Endless Devotion

Chapter 10-He's Real

Mary POV

I can't believe it. Charles is real, and he saved me from Justin. I feel like passing out from the smack that Justin gave me, but as I feel like I am about to fall forward, Charles catches me and holds me up. 

"You look tired, my dear. Let me take a look at your bruise." Charles tells me. 

I didn't want Charles to look at me, but he looks at my face to inspect my bruise. He grabs my face gently. My heart is racing faster than a jet engine as I feel his leather glove touch my face. 

"Well, besides the blood, nothing seems to be broken. Here, let me clean it." 

Charles cleans the blood from my mouth and throws the handkerchief on the ground. My breath is shuddering as he continues to look into my eyes. I want to run, but I'm so drawn to him. 

"My dearest, is anything the matter? You look terrified." Charles says to me in a soft voice. 

I shake my head, and Charles doesn't believe me, of course. Charles smiles at me and says, 

"If you're going to lie to me, try to be better at it." 

I gulp softly and say nothing. I take a breath and begin to say, 

"There's so much that I want to ask you, but I don't know if I can ask you this now. I need answers to everything and I-" 

Charles places a finger on my lips to stop me from talking. He then brings my ear close to his lips, and he whispers to me, 

"Everyone can hear what I am about to say, and I don't need anyone spying on us. I am keeping my promise, and I will visit you tonight. We have a lot to talk about. In the meantime, I want you to have this gift. I know how much you love the play." 

Charles hands me a small red box with a white bow on it. Charles then plants a kiss on my forehead and says to me, 

"Once I teach you everything you need, no one will ever harm you again. You will be unstoppable."

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, Charles was gone. Both he and the Rolls Royce Wraith was gone. I then head to my bike, which was thrown on the ground, but before I leave, I decide to open the box. I pull out my gift and it's a music box from the ballet 'The Nutcracker'. I open the box and the song that was playing was 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'. I smile as I listen to the song. How did he know that this ballet and song was my favorite? I place the gift in my backpack, get onto my motorbike, and speed away to head to work. I know it might seem weird to act normal after what has just occurred, but I need to play it off so that way no one questions me. As silly as it sounds, I am counting down until I can see Charles Manx. You know what? I'll just call him Charlie instead. I am counting down until I can see Charlie Manx again.