Signed & Sealed

E I G H T - Revelations Part 2

Happy reading, Sade xx

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THE DRIVE home was tense to say the least, neither of them saying a word to each other. The silence was so overwhelming for her; Nicolas had a great poker face. Charlotte did not know what his dominant emotion was at that moment and it made her feel wildly uneasy.

As they pulled up to the entrance of the apartment he wordlessly got out of the car while Simon came around to open up her door and help her out. The ride in the elevator was as awkward as any; neither of them saying a word and Charlotte not even knowing what to say to break the silence. She started feeling claustrophobia, her body temperature rising and heart beat a little faster.

The ding of the bell signalled that they had reached their floor. Finally she could be let out of this torturous metal box.

As he opened the front door and stepped aside to let her in, the heat she felt while in the elevator instantly disappeared and she felt a shiver crawl up her spine.

"So do I get an explanation now?" Nicolas finally let out after he entered the apartment. Looks like they were about to have this conversation sooner than she expected - way sooner.

Charlotte let out a deep breath, "maybe you should get a drink or take a seat," she started, "I have a feeling that this is going to take a while."

Moments later both of them were situated on the sofa, him sitting diagonally to her and with a drink in hand. Her palms began to dampen as she began the story she dreaded to let out.

"When I was younger I was extremely shy, so shy that I would just sit in my room all day and when I was forced to come out and greet whatever guests we had over, I could barely talk or even look them in the eye." Charlotte decided that if she was about to let him into this safeguarded secret that she's held so close for so long, then she might as well start for the very beginning.

"Growing up I never really felt like I fit in with my family; not fitting the brief to be a socialite like my mom or the interest in the stocks and trade like my dad. So I would spend a lot of time with my grandparents.

They were the only people with whom I felt like I could be my true self. Richard and Susana; my mom's parents. They encouraged my love for reading, nurtured my curiosity and empathy and brought out the best in me." A ghost of a smile graced her lips as she remembered all the great moments she shared with her grandparents.

"Throughout my time in school, I just kind of flew under the social radar, even when Carol and I both attended high school at the same time, my status didn't really change. She was your stereotypical popular girl; blonde, bubbly and had tonnes of friends. We kind of had this unspoken agreement that she would go her way and do her own thing and so would I.

Around that same time my grandfather had a stroke and the time we spent together suddenly became more precious. Every time he saw me he would hold my hand, look me in the eyes and make me promise to live my life to its full potential and never let anyone or anything get in the way of my aspirations.

So before I graduated high school, I finally mustered up the courage and with my granddads words ringing in my head I told my parents about the change in my career path; that my true passion in life is to help others, children to be more specific. And that I was changing my major to behavioural psychology and eventually study further to understand infant and adolescent behaviour as well as mental illness.

Naturally, my dad was upset at first that I did not want to follow in his footsteps to study business and to take over the company one day. My mother slightly lost interest in what I was doing when I didn't have any of the traits or looks to become a model like her but was glad to know that I was actually doing something with my life."

Nicolas leaned back into his seat, his previously irritated demeanour slowly fading. All of this information was a lot for him to process at once. Charlotte just sat looking at him intently, fidgeting with the rings on her fingers as he processed what she had just told him in painful silence.

"What about your last name?" He finally broke the quiet atmosphere, "Why isn't it Greyson like the rest of your family?" He asked.

"Well, when I left for college I wanted to separate myself as far from my family as I could, seeing as I didn't really feel like I fit in with them. I didn't want anything that would link me to my family.  I never wanted any of the influence my father had to get me where I wanted to be, I wanted to do it all by myself. People hardly knew who I was so that made it easier.

Stein was my mom's maiden surname and the unofficial name that both of my sister and I go by. My full name is actually Charlotte Stein-Greyson. Over the years we dropped the 'Stein' and just went as 'Greyson' alone; well except for me now."

The uncomfortable silence presumed once again. Charlotte looked up at Nicolas and could see him trying to process the numerous words she just spilt while the thoughts in her mind were whizzing around at an erratic pace.

He took a large swig of the amber coloured liquid in the glass and she could tell that he had come to a conclusion and what that would be made her nervous. 

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Aww poor Charlotte ;'(

What do you think Nicolas' reaction would be ??

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