AFTER NEVER (Charlotte's Story)

Chapter 52/124: Business in Tottenham

Check out a very, very important A/N by the end of the chappie ;)
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Rickard Ellington Conway arched his head towards me, slightly, almost imperceptibly, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Your father?"

I shook softly, and gazed at the phone's screen in disbelief.

Holy Goodness.

It was dad's number.

The phone clearly gave his ID.

With shaking fingertips, I pressed on the screen to view the message.

"'Dear Cherry, it has been such a long time, I know. We need to talk and I miss you so much. I will be waiting for you at the Guala Café, High road, Tottenham, at five. Please do not be late for it is an urgent matter.' –Th-The message says." I whispered.

He didn't even flinch, as he moved, and took his place at the seat beside the window.

Unconsciously, I sat down facing him.

"Tottenham?" He echoed again, his voice composed, yet it had some deep... background.

I gulped, and nodded.

Looking up towards him, I saw his eyebrows slightly, unclearly, furrowed, as his eye color darkened.

"Is-Is something wrong about it?" I blinked.

He remained unspeaking for some seconds, then: "Are you certain it is him?"

I pursed my lips, eying my phone all the time, then nodded, "Mhm. The phone is showing his ID."

He started scrolling through his phone at that, his beauty appealing through his poker face: the focusing face. It was obvious he was scrolling and viewing tons of e-mails and messages.

"It's weird," I found myself suddenly blurting out, and he paused his scrolling for a second, but did not look up to eye me.

"It's weird for my father to just say he wants to see me so... so suddenly!" I gestured with my hands. "Like, why not before?!"

A long moment of silence came, and I fidgeted in my place.

"Now you need to realize some few things, Signorina." His voice came, as he started scrolling down again, "Whichever reason your father has for calling you today," He spoke, frostily, as he stopped scrolling.

He looked up to burry his freezing beads into my soul at that.

"It is no reason related to such a thing as petty longing or paternal affection."

I gasped, and pain tugged at my heart.

I knew that. I did.

And yet... Why did it hit me hard to hear it?!

I bit my lips, and gulped, "I-I know that... But then again, what could it be?"

He didn't reply to me, as he went back to scrolling through his phone.

I sighed again, absent-mindedly.

"You'll go?"

I blinked, and looked up to find him eying me with searing intensity and pure focus.

I frowned, shrugging, "I don't know," I murmured, not looking towards him but examining my hands pursed together over my lap, "But I-I guess I will."