ENTANGLED: A McCarthy Love Story

CHAPTER 016

Niklaus McCarthy had never been in love before in his entire life, not because he avoided it or because he didn't want it but simply because it just didn't happen for him. He had always pegged himself as that kind of person that just wasn't capable of having those feelings. His siblings thought it was as a result of their mom leaving, he just assumed that he was just built that way.
So hours after Charlie had gone he lay on his bed thinking, frankly he was still a bit shaken up, that had been the last thing he had expected to hear. True he had very complicated feelings about her, but love? He barely knew the girl.
Well that wasn't entirely true, he knew her well enough. He knew the details, the very fascinating details about her, he knew that she bit her lower lip when she nervous, he knew that she hated being complimented, he knew her laugh sounded like breathless giggles. She hated being tickled, she had a sensitive spot behind her ears and she faked a pout anytime she didn't want to be amused but got amused anyway. He knew how she looked when she was excited and how she looked when she cried, he knew what her crossed face looked like and he knew what her happy face was. He knew the important stuff, the stuff that made him lie awake at night thinking of her. The stuff that made her so desirable. That was the stuff he knew.
So as much as he told himself Charlie didn't know what she was saying, or that she was just wrong he couldn't help but give it a second thought.

* * * * *

IT HAD BEEN easy for Sammy to forget she was pregnant sometimes, her symptoms had mostly been the frequent urination and then the insomnia most nights but that hadn't been the case the week that followed her returning to the McCarthy manor. The tiredness was now a constant and the nausea wasn't stopping. She literally couldn't keep a meal down when she found the appetite to eat which was rarely and everything just made her want to cry now. It was a lot to deal with, existing feeling like a stranger in her own body, not just because her feet were now almost twice their normal size but also because she didn't know how to handle all the emotions attached to everything she was feeling.
The other day, Jason had brought her breakfast and then held her hair while she hauled the whole thing into the toilet and all she did after he left was to lay down and cry. She cried again after he had brought up the wedding plans the day after that and yesterday, she had cried because he decided to show her the family photo album and again after he left because she realised how much wrong she had been about him. He was sweet in a way that made her want to cry and caring in a way that made her feel guilty. He seemed genuine in a way that worried her and she couldn't help but worry what would happen when the truth came to light, the truth about her weekend with his brother, truth about her feelings for Niklaus and most of all the truth about the fact that marrying him was the last thing she wanted to do.
She tried hard not to think of Nick, she tried to fill her days, spending most of the time with Jason getting to know him better. She watched the news and spoke to Vicky for hours on the phone.
But at night? When everyone and everything was asleep, when there was nothing to keep her from thinking, that was when she thought of him. That was when the thought of him didn't stop coming, painful thoughts of him and their time together and most times it just felt like her heart would fall out of her chest and other times she just closed her eyes and begged for sleep.

She knew he was in the house, at least she knew he slept here. She knew this because everyone spoke about how busy he was planning his escape. But she somehow had never actually seen him. He clearly was avoiding her, she was sure of it but somehow also glad about it. She didn't want to see him, wasn't ready to. She didn't even know what she'd say to him if they somehow managed to run into each other and quite frankly, she was still pissed at him. Pissed at him for being the reason for so much hurt and also pissed at herself for giving him that much power over her.