Chapter 18 - Silence

Chapter 18 – Silence.

Georgia, Jeff's Farm;

Emily Sanders...

10am...

The ring of my phone tore through my sleep; dragging me kicking and screaming from my slumber. I feel extremely heavy; I can't remember the last time that I felt so relaxed and, almost at peace. Turning over, I grab at the nightstand where my phone was – without checking the caller ID, I swiped answer, and placed the device to my ear.

"Hello?" I mumbled sleepily, as I did the automatic stretch that I have every morning, there was no response to my muttering, "hello?" I asked again, but there was nothing – no sound of voices in the background, no sound of anyone breathing, no static noise, it was just a dark abyss of nothing, "hello?" I asked more firmly. When the black void continued, I just ended the call.

This was the second silent call – should I mention it to Jeffrey? I don't know. I don't want to make a big deal of it, I don't want it to appear that I am some weak girl who gets freaked out about 2 silent phone-calls. Pushing my phone back on to the nightstand, I rolled back until I am staring up at the ceiling, I can smell toast and freshly ground coffee.

Jeffrey had hired a couple; Mary and David, who are live-in employees, Mary is the house-maid, and David tends to the farm and all the animals, while Jeffrey is off filming or in LA for his girls, or lately, me and my dad. I felt awful that I had kept him from filming for so long, so when he had mentioned me coming back to Georgia with him, there really was only one answer. It feels somewhat weird to be here alone though, I don't know what to do with myself; I mean this isn't my home, and I am completely unsure of what Jeffrey had said to the couple about who I am, or why I am here. I wish that Jeffrey hadn't, had the stupidly early morning shoot, I would have loved to wake up to him lying beside me.

Rolling on to his pillow; I am enveloped in his scent, that still lingered on the pillow. I love the way he smells, the rich seductive scent of his aftershave – that isn't just a scent, it is Jeffrey; his own personal scent that just becomes a part of who he is. Breathing in the scent, I feel that comfortable relaxed state take over me again as my phone starts ringing again. Reluctantly, I roll back to my side and grab my phone, this time checking the caller ID, and happily swiped the screen to answer and held it up to my ear.

"Hey buddy," I said – the caller was Charlie.

Charlie will often call me; we have become really good friends and I truly believe that he is the best thing that has ever happened to my friend Paige. After my friends, break up with Ryan; she had vowed that she would never fall in love again, that she would never allow a man to ever get that close to her again. I had been terrified that she had been right; any guy who approached her was dismissed without her even looking at him. If it hadn't been for Charlie, slowly pulling brick after brick, from the wall she had built around her heart, I was afraid that I would never see my best friend again; she had all but embraced the single life.

I hated that for her – Paige is one of those women, who isn't just beautiful; she has this amazing kind heart, that she is constantly putting out there for the people that she loves, and it's such an amazing trait for her that it would be devastating if she had followed her mindset about not allowing any man get close to her.

Then she met Charlie and he is one of those guys who is so trust-worthy that I knew that it was just exactly what my friend needed; and I knew that she could really love him, more than she had ever loved anyone, before. For example; Ryan fucking Reynolds.

"Hey kid," he replied, "what you doing?"

"Thinking about getting up, you?"

"Actually, I have just landed in Georgia..."

"Why? Is Paige with you?" I asked sitting bolt-upright in bed; the covers falling from my frame to reveal my fluffy, and NOT at ALL sexy, cow print pyjama's.

God Jeffrey had seen me in these – could I have been any lamer? The truth was I was so tired by the time we headed to bed last night, that I hadn't even thought about my sexy bed-clothes, I had just grabbed the first thing that I reached for. Tonight, was going to be much, much different. I know that Jeffrey and I had agreed that there would be no more teasing, but I think the fact that we are here – almost, completely alone, and it is going to happen – there is nothing wrong with helping the moment along a little bit, right?

"No, actually I came because I am going to need your help, if you have the time?"

"I don't have anything planned, so come on out to the farm, by the time you get here, I will be up and dressed. Although, what am I helping you with?"

