Chapter 45: I really want to kiss you.
Charles’s scream echoed through the room, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his heart pounded against his ribs.
His eyes, wide with panic, darted toward the source of the touch, his breath hitching as a cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Why the hell are you screaming?" An unfamiliar voice drawled, laced with irritation.
The voice alone made the hairs on Charles’s arms stand on end, a fresh wave of unease settling deep in his gut.
The bedroom was steeped in darkness, for Charles had neglected to switch on the lights upon entering the room, earlier.
The only source of light came from the moon’s reflection, casting faint silver streaks through the open window.
Charles squirted his eyes and from his observation, he noticed that the person beside him had long hair.
’Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me.’ Charles thought to himself, stretching out his hands towards the bedside table, and grabbing his medicated glasses which he swiftly wore.
And once more, Charles averted his gaze towards his side.
Beside him, a young man with long black hair that barely grazed his shoulders lay comfortably, an amused smile playing on his lips.
The dim moonlight barely revealed his features, but the contrast of his gleaming white teeth and dark hair was enough for Charles to realize—this wasn’t Augustine.
His breath hitched, heart pounding against his ribs as he struggled to make sense of the stranger’s presence.
"Who... who are you?" Charles questioned with a tone of urgency while his voice stuttered one after the other.
"Arrrrghhh!"
The mysterious young man let out a startled scream, jumping out of bed. His feet tangled, causing him to stumble and crash onto the floor.
Quickly, Charles switched on the bedside lamp, his eyes narrowing. "How did you get in here?" he demanded, his right hand instinctively raised in defense.
The young man on the floor bit his lower lip, suppressing the scream threatening to escape from the pain of his fall.
Charles swiftly rolled out of bed, rushing toward the entrance door and flipping on the main light, illuminating the entire room.
The entire place lit up, and finally, Charles was able to take a proper look at the young man who lay on the floor.
The mysterious stranger wore black shorts and a white crop top that exposed his toned stomach.
His long black hair cascaded over his shoulders, and a pair of white medicated glasses framed his sharp eyes.
A faint cut marked his cheek, adding to his enigmatic appearance.
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?"
Both Charles and the mysterious young man questioned each other in unison.
"I live here, so you have to explain yourself first," Charles spat coldly, his tone sharp with suspicion.
He cautiously closed the distance between them, his right hand still stretched forward in a defensive stance, ready for anything.
The young man pushed himself off the floor, brushing strands of hair behind his ear.
His gaze was sharp as he folded his arms across his chest.
"I live here, so I should be the one questioning you, not the other way around," he retorted coldly. "Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in this bedroom?"
As soon as the young man finished questioning Charles, the bedroom door slowly creaked open, and Augustine Wales walked in, holding a suitcase in his hands.
The sudden sound drew both Charles’s and the young man’s attention, their gazes snapping toward the door at the same time.
"Babby!" the young man exclaimed, his voice full of excitement as he rushed over to Augustine.
He quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Augustine’s shoulders and pulling him into a tight, warm hug.
Charles scoffed. ’So they know each other?’ Charles thought to himself, watching how Augustine wrapped his hands around the waist of the young man.
’I am not even surprised,’ Charles mumbled before turning around as he made his way towards the bed.
Without uttering a single word, Charles lay back down on the bed, his gaze fixed on Augustine and the mysterious young man.
Seconds later, the two broke away from their intense embrace.
Augustine’s tone shifted to one of concern as he asked, "Why did you show up here without informing me? And why do you look like a mess?"
"I just came back from..."
"Let’s head over to the sitting room." Augustine cut him off from completing his statement as he dragged his wrist, pulling him over to the sitting room.
Augustine and the young man continued their friendly conversation, catching up on old times.
After half hour, Augustine saw his friend off, then made his way back to the bedroom.
Upon entering, he found Charles still lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with wide, unblinking eyes.
"Hey," Augustine purred, taking slower steps closer to the wardrobe. "How are you feeling?" Augustine questioned Charles while taking off his suit.
Charles remained silent for a moment, not sure how to respond to Augustine’s questions.
He shifted slightly on the bed, glancing over at Augustine. "I’m... fine," Charles muttered, his voice soft and distant.
Charles wasn’t sure if he meant his word, but it was all he could manage.
Augustine noticed the nonchalant tone of Charles so he decided to strike a conversation.
"Pookie, how was your day? And that young lady—Freda, right? Is she your girlfriend?" He paused, his eyes searching Charles’s expression for any hint of an answer. "You both seem really close. I can tell you care about her."
Charles felt a knot tighten in his chest. His mind was still clouded with the events earlier, the confrontation with Aubrey, and Augustine’s reaction.
It was all too much.
Charles wasn’t sure how to explain what he was feeling, but he couldn’t bring himself to answer Augustine right away.
The silence from Charles immediately worried Augustine.
He had removed his work clothes, now only wearing boxer briefs and a white singlet.
Slowly, Augustine approached Charles, sitting at the side of the bed.
He reached out, cupping Charles’s cheeks with his hands and gently caressing them. "I don’t know why you’re upset, but I really want to kiss you," Augustine whispered, his voice soft and sexy.
His lips were almost touching Charles’s, and it was hard for Augustine to resist the feeling of wanting to kiss Charles.
Charles remained immobile, and just as Augustine was about to seal Charles’s lips with his, Charles suddenly jerked away, curling his fist into a tight ball.
Without warning, he thrust it forward, landing a hard blow directly onto Augustine’s mouth.
*Boom*
The impact shocked Augustine, his eyes wide with surprise, as he staggered back slightly from the unexpected force.