ENCHANTED LOVE, VOLUME 2 - Season 9 Episode 43

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Charles asked turning his head towards Sheryl. He was rather embarrassed by the way she stared at him with suspicious eyes.

“Actually, I just find it so strange.” Sheryl replied with a tender smile, “Just a few moments back you looked drunk and now you look absolutely normal! I can’t make out if you were really drunk or were you just faking it.”

Charles gave out a laugh and said, “If a man does not have this ability, it will be hard for him to survive in this society, and he may be manipulated by others.” Sheryl remained quiet as she heard Charles speak.

She knew how difficult it was for Charles to achieve so much of success all by himself. She did not need Charles to speak about it, because she knew how much hard work and struggles had gone behind Charles reaching the position he was in at the moment.

Sheryl looked at his face with admiration as they walked along side each other on the vacant streets of the Ylanbu.

Suddenly her heart melted towards him and she wondered if she had been too harsh on him all of this time.

“Sher, today is the happiest day for me in these three years.” Charles turned his face towards her and said, “With you and the children all by my side, I feel blessed. Until a few days back I didn’t even know if this would ever happen. Truly, it’s one of my cherished prayers answered.”

Sheryl gave him a warm smile and said, “Don’t worry. We will all be with you very soon.”

Charles looked startled as he heard Sheryl speak. He took Sheryl’s hand immediately and asked, “Sher, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to say that you are willing to move back and live with me?”

Charles took a step closer and looked into her eyes. He never raised this topic with Sheryl before this, because he did not want to put too much pressure on Sheryl. But now that Sheryl mentioned it herself, and also as a reaction of the wine in his stomach, he just mustered up his courage to speak his heart out.

He had been waiting for this day for such a long time.

“I…” Sheryl lowered her head, somewhat bewildered, not knowing what to say. Seeing Sheryl like this, Charles could not help but have a bitter smile. ‘Maybe it’s too early. May be I have pushed her too hard.’

He looked into Sheryl’s eyes and said, “Relax Sher. You don’t have to be stressed out. I am just asking. I’m not going to force you if you’re not yet ready to move back.”

No matter how sportingly he spoke these words, he could not help feeling the heaviness in his heart. He was ready to wait till Sheryl made up her mind to come back. But how long? There was no answer to this question. The pensiveness of his heart reflected on his face certainly didn’t evade Sheryl’s eyes.
“Charles…” Looking at the depressed expression on Charles’ face, Sheryl could not stop herself. She didn’t have the heart to see him like this. As Charles started taking a few steps forward, she just went ahead and took his hand.

“I am really fine…” Trying to sport a happy face in front of Sheryl, Charles turned around to comfort her, “I will wait for you, Sher, you don’t have to worry about me.”
“I am not saying that.” Standing in front of Charles, Sheryl felt somewhat shy to speak her heart out. There was also a certain decorousness. After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke to Charles, “Today I have also talked to Isla about this. I know, you want me to move back, but I…”

Sheryl took a deep sigh, and continued, “Charles, to tell you the truth, I am not really ready yet to move back with you. But, my feelings towards you remain the same as before. It will never change. It is just…”

Sheryl stopped for a while lowering her eyes. Then she bit her lips as she dealt with her inner dilemma. Then she took a few deep breaths and composed herself. It seemed as if she had made up her mind now. “Actually, the truth is that it is not that I am not willing to move back.

It’s just that Sue has moved to the Murphy family house recently. I just want to help her deal with some personal problems she is going through as soon as possible. When she can move back to her own place, I will move back to the Dream Garden. How do you like it?” She spoke in just one breath and let out a sigh of relief.

“Sher…” Charles’ heart skipped a beat. But then he was also apprehensive that Sheryl said this only to take care of his feelings. He asked her once again, “Are you… Are you really prepared for that, or just taking care of my feelings?”

“You have so little confidence in me?” Sheryl asked him with a smile. “Actually, I have been thinking about this for a long time. Today, Chris said something to me that totally enlightened me. It dawned up on me that you have done so much for me and made so many efforts all this while. And you never asked anything from me apart from moving back to Dream Garden. If I can’t even do that much for you, how will I face you?” she added.

Sheryl raised her head to Charles and continued, “What’s more important is that… Shirley likes you so much. I don’t have the heart to separate her from you.”
“Sher…” Charles could not hide the thrill in his voice as he uttered her name out of joy. He moved closer and held Sheryl in his arms tightly, as if he was trying to blend her with him.

Sheryl nestled in his arms feeling extremely comfortable and relaxed. She kissed him on his cheek and lowered her eyes feeling shy.

Charles was really taken aback by this cute gesture. This was the first time after Sheryl came back after disappearing for three years that she acted so affectionately towards him. All this while she had been so courteous and formal with him.

This was the first time in so many years. He was moved by this gesture. The very next moment, he pulled Sheryl close to him and held her tight. He did not want to let go of her.

“What are you doing?” Feeling nervous and shy at the same time, Sheryl looked at Charles and asked.

“You guess…” There was a mischievous look on Charles’ face. The very next moment, Sheryl felt her lips were being kissed. She kept looking at Charles’ face and widened her eyes in surprise.

Her eyes roved over his face which was so close to hers. She could see every pore on Charles’ face, smell the fragrance on his body and taste the lingering wine in his mouth.

Sheryl still looked surprised even after they spent a few moments being lip-locked.

Charles loosened his arms and quietly looked at Sheryl who looked so pure and innocent in his arms. Her gentle eyes fell on Charles’ face, which literally melted his heart.

It was certainly not their first kiss, but it was more exciting than ever.

As they stood under the street light, the mild rays illuminated Sheryl’s face rendering an inexplicable charm on her face. He smiled affectionately and said to her, “Girl, has anybody ever told you to close your eyes while kissing?”

Charles’ voice sounded like magic. Sheryl was still somewhat in a trance, but she closed her eyes as she was told.
Her face seemed calm on the surface, but inside, there was an upheaval of emotions. She could almost hear the pounding sounds of her heart in her chest. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Charles kept looking at her face feeling every bit of it that Sheryl was experiencing in her mind and her body.

Charles gently stamped a kiss on her forehead.

The warm touch calmed her down gradually, and she could feel all the tension and panic vanish out of heart. She rested in his arms feeling absolutely relaxed and secured. She heard Charles say into her ear, “Sher, I love you.”

He gently held her in his arms, lowered his head and kissed her. He sucked her lips and tongue skillfully, and tightened his arms that were lying over her waist. Before she could respond, she was swallowed up by the warmth of his body. His gentleness made her feel like falling into a soft cotton ball.

He slowly slipped his hand in from the corner of her clothes, and his smooth fingertips rubbed against her waist and glided along. He held her closer to his chest and pressed his lips hard onto hers, making her feel difficult to breathe.

When his palm was gently stroking her waist, giving her a tingling sensation, Sheryl felt the coldness of his fingers and suddenly came out of the trance. Then she came to realize what they were doing on the street.

She blushed and took one step back, pushing Charles a little away from her. “Charles, we are not at home.”

“You mean… we can go on if we are at home?” When Sheryl blushed she looked so pretty that Charles could not help teasing her. And when she stared at Charles with a pouted mouth, he laughed happily.

Although it was not the first time they were so intimate with each other, Sheryl felt shy. Her ears were hot and she lowered her head to calm her flustered heartbeat.

It took a while for Sheryl to feel her heartbeat back to normal.