"I don't want to discuss it over the phone," he informed me.

"Ok, well let me go and get dressed, and you get a cab or whatever, do you need directions?"

"No, I got them from Jeffrey before he left last night," he informed me; so, Jeffrey knew that he was coming, funny why he didn't say anything to me. Maybe he didn't know exactly when Charlie would be coming in; that would make sense as to why he didn't tell me.

I would have to say that I am definitely intrigued about what this is about. Charlie and Paige are very rarely apart, they do almost everything together, so the fact that he was alone, was concerning me a little bit. Then we also have the fact that Jeffrey clearly knew that he was coming, but he hadn't mentioned it to me.

Grabbing a clean set of underwear and clothes, I rush into the shower. I don't have time to just enjoy myself, if you get what I mean? I don't think that I have ever been this turned on by a man, I guess that is what happens when you are finally with the man that you desperately want, Hell, Jeffrey was my dream man. So, instead I decided to quickly get washed and dressed. By the time, I made it to the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang and I pulled the door open since I was there and there was Charlie.

Charlie Hunnam – the man who played the conflicted biker in the gritty critically acclaimed drama called; Sons of Anarchy – had become one of the hottest men on television. Don't get me wrong; I can see for sure that he is a good-looking man but he just isn't my type and besides; I actually like having him as a friend. Charlie is a man who doesn't judge – he listens, he accepts people differences and he supports the people in his life in a way that some people just simply can't manage. When he had approached Paige, and I in a club; I could see just how good he and my friend could be together – he is just a guy who gives off a great first impression, and was part of the reason that I pushed Paige to go out with him.

"Come on in," I told him, giving him a hug, "I was just going to have coffee – want some?"

"Do you really have to ask?" he chuckled closing the door behind him; I swear to God; he and Paige are coffee fiends. It was only one of many things that the two of them had in common.

Leading the way to the kitchen, which was at the back of the house; Mary was fussing around in the kitchen, toast lay in the rack, coffee was steaming in the pot, while she wiped down the counters and stacked the dish-washer. The scent of the coffee was a relaxing one.

I felt awful when Mary fussed around us; getting mugs and the condiments from the fridge. I had never had someone wait on me this way before, even with the staff at my house – I still got my things myself, I don't like having anyone waiting on me. Anyway, she insisted so I nodded my head and thanked her profusely. Once she had gotten us everything that we needed, she excused herself and left us alone in the kitchen to eat and drink.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked my friend.

"Uhm, I already talked to Jeffrey about it, and I need your help, so the thing is.... I am going to ask Paige to marry me..."

"Oh my God, are you serious?" I asked jumping out of my seat and hugging my friend tightly, "of course you are serious, what is the point in saying it if you aren't serious!"

I am so happy for my friends – all I have ever wanted is for the people in my life to be happy and settled. Paige and Charlie; they are such genuine kind-hearted people and they deserve only the very best. That is exactly what they have found in one another.

I hope that they will have all the happiness in the world.

Couple of Hours Later;

Charlie Hunnam...

Telling Emily about my plan and enlisting her help was my only play here; Emily and Paige had very similar taste; so, if Emily is right there with me – I have less of a chance in picking the wrong ring. Since I had already asked Jeffrey's permission – I just want to get the ring, the right ring, so that I can ask her to marry me – it feels like I have this huge secret that a couple of people know, and it just doesn't sit right with me that I amn't telling her about it.

We had promised one another that we would never have secrets from one another and now, I feel very uncomfortable.

However; now that I am here with Emily – something is different. Emily is different, don't get me wrong, of course, she is different; after her dad died and that is completely understandable. However, that's not it; this is a different type of different.... almost calmer.

In the early days of meeting Paige, my girlfriend; hadn't been willing to let her guard down with me, but Emily had really stepped into help me out and during that time – Emily and I had built a friendship completely separate to Paige and I. Paige, my beautiful girlfriend – I never imagined that I would find a woman that I could feel this level of love for.

