his beautiful eyes.

How could she refuse him a simple moment?

She stepped aside from the crowd and he followed her. They were still in public, but not many could actually see them. None were paying any attention anyways.

- ''What is it?'' she asked.

He avoided to look at her in the eye.

- ''I need to apologize for my behavior since we've met, miss Heywood.''

- ''Don't.'' she quietly begged.

- ''I truly do. I have been arrogant with you for most of your time in Sanditon, and the way that I acted afterwards, writing those letters, was more than inappropriate.''

- ''I do not blame you'' she said with tears in her eyes.

- '' I blame myself.'' He finally looked up, clearly hurt. ''I should never have wrote to you. But most importantly, I never should have acted the way that I did with you in the past few weeks... ''

- ''I do not blame you'' Charlotte said again.

- ''You really should.'' insisted Sidney. '' I regret everything that went down between us.''

- ''Is that all?'' she asked, clearly hurt.

- '' No....'' He hesitated. ''There is one last thing I need to say.''

- ''Then say it, Mr Parker.'' she begged.

- '' I need to say goodbye.'' he confessed.

She rolled her eyes, who were sparkling by her tears, and shake her head. This was hard enough. 

- '' Why?'' she whispered.

- '' When the winter will be gone, I must leave for Antigua. For work.'' He said quickly. It was as if saying it fast would make it hurt less. It didn't.

It didn't. In fact, it simply hurt just the same. He was leaving, for god's know how long, and even when he would come back, he would get married to someone else. Hell, she might be married by the time he would be back. The thought of being separated by an ocean, forever, was unbearable.