Falling Again

7

**PRESENT**

“Ms. Anderson?”

Charlotte came out of her thoughts and looked at her colleague Katherine.

“Someone is here to meet you,”

“Who?” she asked quietly. Her face is kind of sad and confused.

“Jaxson Marcellus,”

Hearing the name made her gasp. Her heart started pounding and for a moment she couldn’t understand what she heard.

“What?” she again asked.

“Jaxson Marcellus. By the way, how do you know him?” Katherine asked.

“He’s my… friend,” she replied with slight hesitation.

“Oh, you know I am a big fan of him. I took a picture with him just now. Thanks to you,” Katherine smiled.

“Where is he?” Charlotte questioned getting up from her seat.

“He’s in the waiting area,”

As soon as she heard it, Charlotte made her way to Jaxson. There he is sitting and waiting for her patiently. Charlotte walked hoping he’s not here to fight with her and also having a question that how he got to know her workplace. Then something clicked in her mind, today morning when she was making breakfast, Jaxson entered the house. He didn’t get her permission and walked to Noah’s room to talk with him. Then he came downstairs along with Noah and watched him having his breakfast. Charlotte was quite reluctant so she went upstairs leaving them alone. He was there until Charlotte left home with Noah. They didn't talk to each other the entire time.

When Jaxson noticed her, he removed his Ray-ban glasses and looked at her. Though his eyes reflected anger, his heart told something else. He felt strangely happy to see her.

“Hey,”

“Are you free now?” he asked just looking up at her face.

“No, but… it’s okay. Tell me?”

“Shall we go somewhere private?” he asked keeping his face firm. It’s evident that he’s trying so hard not to show any emotion.

“Okay. I have to ask permission; can you wait here?” she asked feeling so nervous.

His eyes stared her for a moment before nodding ‘yes’

Charlotte walked to her place, got her stuff and went to her manager to say that she’s leaving since there’s just half an hour left for the end of her work time. Her manager gladly accepted it.

As she came back, “Shall we go to the restaurant here or…” she asked without knowing what does he want.

“Uhm, let’s get out of here.” He said since most of the people’s eyes were on them.

“Okay,” she nodded.

They came out of the hotel and Jaxson’s car is waiting outside. “I can’t come with you,” she said.

“Why?” he asked.

“I have to pick up Noah in school. I can’t leave my car here,” she said.

“Today I will drive you and Noah home and tomorrow I will ask my driver to drop you,” he made her situation simple and she couldn’t deny too. He watched her intently until she says okay. She walked with him to the car.

He opened the passenger seat for Charlotte and she got inside his brand new Jaguar. He drove somewhere that Charlotte couldn’t identify it.

“How did you know that I am working here?” Charlotte asked clearing the silence.

“I asked Noah,”

Then again the silence continued till Jaxson parked the car in an isolated street. Charlotte was so stubborn to speak with him and so do Jaxson. She’s afraid of what they were going to speak. She had this one thing in her mind that if he’s going to yell at her she can accept it but she can’t accept anything that might separate Noah from her.

“Look, I don’t have any intention to speak to you but I want my son. At least from now on, I want to be with him, every day. I don’t want to be dead anymore in his life,” he said and Charlotte nodded her head looking down.

“I never told him that you’re dead,” Charlotte corrected it and looked at his face.

“Oh, thanks,” he smiled showing his frustration.

“Why you didn’t tell me?” he asked the same question because he still can’t accept the fact that Charlotte has done this to him. He believed that she loved him because he’s still in love with Charlotte he met when he was seventeen.

“I told you already, I don’t want to complicate our lives and I don’t have the courage to abort the child,” she confessed.

Jaxson clenched his jaw hearing that, “Complicate? This isn’t something you can hide because he’s mine too.”

“Okay, if I have told you, what would have happened? You wouldn’t be in this position, you might have become a failure and if I have stayed with you then my life would be a failure too,” she said. She wanted to sound selfish so that he won’t get the thought that she has taken the decision solely thinking about him.

“Why you changed like this?” he asked seeing the way she talks. Once Charlotte was a very nice girl. He fell in love with her because she’s the kindest, sweetest person he has ever seen in his life but now she’s not that girl anymore.

