When a Well-Raised Son Grows Up - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Carlisle replied, his voice shaky, and he quickly turned away. Sensing something was wrong, Abella followed him more insistently.

“Don’t lie to me.” 

“It’s nothing,” Carlisle insisted, his breath sounding even more ragged, his cheeks flushed slightly with heat.

Abella watched him carefully, wondering if she had misinterpreted the situation.

“Are you feeling sick?”

“No, I’m not sick,” Carlisle rea$sured her, but Abella touched his forehead and noticed his flushed face and heavy breathing.

“Your face is red and you seem to be having trouble breathing. I’m afraid you have a fever,” Abella said worriedly.

Carlisle panicked when Abella’s hand touched his forehead.

“Um, Mom, please…”

“If something is wrong, you should tell me right away. Why should you hide it?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

“I think you should go to bed early tonight.”

He felt like crying, and Abella’s strong belief that he was sick only made things worse.

Even as they closed the shop and headed home, she held Carlisle’s hand tightly, refusing to let go.

“I’m really fine…”

“No, you’re not fine at all. You seemed to have a pretty high fever earlier.”

‘Yeah, I will just ask to stay at the neighbor’s house.’

Carlisle sighed as he rem*mbered Esha and Leo’s house as the most obvious option.

Abella calmly prepared cocoa as she waited for Carlisle’s answer. When the silence lingered, she urged him to speak, and Carlisle, who had been hesitant, finally spoke.

“Do you mind if I sleep outside tonight?”

His words landed heavily, leaving Abella stunned and unable to comprehend what she had just heard.

“Huh?”

“I… um… Is it okay if I sleep outside tonight? I think I need to stay outside for the night.”

Abella stopped her casual stirring of the cocoa and stared at him in disbelief. Her pink eyes locked with his and Carlisle quickly looked away, feeling overwhelmed.

“Outside, tonight? You, b*by?”

‘Why is he suggesting this all of a sudden? Does he even have a place to stay outside? He doesn’t know anyone or anything, and he wants to spend the night outside?’

“I feel like I need to do it tonight… just for one night, I’m sorry.”

“What nonsense is this? Do you have a place to sleep outside?”

“Well, um…”

The sharp question made Carlisle feel like a puppy caught eating a sweet potato. He didn’t know what to say, so he just pursed his lips. Abella didn’t miss a beat and continued.

“Besides, baby, you’re not feeling well right now, so why the sudden decision to sleep outside?”

“Well, there’s a small emergency…”

“Why is it such a big deal? Tell me everything, don’t leave anything out. I want to hear it all.”

Abella’s tone was bitter and she glared at Carlisle, her eyes sharper than ever, not bothering to hide her emotions.

Carlisle tensed up as he met Abella’s stern gaze. Her gaze was sharper than he had seen in a while.

The crackling fire should have made the house feel comfortable and inviting, but for Carlisle, it felt like sitting on a bed of thorns.

“That’s…”

“That?”

Abella nudged him. She seemed to be urging him to speak. Carlisle fumbled with his hands and rolled his eyes in response.

It would have been easy to make up a lie to get out of the situation. However, he found himself unable to lie to Abella.

He knew it was unwise, but he couldn’t resist the urge to be honest.

Carlisle was struggling to decide whether to tell the truth or keep it to himself. He was afraid that Abella would be disappointed if he confessed.

However, he recognized the consequences of lying and getting caught. He feared disappointing Abella and losing her trust.

He struggled with the problem, unsure of the best way to proceed.

Carlisle faced a difficult decision between two options.

After thinking for a long time and showing signs of distress, he finally chose to tell the truth.

He exhaled, showing his determination. He believed that being truthful was better, even if it meant his mother’s possible disappointment.

Carlisle nervously swallowed and looked at Abella with determination. But when he met her enchanting pink eyes, his resolve wavered, and he found himself unable to speak despite his initial plan to be honest.

’Should I come up with another excuse?’

‘No, I cannot do it. I do not want to keep lying to my mom.’

‘I will inform mom about it. I will be honest with her, and we will sleep separately tonight.’

Carlisle took a deep breath to calm himself, then held Abella’s hand firmly as he spoke with determination.

“The truth is…”

‘I, uh…I have something called a period, and I think it might be starting now. I need to be alone for a while because I don’t want to cause you any trouble.’

Carlisle struggled to find the right words. His nerves made his speech stumble. He kept repeating, “The truth is… The truth is…”

‘Okay, calm down. Let me explain everything calmly and slowly, step by step.’

With his heart racing, Carlisle gathered his courage and tried to speak again.

“I’m actually in heat!”

Unfortunately, he became nervous and blurted out words involuntarily, interrupting his train of thought.

Carlisle was surprised by his own words. He quickly closed his mouth, but it was too late – the words were out.

Abella looked surprised. Her eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly.

“I-It’s, it’s, it’s not, it’s, it’s…”

He struggled to explain, his words tangled in his nervousness. Feeling like a failure, he fought back tears, trying to convey that he wasn’t abnormal.

“I’m not abnormal… Sometimes it just happens unexpectedly due to the imprint we made in the past…”

Amid his emotional turmoil, Carlisle managed to explain the situation to Abella. He was relieved that she was listening calmly.

“As far as I know, it will only last… a day or so. So if we sleep separately tonight, we can…”

“Wait,” Abella interrupted, raising her hand as she continued to listen to Carlisle.

“Baby, I think I understand what you’re saying.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, happy to have overcome the obstacle.

“You were aware of it, right?”

“Huh? Aware of what? What are you talking about?”

“I mean, the heat cycle that comes unexpectedly in pets.”

Because of this situation, he has no idea how much bigger the problem is getting for him. Being naive, he remains completely unaware.

“Yeah, I mean, I was aware of that…”

‘I’ve never been through it myself.’ As he was about to complete his statement, Carlisle had a sudden realization.

‘Wait, if I tell her this… ‘

Carlisle paused, sensing the impending danger. He tried to backtrack quickly, but it was too late. Abella’s gaze, once gentle, turned sharp and intense as she looked at him.

Carlisle realized his mistake and tensed up.

“So, when you imprinted me, you knew that I would come into heat someday, and you didn’t tell me?”