I wiped the counters again, even though they were still pristine. “I’m not concerned with her love life. Jesus, dude. I don’t like the look of that Andrew guy and I’ve always kept an eye out for her.”
“Sure, if that’s what you wanna call it.” He paused and gestured toward the counter. “Pretty sure it’s clean enough.”
“Fuck off,” I told him as the next person stepped up to order a drink. My body relaxed when I saw it was the man I was looking for. “Andrew. Hey, man.”
His lip curled. “I need the key to Charlie’s place. She said you’d have one. We broke up and I have some stuff of mine to get and she won’t be going home for a couple hours. I want to get it tonight.”
Relieved at the fact that he hadn’t flipped his shit and having spotted Charlie by the end of the bar nursing another beer, I pulled the key off my ring. She’d let him borrow it before, so I didn’t even think twice. I was more worried about checking on her. “I’m sorry to hear that. If you’ll lock up and leave the key on her counter for her, that’d be great.”
He left without another word after pocketing the key and wound his way through the crowd to get to Charlie.
“Why does she even go for those losers?” Tripp asked.
I shook my head. “She’s determined to find the perfect guy for the perfect version of her life she has mapped out in her head. As soon as one of them shows a side that doesn’t fit in with the man she’s conjured up, she checks out.”
“That’s messed up. No one’s perfect.”
“Pretty sure she’d have the perfect guy and come up with an excuse to bolt,” I said absently as I glanced back over at the two of them. Charlie’s face was tense, her lips pressed together like she was holding back her words. Never a good sign.
“Still, maybe he was a good guy.”
I took a step closer as I saw Charlie’s face blanches of all color. “If he were the right guy, he would have fought for her, you know?”
“Maybe he was scared.”
“He had an engagement ring, she said. That normally means it’s pretty serious.”
I still didn’t know how I felt about that. She dated and sometimes it got serious, but never permanent-serious. She’d never gotten close to getting engaged. I couldn’t sort out why my stomach had dropped when she’d told me about the ring. Maybe it was the thought of things changing. Maybe it was the threat of losing my best friend. If Tripp had it his way, he’d say it’s because I had feelings for her.
That couldn’t be it.
Could it?
I shoved the thought away. There was no way in hell that had happened. We’ve been close for a long time, but it’s always been platonic.
“You okay?” Tripp asked, no longer teasing.
I couldn’t answer because I wasn’t sure if I was. It was as though the Earth had shifted right under my feet. Everything around me was the same, but something intrinsic had changed. I just didn’t understand what.
From the distance separating us, I could see a tear slip down Charlie’s cheek and that broke me from my stupor. It didn’t matter what was happening. She was clearly upset, and it was time to get her away from that guy, I didn’t care if it pissed him off.
I didn’t know what the hell he’d said, but it looked like she was about to full-out cry, which she never did…ever. Her face was red and her eyes bright with unshed emotion. The single tear she’d let go had left a shimmery trail down her cheek. He had her pinned in a corner against the bar and I could hear his outraged voice above the din, though I couldn’t distinguish what he was saying from so far away. I found myself pushing through the crowd without another thought and was beside her in less than a minute.
“My mom was right about you,” I heard him say as I got closer. “I never should have wasted my time on someone so worthless. I never would have proposed to you. I can’t believe you’d even think so. Marrying you would have been the worst decision of my life.”
“Ready to go home?” I asked Charlie. I paid no mind to the fuck-stain who turned to gape at me. As far as I was concerned, he no longer existed. I’d have Tripp cover the rest of my shift. If my manager gave me shit, I’d tell him to screw off.
Fuck-stain glared at me. “We’re talking here.”
Charlie’s gaze skittered over to him, but I cupped her chin and brought it back to me. “Let’s go home,” I said, my tone gentle. “I’ll pick you up some wine and we’ll watch all the chick shit you want.” A huge concession, considering I loathed all those girlie movies. My mom and sisters watched them non-stop growing up and sitting through one was enough to make me hurl.
Fuck-stain scoffed and glared some more, and I wondered how I’d ever thought he was good enough for her. Until further notice,no onewas good enough for her. He was lucky I didn’t put my fist in his face.
“I’d rather watch an action movie,” she said. The corner of her mouth tilted up, and if it hadn’t wavered, if there hadn’t been the slightest glimmer of sadness in her eyes, I wouldn’t have done what I did next. We would have gone out, grabbed some wine and food, and continued with our lives the way they were.
But it was that show of vulnerability that hit me right in the gut. She was hurting and all I wanted to do was take her up in my arms and make it go away. This guy had beat her down, torn up her self-esteem, and when she’d stood up to him, he hadn’t been able to handle it.
“I’m ready to go,” she said and squared her shoulders, but I was still staring at her mouth.
