Reassure Me, Charles

He noticed her hesitation, and how fixed her smile was. His heart was scared. "Evening Beth."

"How has your day been?"

"Good." His morning had been excellent. Charles hoped his night would not become the opposite.

"Lovely. I would like to have a word with you."

He nodded that she continued, but she would not speak, rather, she remained by the door, gaping at him, leaving him to wonder the state of his face.

Her expression was odd and she appeared troubled. For a moment Charles didn't recognize her, standing there almost a stranger. She stood as the woman he had met when he came to Westside Manor, not the one who had erupted from intense ecstasy in his arms the night before.

Was she about to utter words to ruin their day? Their lives? He wouldn't allow her; he had made a promise to them. He would not stand on the bylines and watch things go up in flames, again. And he would not let her go, even if they disagreed.