I had always been the guy who wanted to find the girl that I wanted to spend my life with. I hadn't expected to find her so quickly, I have to admit that the minute my eyes landed on her – I just knew that she was the one; which was why I hadn't walked away when she had shot me down in flames.

"Have you thought about how you are going to propose?" she asked me lighting a cigarette before taking a large gulp of her coffee.

"I haven't actually, I was thinking about a meal?"

"Ok, now you know that Paige and I have been friends since we were born, hell we are more like sisters, and I happen to know that there is one thing that she does not want – and that is a generic proposal,"

Well, Emily was right – she and Paige had basically been raised as sisters, and if there was anyone else in the world who knew Paige as much as I did, it was Emily, hell maybe Emily even knew her better, but she had a good 20 years on me. If she had advice for me; I would take it, no questions about it.

"Wait, did you ask Jeffrey's permission?" she asked me.

"I did and he was really good about it," I replied, and that was it, I caught it – a very quick sweeping glaze over in her eyes, "what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" she asked avoiding my gaze while gulping down her coffee.

"Ems?"

"What?"

Again, there was no sign of her looking back to me; in fact, she got up and moved to the coffee pot and poured herself some more, turning back to where I was sitting, she still avoided my gaze.

Was Paige right during the storm? Were Emily and Jeffrey seeing one another?

"Is there something that you want to tell me?"

I could see the conflict on her face, she opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. My gut was telling me that something had happened, but she wasn't quite ready to say it.

"Maybe," she finally said, as her eyes found mine, "but I don't..."

"Don't; what?"

"I do not want to put you in this position," she said and I just knew that she meant that she didn't want to put me in a position where I am going to have to keep a secret from Paige.

"Well you know that I don't like to keep secrets from Paige, but you are also my friend and if you need someone to talk too – I am here,"

"You can't repeat this to anyone, especially not Paige, are you comfortable with that?"

"You are my friend, honey, I am here for you," I didn't quite say that I wouldn't tell Paige, but right now, it seemed to be enough as she started to talk.

"For as long as I can remember, I have had this epic crush on Jeffrey, no one knew about it, for so long, but then when my dad died; Jeffrey just understood what I was feeling," she explained, I could see the relief of admitting it, had on her – she seemed to have been holding a lot of it for a long time, "we had a few 'almost' moments but we were trying to ignore it, we didn't talk for a few days because of it, but when the storm hit, Jeffrey came over, I mean hell; he braved that storm to get to me and it happened..."

"What happened?"

"We kissed," she admitted, "and we talked – we both felt the same, we are, sort of dating,"

"Sort of? What does that mean?"

"We are taking things slow, which is new for me; I am used to just jumping into bed with a guy, but I know that Jeffrey is still struggling with it at times,"

I can't believe that Paige had been right, and there I was telling her that she was just being silly. Well I feel like a prize-fucking idiot.

Emily, in all the time that I had known her, wasn't one of those girls who wanted to settle down. If she even had an inkling that her sex partner was developing feelings; she would run for the hills. Paige had once told me that it was because she had watched my girlfriend when she was at her lowest after Ryan had broken her heart, and she said that there was no way that anyone was ever getting the chance to do that to her. I can't help but wonder, now, that she hadn't allowed anything to develop because of how she obviously felt about Jeffrey.

I want to ask so many questions, but, how can I? The fact that she had asked me to keep it a secret, meant that; the less I knew the easier it would be for me to remain quiet. I can't help but notice she said that Jeffrey was struggling with his feelings – I can't help but think that, that meant it could end up with my friend getting hurt anyway.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah, sorry,"

"We aren't wanting to say anything to anyone because we want to see if this can work – its better this way because we don't want to upset the girls; just in case we find that we won't work out,"

I guess that made sense; there really was no point in stressing Paige and Ryan out, for whatever this is; could end up coming to nothing. I hate that I have to keep this from Paige, but Emily was perfectly right. I just need to forget that she ever said anything.

It doesn't matter what I think, this is Emily and Jeffrey's call.

Time to get my mind back on Paige, and this engagement, "so do you know what Paige wants for her proposal?"