Unexpected Encounter: A Second Chance at Love

[Inside the car]

As soon as they entered the car, Rachael said, "I didn't know he was there."

"I know," he answered without taking his eyes off the road.

"I—"

"I am going to Paris tomorrow," he interrupted her.

"Paris?" she frowned. "Why?"

"It's a business trip. The perfume endorsement we were working on has been finalized, I have to go over there to sign the contract," he explained.

"When will you come back?"

"A couple of days or three." When she did not say anything, he glanced at her once before looking away. "Stay with your parents until I am back. It's been a long time, they will like it."

Without saying anything, she rolled the window down and looked outside. Her eyes were getting teared up but she didn't want him to see it.

She knew he was running away because he was upset with her. She didn't want him to leave but she thought a short trip would help him ease his mind and it would be easier to talk to him.

During the entire ride to Rachael's parents place, both of them did not say anything.

The silence was suffocating and so unlikely between the two of them but both of them refused to break it.

...

[Watson Mansion]

When they arrived, everyone was sitting in the living room, including Tina and Emma.

"There they are—" Tina exclaimed and quickly approached Rachael. "We were just talking about you."

"We are a little late, there was traffic," Andrew said as he approached Michael and Reeta to greet them.

"It's alright, you both are right on time for dinner," Michael remarked.

Noticing the gloomy expression on Rachael's face, Tina frowned, "What happened to you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Her remark made everyone look at Rachael.

"N-No, I am fine—" She quickly grabbed her forehead and said, "I just have a little headache."

"Oh honey, do you want medicine?" Reeta inquired.

Rachael shook her head. "No, it's fine." She glanced at Andrew before looking away while he did the same.

The tension between the couple did not go unnoticed by Emma and Tina. Even George who had the EQ less than a ten year old could say that something was wrong.

…..

After dinner, Rachael went upstairs to her room with Emma and Tina while Andrew sat in the living room with Michael.

"How is work these days?"

"It's much better now," Andrew answered. "Things have become quite easy after Rachael joined."

"That's nice, I am happy that you both are working together." Contemplating for a while, Michael inquired, "Is everything okay between you both?"

Before Andrew could answer, he said, "I just noticed some tension between you two so—"

The sudden distant behaviour between the couple was very evident. Though Michael thought it was inappropriate to ask if something had happened, he couldn't hold it back.

"Everything is okay," he answered.

"Well, it's fine if it's not okay too," Michael remarked. "It's completely normal for couples to fight. In fact, it's healthy. But it's not nice to stretch it for too long."

Inching closer, he said in a relatively lower voice. "Let me give you a little tip, women are weird. Whenever a fight gets stretched even for an hour longer than it should, they start overthinking. They start thinking we don't love them anymore, we don't care and the overthinking goes on and on."

Michael sighed and helplessly shook his head. "So before it goes to that point, solve it."

Patting it shoulder, he stated, "Always remember, a happy wife is a happy life."

...

[Rachael's room]

"Damn that b*astard—" Tina gritted her teeth. "What does he think of himself?"

"I know right? I am so mad at him, I wanna kill him even more now." When Rachael told her what Oliver had said, Emma lost all her temper and was ready to call him over and punch his face but George stopped her.

"What about Andrew? Did you tell him?" When Rachael nodded, Tina inquired, "Is this why he is mad?"

Pinching the space between her brows, Rachael sighed, "I guess."

"If that's the reason, don't you think it's a good thing?" When both Emma and Rachael gave her a confused look, she explained, "I mean, since he is mad because you met him, this shows that he is jealous which means he loves you and is afraid that he will lose you."

"That does make sense," Emma agreed.

"I don't like this—" Rachael groaned and buried her face on the pillow. "I don't like him like this."

"Andrew is so always so sweet, he cannot take his hands off me." She looked at them. "He keeps holding my hand, touching my hair, he keeps hugging me and—" Rachael smiled. "The way he looks at me, it makes me feel so special."

"But that is gone—" she frowned. "He hasn't even looked at me properly since yesterday. What should I do?"

When both of them did not say anything, Rachael frowned, "Say something—" She could really use some advice because her brain wasn't working anymore.

"Rach—" Tina placed her hand on Rachael's shoulder. "I think you like Andrew a lot."

"I don't just like him, I love him," she stated.

Emma and Tina widened their eyes in shock and gasped in unison.

Y-You...w-what—" Emma got up on her knees.

"I love him, I didn't expect it to happen so fast but—I really love him," Rachael repeated her words. The more she said it, the more light she felt. Only if the person whom she was actually supposed to tell this to was standing in front of her.

"Oh my God—" Emma and Tina squealed and pounced at her.

"I am so happy today," Tina exclaimed.

"Me too, this is so great." Emma pulled away. "Did you tell him yet?"

"No—" she shook her head. "I didn't get a chance yet." How was she supposed to tell him when he was giving her a cold shoulder for almost two days now?

…..