Love at the Nth Time

Risk It All

Chapter 39

Grunted a little as the ache struck through my head, it woke me up and the sudden realization of being in the same bed with someone I'd never imagined sleeping beside me with only undies. I sat up in shock.

Celine slowly opened her eyes, covered her body a little with the blanket, and laid flatly on the mattress.

"Are you real? Am I dreaming?" I mumbled. Celine chuckled softly and stared at the ceiling.

"Do you still have a hangover?" she asked. I put my hair behind my ear as I shook my head and got out of bed.

"I was expecting I'd get all naked so you could see it." Celine chuckled.

We didn't go all the way. It's a bummer, but it's already better than us being together here the same as before. I created a fresh blueberry smoothie, handing her a glass of it, a call rang on my phone. Celine reached it on the table then passed it to me.

"It's Win. I had to meet with dad." I sat down in the corner of the bed.

"I also need to go home," Celine interjected. Yes, she came to me, yet it wouldn't leave the fact that she'd still meet the man.

"Are you still gonna meet the man?" I asked firmly. Her eyes lowered, nodding a little. I sighed inaudibly and dragged myself to the bathroom.

"I had to leave early. You can stay here as long as you want," my voice echoed outside the area, and water through the faucet gushed down as I washed my face. Eyes darted at Celine, who stood still in the doorway with eyes on me.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. It was not very comfortable to see Celine unbelievably daring, showing too much of her skin. I turned around and leaned on the sink, and the air seemed tight, standing beside her washing her face. My hand reached the towel rail and wiped mine with it. Celine wiped her face on the bottom part of the towel too.

"When are you going to Europe?" she inquired.

"Next month." I paused the words I wanted to discuss with her regarding the matter at hand. I had not mentioned any plans to keep her company whilst performing my duties. It was crucial to address this, and it's not a good time to talk about it in the short time we had because of the other concerns we also needed to attend to. "Can we meet again later?" I asked. Hand on the cold sink and the towel I put around my neck. Celine entered the door of the toilet. A slight reflection of her sitting down on it could be seen outside.

"I don't know. I'll try."

Too early to have a long talk with Dad, and I knew all along what this would be about. The private room in a restaurant was akin to a public one, on the point of disturbance during mealtime, as though eating delicious food with the cutleries squealing on the plate had no impact on the constant chatter and classic nagging of my old man.

"What are you gonna do now? A shame to face the friends and acquaintances who looked forward to your last runway here. You'll be MIA for two years or so, my dear," exclaimed Dad. I ate the meat from the fork I sliced off.

"It happened already. It's not gonna be the real last catwalk," I retorted. Honestly, it's a disgrace to disappoint the guests since the man of the night didn't appear at her last event.

"It does matter to me. The event was set up at a company, soon your company. I can support your love life, my dear, but you'll get in trouble if you disregard your honour."

The hell I wanted to be a company owner I had no desire to work on!

I dropped the utensils on the plate with self-restraint so as not to be disrespectful in front of my father. Sighed not inaudibly as I couldn't take the tension anymore, Dad noticed it and halted his yabbering. He absorbed them and understood every word he said as nonsensical as he hadn't accepted the defiance I longed to display.

The behaviour and actions were a hint of obedience to following the process of becoming the heir of the company. He's greatly mistaken because I only used the company for my passion for carrying on.

My head shook a little in disbelief, and the expensive lunch became bland. "I don't want your company. I don't wanna be the CEO of any of it-" I was startled as he slammed the table. He hadn't acted this aggressively before. I even forgot if he behaved like that in front of me.

Dad picked up the napkin on his lap and wiped his mouth furiously. He took a deep breath, tried to smile, and laughed it off. "I know your ex-girlfriend and what she has done to you. For four years of mental agony, it was the asset that provided you. What will you do if this one requires more than that, ha?!"

I went speechless. Our conversation started with a tone of support over the triumph of my relationship with Celine but shifted entirely to making a fuss about the things he had done for me and doubt concerning my recent decision to choose a woman. I scoffed. "You don't need to prepare for my mental care. It's a foul to anticipate something as s**t as that," my voice cracked as I controlled my emotion to reign over me, hence it showed in front of the old man my submission.

I walked out with tears threatening to come out, redness around my eyes and ears, grip shaking on the closed door of the auto. Nowhere in mind to go, the women who were solely the elements of the product for sophisticated creation, I wouldn't want them to cross the line, nor the friends in the pubs I mostly go to.

The first person popped up in my head. I refused to let her know, and I had no plans to tell her my past. I did my best to bury it in the grave of the suspect.

A phone rang. I turned my attention away from the city lights, far in the distance and the darkness outside. Someone wouldn't think it was me who'd spent her time alone near the mountainside.

"Hello?" I answered in monotone.

"Seth? I spoke with my mom. You're not replying to my texts. We can meet," stated Celine. A feeble smile drew into my face and eyes on the ground.

"Guess where I am." My shoes stepped idly on the ground. The cold wind took a heavy breath into me.

"At the office? I'm still not allowed to drive, so I'll commute heading there. I'm on the way." Vehicles honked and the chatter of people in the other line. I chuckled.

"No, silly. I'm near your place."

I smiled, watching her walking near me. She handed me a sweater, and I wore it.

"Why are you here? Alone time," she guessed, and passed by me to see the view closer.

"Yeah, I feel like it."

"You didn't have to let me come here. We can talk tomorrow." Her response soothed the bothered mind if she asked the reason. I stood beside her and inhaled the fresh air. Hands in the pocket of my jeans, I gazed at the night sky full of stars.

"What's your zodiac sign?" I asked.

The presence of Celine put me at ease. The worry of no one relying on forgetting the fight with Dad relieved the pain of being alone and the serenity of nature. I had no intention of calling anyone. However, the decision I had already made was pushing it to happen presented to me a woman similar to the battles she's facing.

"Mmm," Celine hummed softly and put down the glass of wine on the trunk. I chuckled and sipped on mine.

"It's good to drink wine in the middle of nowhere. I'd do this often," I mumbled with eyes on Celine's smiling ones. She laughed and took grapes behind us.

"You didn't order cheese too, and cupcakes, and chips," she teased as I dared her I'd call a restaurant to deliver us something. Celine leaned on the car and looked at the sky. She asserted out of the blue, "I'm coming with you. Please, take care of me." Her eyes showed significance as the gazes last night connected our souls.

Like a bone stuck up in my throat vanished, I exhaled the fear formed by the obstacles surrounding us. Aware of the inevitable circumstances of how life was meant to be lived, I could only be thankful for the steps of facing them because Celine took the risk with me.