"WHAT are you doing here?" I almost jumped on my feet when I saw Charlie outside of my hospital room.
Today is my last day here in the hospital. The doctor already gave me the green light to go home. All my injuries were already healed. I only had a few scars and bruises left on me.
He cleared his throat. "I'll take you home, Bianca."
I tried to hide my surprise. I looked away. "There's no need, Charlie."
I didn't want to talk to him. The last time we saw each other, he wanted to get the truth out of me. Charlie… he's a trigger to my emotions.
"Mom asked me to take you home, Bianca."
Amelia… Of course, she was clueless about everything. She didn't know… I was Charlie's ex-fiancée.
"Tell Amelia I can do it alone."
"You're avoiding me," he declared.
I faced him. "Well, yes. I am. Because we had a past, Charlie. And I've hurt you! Wouldn't that be enough reason to avoid you?"
I bit my lower lip. I needed to stop here. I was afraid that my emotions would betray me.
"But we both know you can't avoid me, can you? You're Gideon's wife. You're my sister-in-law."
A bitter smile appeared on my lips. Sister-in-law.
Just months ago, we had been planning our future together. And now, we're in-laws. Just how fucked up was that?
"I'm sorry, I couldn't tell mom who you really were in my life," he said. He looked away. "I can't hurt Mom. She's the reason I'm still here in this world. If she found out that the fiancée I was talking about is you, she'd be heartbroken. I didn't want that."
I remembered Charlie had told me before how much he loved his adopted mother.
"You just did the right thing, Charlie," I breathed. "Fine. You can take me home. For Amelia's sake."
"Don't you want to visit Gideon before you leave?" Charlie asked as we walked to the hospital hallway. He was walking behind me.
I stopped walking. I turned my head and noticed Charlie looking at me. His face was serious, but his eyes were sharp as if they were analyzing my every move.
Or maybe it was me who was overanalyzing things.
"I already went to him this morning," I lied. "I'll just come back tomorrow."
Gideon was still comatose. He hasn't made any progress yet. His brain was still unresponsive.
We were both quiet until we reached the parking lot of the hospital. This was better. I preferred silence over anything else right now.
"You don't have to do this," I said when Charlie opened his car door for me.
He looked at me, his brows raised a bit. "I do this to all the women who ride in my car, Bianca."
Of course, how could I forget? He was a gentleman.
"Mom suggested that you stay in our house," Charlie said as I put on my seatbelt. "She didn't want you alone in Pasadena."
I looked at the steering wheel. I remembered the car he used to drive when we were together. This was different from that one.
"No. I'll stay at our house. I prefer to be alone."
"I'll tell her that." He drove the car off.
I looked out the window. I couldn't believe I was here… in a car with Charlie. Life was really a bitch to me.
I smiled bitterly as I blinked back the tears on my tears.
"Charlie…"
We were already halfway on the road when I looked at him. "Amelia said you buried m-my child in the family mausoleum. Can you take me there?"
He looked taken aback for a moment. "Sure."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Thank you," I said, as I averted his gaze. "W-what does she look like?" Our child? "M-my child?"
Although I looked away, I could feel his eyes on me. I could see… the concern there. "She looked like you. Your eyes. Your nose. Your lips. She looked like an angel."
I just closed my eyes to stop my tears from falling. My heart was breaking all over again.
"T-thank you, Charlie."
I couldn't manage to look at him. Guilt was creeping in on me.
"You're welcome. That child can't be mine, right?"
"You're welcome." I heard him take a sharp breath. "Bianca… that child." His voice was only a whisper. "It can't be mine, right?"
My lips parted. My heart was beating loudly inside my chest. "It's Gideon's, Charlie." I tried my best to maintain my straight face.
I'm so sorry, Charlie. I already hurt you enough. I don't want to cause you more pain.
He inhaled another sharp breath and nodded. Then turned to me with a sad smile. "We're here, Bianca."
I didn't realize he had already stopped the car. I looked outside. We were in front of LA High Memorial Park.
I cleared my throat. "Can you wait here? I wanted to go alone."
He turned to me. He looked like he wanted to protest, but he just nodded. "Sure. Take your time. The family mausoleum is on the left wing. You can ask the guard for directions."
"Thank you."
Baby Girl Henry
My tears automatically fell like waterfalls when I reached my baby's tomb. I knelt in front of it and let myself break down.
"I'm sorry, my baby." I sobbed as I caressed the marble stone. My tears dropped like rainfall.
"I'm sorry I failed you. I promised to protect you, but in the end, I failed to do it. I'm so sorry for not keeping my promise. I'm sorry… I'm sorry I wasn't here when your father buried you."
I shut my eyes. "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell your father about you. I hope you understand. I don't want to hurt him more. I'm so sorry, my baby." I bit my lower lip. "I-I love you so much. And I'm so sorry, baby."
I didn't know how long I was crying there. I stiffened when I heard Charlie's voice.
"Bianca."
I hastily turned my head, and found him standing behind me.
"W-what are you doing here?"