“Because life is not the same anymore,” Charlotte replied biting her lower lip to control her tears.

Jaxson leaned back on the seat thinking it’s waste to talk with her about them, there’s no point of talking about them, it’s past and there’s no future too. So he decided to talk only about his child.

“Jaxson, I am sorry for what I did. I can understand your anger. I didn’t have any other option that’s why. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Fine, leave it. There’s nothing left to talk about the past,” he cut her off.

“I want to be with Noah,” Jaxson said.

“Okay, you can come and see him anytime you want,” Charlotte said.

“I am not a third person to visit him, Charlotte, he’s my son and I want to be with him in my home,” Jaxson told because after seeing Noah he can’t help but wish to keep Noah with him. He’s been lonely for all these years thinking that he has no one and he has been searching for a purpose lately but after finding that he has a son, Jaxson can’t stay away. But he doesn’t have any thoughts about getting back with Charlotte and she knows it well.

“So what do you mean?” Charlotte asked and her heart is racing hard.

“Give Noah to me,” Jaxson said.

“How can you ask that? Noah is all I have. I can never do that,” Charlotte said controlling her emotions that’s pushing her to cry and yell at him.

“So what about me? I want to be with him like you. I am not that guy who’s like, oh I have a son? Great! I will see him whenever I have time.” He mocked in his sweet tone.

“You know I am not that guy,” he pressed those words, “I have no one, Charlotte. As much as you want Noah, I want him too and I am not going to change that.”

“This is why I felt so afraid to meet you, you know,” Charlotte said shedding her tears.

“If you have told me everything before, things have been different now,” Jaxson heaves a sigh thinking about his dream of having a beautiful family with Charlotte which is still now remaining a dream. If she had told about Noah six years back, then he wouldn’t have done everything to keep her with him but she didn’t do it.

“Please,” Charlotte told and turned her head to wipe her tears.

“And I can’t either,” Jaxson answered. He doesn’t want to make her cry yet he can’t compromise his decision.

“Then shall we take this to court?” he asked like threatening her.

“No, please don’t do that. Let’s not spoil Noah’s peace,” Charlotte told.

“Then tell me a way, Charlotte? Since you complicated the entire thing and you have to give me a solution,” Jaxson asked politely.

“I don’t know. I need to think,” Charlotte replied.

“Sure, take your precious time.” “But make sure that you won’t make any other silly plans to deceive me again. I am not that old Jaxson anymore. I will ruin your life entirely,” he warned just to stop her thinking about leaving him again. He can’t let her take their son away and ruining someone’s life, especially Charlotte’s life is not at all his intention.

Charlotte felt so afraid after hearing that. His words intimidated her.

“You can take any decision, but I have to be with my son. That’s it,” he told and looked at her eyes and she nodded without knowing what she has to do.

“Great! Now let’s go to Noah’s school,” he told and started his car.

Charlotte didn’t utter a word and looked outside the entire time. Jaxson felt whether he has gone overboard? But one thing he understood that Charlotte is so much in love with Noah and he doesn’t want Noah to have a life without his mom. He knows how it feels to grow up without mother’s love.

There’s only one option left in here, and he hopes Charlotte will take that decision for the sake of their son.

“Are you coming inside?” Jaxson asked when Charlotte was deep in her thoughts.

“Yeah,” she nodded and got down from the car.

Following Jaxson, Charlotte thought about all possible reasons but everything ends up in one choice that’s she has to stay with Jaxson in order to be with Noah.

They came out of the school and walked to the car. “Mommy, why you’re not talking to me?” Noah asked.

“Ah, no baby. I was just thinking about something,” she replied not in her usual tone. Jaxson observed how much her face has changed after what he told. She must have figured out what he wants and he’s waiting to hear that from her.

“You didn’t give me a kiss!” Noah pouted.

“I am sorry,” Charlotte smiled and leaned to kiss his cheeks.

Noah suddenly pulled her closer and asked this in her ears, “Did you and Jax become friends again?” he asked feeling so shy to ask it openly. With his mom, Noah never felt shy because she’s his first best friend.

 Knotting his eyebrows Jaxson watched them curiously, “Yes, we are always good friends,” Charlotte answered looking at Jaxson who’s taken aback by that. It kind of took him to their past…