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Ijump as I hear someone pounding on my front door. Oh, it’s probably just Laura. She said she was going to come over after finishing something up at the arena.
I’m mid-change into my PJs, barely having just got home. I teeter on the decision of taking my wig and beanie off before answering, but I don’t think that I’m quite there. I don’t like seeing myself without it yet, and I’m definitely not ready for others to.
Rushing over to the door, I throw it open, and my stomach and jaw drop.
“Reed?” I gasp.
No, no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!
What is he doing here? He can’t be here! Fuck, why didn’t I look through the peephole?!
He’s not saying anything. He’s just staring at me with the most intense gaze. His breathing is ragged and labored, like he ran here from the arena. But the strangest thing about this is that he’s still in his damn hockey gear.
I have no idea why he’s here or what he wants. And I’m scared to ask.
We remain in this silent stare-off as what feels like minutes tick by. Finally, he makes a move, but not exactly the one I was hoping for.
“I’m coming in,” he says as he pushes past me and walks inside.
“Reed, get out. What the hell are you here for?” I snap, trying to keep my voice cold and hard.
He starts pacing in my living room and says, “Please, just listen to me before you say anything.”
Oh God.
Oh no, I can’t hear this. If he tries to convince me to get back with him, I am going to break down. I don’t want to do this again. But if it comes to it, I’ll have to break his heart all over again even though it’s the last thing I want to do.
Why can’t he just be a jerk? Why can’t he just forget about us, about me?
Please don’t do this.
He stops mid-stride and turns toward me, his face in anguish. “Tell me what’s going on. Tell me the truth. Tell me what everyone but me seems to know.”
“Get out,” I warn him.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m not leaving until I have some answers. Some real answers,” he says, meaning every single word.
“Reed, I don’t want you here.” I force the painful words through my teeth.
“Then, tell me!” he snaps.
I throw my hands up in defeat, fighting the urge to cry and run into his arms. “There’s nothing to tell you, Reed! Get out of my damn house!”
“No.” He stands taller, and I know he’s not going to give this up.
“What do you mean, no? You don’t have permission to be in here. Get out,” I order him again, which he dismisses immediately.
Stay strong, Charlotte. You are doing this for him.
“If I’m trespassing, then call the cops. The only way I am leaving here is if they can manage to drag me away from you. But I’m prepared to put up one hell of a fight, Char.”
Hearing him say my name has my heart shredding to pieces. You can’t give in. You can’t be the thing that destroys him.
“Leave, Reed, please!” I beg of him, for his sake and for mine because each second that I’m in his proximity has my resolve crumbling to the damn ground.
“Tell me what everyone else seems to know but me. Alec told me to take it easy on you today. Never once has he taken your side in any of this. He knows damn well that you ended things. But for some crazy reason, he seemed to be on your side today. I don’t know what Laura told him. But regardless, it seems they know something about you that I don’t. And that reason has one of my best friends in the whole world telling me to take it easy on the girl who broke my fucking heart. So, please enlighten me on why I should go easy on you.”
“Get out.” My voice shakes, and I hope he doesn’t see that his plan is working and he’s wearing me down.
