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I look at his arm and hesitate, my smile faltering.
Usually, Adam is the one who escorts me. One of the little things we’ve always done, pretending we’re sophisticated like our parents.
I don’t want to hurt Charlie’s feelings, especially after Evie was so rude to him, but I don’t want him to escort me either. Because I know without a doubt Adam would be absolutely furious if I accepted Charlie’s arm.
Adam seems to get jealous if any other boy so much as breathes next to me.
I can’t even count how many times boys at school would end up with black eyes or busted noses the next day after simply speaking with me.
Until they stopped trying all together and started avoiding me like I have the plague.
Adam has turned me into a social pariah.
And he doesn’t even go to my school. He’s in high school, about to graduate.
No, he has others watching me and thinks I haven’t figured it out. It’s his only fault, and the only thing that truly scares me about him. If I wasn’t so drawn to him, so used to being with him, I might be tempted to break things off.
Especially because he seems to truly hate Charlie. Hates him so much, I’m certain he’d hurt Charlie too if he believed he could get away with it.
I’ve seen it in his eyes many times. The dark flame full of loathing and violence, that only seems to be growing hotter and darker over the years.
It worries me so much I gave Adam a dragon charm to soothe his fiery temper and remind him he’s the only one I care for. He’s been better ever since, tolerating Charlie’s presence without visibly displaying his hatred.
But this could totally set him off again.
If he even shows up for dinner…
“Why thank you, Charlie. I’d love to be escorted into the dining room,” Evie says as she barrels through the door, hip-bumping me out of the way to take his arm.
The color drains from Charlie’s face and he looks utterly terrified as she links her arm through his and yanks him down the hall.
I blink after them, wondering what just happened.
Then Evie casts a quick, sly look over her shoulder at me before she beams up at Charlie.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you. I know you didn’t mean to be rude. You just… scared me,” she says sweetly, fluttering her lashes.
Eyes widening, Charlie stammers. “I-I promise I’ll knock next time. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Evie’s smile grows indulgent and she pats his arm. “I know you will. You’re a good boy, Charlie. The best of us. We don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
And suddenly it all clicks inside my head.
Evie isn’t mean to Charlie because she likes him. No, she’s mean to him because she’s trying to protect him.
Had Adam been in the room with us when Charlie barged in, who knows what would have happened.
A shiver travels down my spine as I follow behind them.
So many little things that have happened over the years begin to make sense. I’m so distracted by it all, at first I don’t feel the emptiness of Adam’s absence.
When I place my hand on the cold banister though, watching Evie and Charlie descending the winding staircase in front of me, my chest tightens.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve never walked down these stairs alone to dinner. Adam has always been here to guide me.
Gripping the banister as if my life depends upon it, I slowly walk down the stairs. Afraid I might trip and fall at any moment.
Am I so hopeless that I can’t exist without him? That after all these years I don’t know how to?
