Chapter 92: You are my other half.
Charles leaned away and kept walking, leaving Augustine rooted to the spot, his mind swirling with Charles’s words.
A slow smile tugged at Augustine’s lips as he swallowed hard, the heat of the moment still lingering.
Gathering himself, he finally turned and made his way toward the bedroom, his thoughts entirely consumed by Charles.
The moment Augustine stepped into the bedroom, his eyes landed on Charles, already lying on the bed, his gaze lost in the patterns of the ceiling.
The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast gentle shadows across his face, making him look almost ethereal.
Augustine’s steps were slow, deliberate, as he made his way toward Charles.
Without a word, he eased onto the bed, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight.
Augustine’s body naturally gravitated toward Charles as he settled in, resting his head on the plush pillow beside him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The only sound was the faint rustle of fabric as Augustine turned his head, his gaze tracing the elegant lines of Charles’s face.
He wanted to reach out, to close the space between them, to feel the warmth of Charles’s skin beneath his fingertips.
Instead, he let the tension linger, let the silence speak for them.
There, they both became quiet as they observed the ceiling, and only the sound of their breath could be heard.
"Hey," Charles called out with a voice soft.
Augustine arched his brows as he continued to observe the elegant lines of Charles face which was fixed at the ceiling. "Is there something bothering you?" he asked, his tone warm, gentle—filled with genuine concern.
Charles held his stare for a moment before shaking his head. "No," he whispered, but the way his fingers gripped the sheets said otherwise.
He let out a heavy breath.
"I... I don’t think I can go back to my restaurant job tomorrow," Charles suddenly admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
He shifted his gaze from the ceiling, locking eyes with Augustine. "I don’t know how to explain to the manager why I wasn’t there," he added, his expression uncertain, laced with an unspoken worry.
Augustine sighs as he snuggles his body closer to Charles.
Augustine wrapped his arms around Charles’s chest, resting his head on his shoulder. "Do you want me to come with you and talk to your manager?" he murmured softly.
"No," Charles sighed. "She might feel intimidated because of your status, and I don’t want that to happen."
Augustine nodded, Charles’s explanation settling in his mind.
He understood Charles concern.
"So, what are we going to do?" Augustine asked softly, his voice laced with concern.
His arms remained securely wrapped around Charles, his warmth seeping through the fabric of their clothes.
Charles exhaled deeply, his fingers unconsciously tracing small patterns on Augustine’s wrist. "I don’t know," he admitted, his voice carrying a hint of frustration. "I can’t just show up after missing work without a valid reason. But at the same time, I don’t want to explain myself."
"So seriously... how can we fix the issue?"
"We?" Charles teased, a smirk tugging at his lips as he rolled his eyes. "You have nothing to do with this, okay? And besides, I’ll just go to work and... and tell my manager the obvious truth."
Once more, Augustine nodded, inhaling the faint, intoxicating scent of Charles.
His breath ghosting over Charles’s neck made Charles squirm.
"Your breath tickles," Charles muttered, shifting slightly.
Augustine chuckled, pressing his lips into Charles’s shoulder.
"Stop inhaling me." Charles purred as he tried to shove Augustine’s face away by using his shoulder.
Although Charles was unsuccessful with his act, Augustine sigh as he bite onto his lower lips and stopped sniffing Charles’s neck.
"I... I hate it when you behave sexually all the time." Charles spat, and with that, he turned his back on Augustine before proceeding to close his eye.
Augustine inhaled deeply.
"I am truly sorry... I didn’t mean to behave like this all the time," he mumbled, his voice laced with sincerity.
Charles exhaled softly, turning onto his side so he could face Augustine. "Did you speak to your mother today?" he asked, needing to know if Mrs. Wales’s hatred toward him had worsened.
Augustine nodded, his expression heavy with unspoken emotions. "I spoke to her, but it didn’t end well," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "She insists that we break up... and she’s still pushing me to marry Aubrey."
His gaze dropped to his fingers as he toyed with them nervously.
A shaky breath escaped him before he lifted his eyes to Charles, his voice raw with sincerity. "I can’t break up with you, Charles. Meeting you... it feels like I’ve found the other half of me."
Charles snarled. "Snap out of that weird thought of yours, okay? The only reason you’re still attracted to me is that I’m a straight man and because I’m brave—unlike your other boyfriends," he spat, completely indifferent to whether his words hurt Augustine or not.
"That’s what you think?" Augustine murmured, tilting his head as his gaze darkened. "You really believe I’m drawn to you just because you’re ’brave’ and ’straight’?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "You have no idea how wrong you are, Charles."
Augustine paused for a while before gathering his thoughts.
"Your words are so hurtful," Augustine whispered, fluttering his eyelashes. "Also, it’s true that you’re the first straight man I’ve been attracted to, but don’t think that makes you special," he added with a sly smirk. "I’ve made out with guys far more fearless than you."
"Hahaha!" Charles let out a dry laughter rolled out of his mouth.
He lifted a hand to his face, slipping off his medicated glasses before placing them carefully on the bedside table.
With a quiet sigh, Charles adjusted himself beneath the blanket, letting its warmth settle over him before exhaling slowly.
"Speak to your mom and resolve whatever issue you have with her," Charles stated with a firm voice as he closed his eyes. "Also, don’t wake me up tomorrow morning. I want to sleep in and gather my thoughts," he snapped, his tone sharp with finality.
Charles’s words sounded a bit cold and that instantly made Augustine to arched his brows, but he said nothing as he watched Charles fall into sleep, unaware that the next day would be very chaotic.