CHASING TROUBLE

Caroline almost ran to the door when she finally got home that night. Her eyes blinded with tears and she knew that her makeup probably made her look like a masquerade at the moment, but she didn’t care. All she could think about was her son… And what Nicholas planned to do.

He wanted to take her child away and she knew that he could do it if he really put his mind to it. He was a powerful man and so was his father. They had money and connections and she had…. Well, she had Charlie, and she wasn’t going to let anyone take him away from her.

Elsa was asleep in the living room when she walked in, and she was very concerned when she sat up and saw how worried Caroline looked, “Are you alright, sis?” she asked Caroline as she stood up from the couch and hurried to her side. “You look…. Terrible. What happened at that party?”Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

For a minute, all Caroline could do was sob on her sister’s shoulder. Her body shook and Elsa held her close. When she could finally speak without breaking up, she wiped her eyes with her palm and allowed Elsa to lead her to the nearest chair.

“I…. I… I… Nicholas was at the party,” she finally managed to blurt out,”

Elsa frowned, “Nicholas?” she repeated, “You mean your secret baby daddy you refuse to talk about?”

Caroline nodded, feeling so sorry for herself, “He’s back… And he knows about Charlie,”

“You mean you told him about Charlie?” Elsa asked.

Caroline sniffed, “No… I didn’t. I didn’t even know he was going to show up, but he did and he already knew about Charlie. I believe he is going to fight for custody and I… I can’t lose Charlie. He’s all I have, Elsa and I don’t know if I can take it if anyone takes him away from me, ”

Elsa reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from Caroline’s bun, “No one is going to take Charlie away from you,” she assured her sister, “If he wants a fight, then we will fight. Mom and Dad will help too. I’m sure they will. No one will take Charlie because they’ll see what I see…. They will see how much you both love each other.”

Caroline wanted to believe her sister, but she was still worried as hell. She suddenly had an urgent need to see her son so she stood up. “Charlie is in bed?” she asked

“Yup. Fast asleep,” Elsa confirmed.

Caroline hurried up to her son, and the sight of him sleeping so peacefully almost made her cry all over again. How could anyone think of taking him away, she thought. Her beautiful boy. He had her eye color, but he took after Nicholas in his other features. And she loved him… More than she’d ever loved anything or anyone in her life. This was a different kind of love… And it filled her heart with love and sadness at the same time that she felt her heart could explode.

If Nicholas wanted Charlie, then he’d have to go through her, she thought fiercely. Anyone who tried to harm her son would have to go through her.

____________

Caroline groaned loudly when her phone rang for the third time the next morning. It was Glen. He’d called several times the previous night, wanting to know why she’d left the party so abruptly. She’d sent him a text to let him know that she was fine and now he was calling again.

Caroline had not been in the mood to explain herself to him or anyone. She was tired, sad and scared after her meet up from hell with Nicholas and at the moment, all she could think about was her son and how to keep him away from Nicholas. The earlier she broke up with Glen, the better, and she’d told him exactly that as she texted to let him know that she’d gone home to be with her son.

Glen didn’t need to know the details. All he needed to know was that she was ending their relationship. Besides, she’d wanted to do it even before Nicholas showed up and ruined everything. Well at least that was what she thought, but Glen wouldn’t stop calling. Maybe if she were in a better mood, she’d have handled their breakup better, but she wasn’t and she almost screamed when someone knocked at the door. She didn’t even need to check before she knew that it was Glen.

Elsa let him in, and Glen rushed to her side immediately he came inside the house. “Caroline,” he said, reaching out to touch her wrists, “You had me worried sick. Please tell me exactly what is going on? You can’t mean what you told me last night.”

Caroline pulled her hands away. His touch made her uncomfortable because she just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn’t he understand?

“I’m sorry I left the way I did,” she told him, “But I just had to….”

“Why?” Glen insisted.

Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “I don’t… All you need to know, Glen, is that we are not working. I’m sorry but we are not. I’m not the woman for you and the earlier we accept that, the better for the both of us. I’m sorry to tell you this now but I thought that eventually we’d be able to…. Be more compatible and work things out, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I don’t even know if I see it happening with anyone anytime soon and right now, I think I will just focus on my son, ”

Glen was silent, but he looked pretty hurt and Caroline felt horrible. She didn’t hurt people…She hated hurting people, but ending their relationship was necessary because she couldn’t string him along. “I’m sorry Glen, “she told him, “I really am,”

After Glen accepted her decision and left, Caroline still felt horrible knowing that her troubles were nowhere near over. She still had Nicholas to take care of, and she wondered what he was planning. Was he currently making moves? Preparing to take her child away? Should she be making moves of her own? Should she take Charlie and run away now that she still had a chance? She could go somewhere he wouldn’t be able to find them and start over. The questions were numerous and she had no answers to them.