Married to my Best Friend

Charlie Melancholy

I reach the hospital at around five fortiesh in the morning. The doctors discharge Doreen. Charlie has called all his relatives and is surprisingly calm for how he sounded when he called me. He talked to the hospital people in a business like manner and has not uttered a single word since then. To say that I'm anxious, is far from the truth. I'm so...so... I don't really know what to say. I don't know if I'm more worried about Charlie or more sad about Doreen. I'm so going to miss her. 

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We're in Doreen's apartment when Charlie's phone rings. "Bonjour! Oh... Louis! Où êtes-vous Les gars? ...hmm...d'accord. Non, celui sur la gauche. Attends ici, j'arrive.", he says. Charlie never speaks French around us. I have heard him talk to Doreen once or twice. It's intriguing. "I'll be back in a second. Uncle Leon is here.", he tells me and then leaves the apartment. 

About ten minutes later, a guy comes in and I almost mistake him for Charlie until I notice the shorter height and somewhat broader built. "...si triste. Je ne peux pas croire qu'elle est partie!", the guy says. He stops when he sees me and turns to look at Charlie questioningly. There's an older man with Charlie, probably his uncle Leon. "Qui est-il, Charlie?", he asks. "Il est mon meilleur ami. Eric Larson.", Charlie tells him. I smile at the guy. "Eric this is Louis, my cousin and that's uncle Leon. They live in Marseilles.", Charlie introduces me to both of them and we shake hands. 

Half an hour later, Belle comes along with Tahniya and Bob. "Who eez dat?", Louis asks me pointing at Bob. "That's our friend Bob, why do you ask?", I ask. "'e eez cute. Fossettes mignonnes.", Louis replies. That's...interesting. "You like him? I mean he's really funny. But he's straight.", I tell him. "Oh! Dat eez sad. I am lookeeng for someone to settle down weeth.", Louis replies. We both chuckle. I'm still smiling when the door opens and...fucking Paul comes in. "Oh mon Dieu! WHO eez Dat? Douce pitié! 'e eez 'OT!", Louis exclaims. "Calm down Louis. Il est mon copain.", for the first time in the day I desperately want to know what Charlie just said. "Je te deteste Charlie. Vous obtenez toujours Les meilleurs. You know Eric no guy ever looks at mee when Charlie eez around. Eet eez very sad.", Louis sighs dramatically and sits back down on the sofa. Charlie shakes his head and goes back to what he'd been doing. Well, there isn't much doubt about what Charlie told him. But the question is why, why would he tell Louis? 

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"Charlie! Can I have a moment?", I call after him after most of the guests have cleared. Louis, who'd been chatting with Bob and Belle in his weird English accent, has left to walk them out. Leon is sitting on a chair going through his phone and Paul is in the kitchen shuffling in the fridge. Charlie walks up to me and raises his eyebrows in question. "Did you tell Louis about our plan?", I ask him. "You honestly thought I wouldn't tell anybody? Not even mama?", Charlie asks incredulously. "Don't get angry! I'm not blaming you or anything but it would be nice of you to tell me too. That's all. I know this is not the time for this, but... I'm sorry, okay?", I tell him. He sighs. "You're right, I just...she'd been...suffering for a long time, I...kind of saw this coming, I didn't want her to...go with a lie. ", he says, choking up a bit. I can't help but give in to the urge of wrapping him into a tight hug. He exhales a shaky breath and wraps his arms around my waist as he rests his chin on my shoulder, bending down a bit. I sigh. He tightens his hold. These are the moments that make my heart stutter and my stomach flutter. There's no Paul in these moments. Just me and Charlie. I don't want to let him go, ever. "Comme c'est Mignon! As much as you look cute now, eef you don't want to die, I weel suggest the two of you to maintain some deestance. Paul is throwing daggers at you weed his eyes!", Louis speaks too close to our faces suddenly and we spring apart as if burnt. "What? What...?", I stutter and Charlie swears. "De toute façon, Charlie, êtes-vous sûr de Paul? Tu me parais trés á l'aise en ce moment!", Louis says, smirking evilly and Charlie flushes red. "Tais-toi!", he says and immediately makes a beeline for Paul. Louis smirks at me and then follows Charlie. I can't help the disappointment that settles in my guts at Charlie's dismissal of me, but I also can't help feeling a teeny bit gleeful at making Paul jealous. 

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"Charlie! Quelqu'un est à la porte !", Louis yells when the doorbell rings just as Charlie and I are getting ready to leave. I place a hand on his arm and silently go out to get the door. Louis, who's sitting in the sitting room and is just THAT lazy that he can't get the door, smiles sweetly at me. 

I open the door and immediately freeze. Its Rick Callaghan, Charlie's pathetic excuse of a father and a brown haired woman behind him, Chloe, I think. "Eric, who's there? ", Charlie asks as he comes to stand behind me. I'm gritting my teeth and I feel Charlie tense up behind me. "What are YOU doing here? ", I ask him, spitting out my words. Di...um... Rick completely ignores me. "Charlie, son, I'm so sorry for this.", he says placing his hand on Charlie's shoulder. Charlie immediately shrugs the hand off. "We should talk ", Rick says calmly. Charlie grits his teeth. "I think you should leave. ", I tell him with the same coolness. "Kindly fuck off! ", I add. Chloe gasps. "I don't think I need an opinion from a 'fag' like you!", Rick spits out the word fag. I flip him a finger without even flinching. I feel Charlie curl his hand around my wrist. "Charlie, he won't talk to your papa like that!", Chloe hisses. I almost feel Charlie's resolve breaking. "And he won't talk to MY HUSBAND like that!", Charlie yells. "Please leave.", Charlie says calmly. Rick mouths silently for some time and then drags his wife away with a muttered 'come on Chloe'. Charlie closes the door. He walks into the kitchen to drink water. As disturbing as the whole situation is, all other words, Louis and uncle Leon muttering angrily, everything, fades away, all that echoes in my head is Charlie's possessive enunciation of the words 'my husband', and the feel of his fist closing around my wrist. 

Why does it feel like he feels the same way? Even after Paul? 

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Sooooooooo, sorry. I just have my finals coming up. Uuuuuurrrghhhh!! Anyways. Plzzzzzzzzzzzzz vote and comment!  Hope you enjoyed the chapter!