28
Charlie
I knocked gentlyon the door to Kate’s room.
“Come in,” she called.
I took a steadying breath but still wasn’t prepared for the sight of Kate in pajamas lying in bed. It was only the fact that she’d curled herself up in a little ball lying on her side with red-rimmed eyes, looking so small and helpless, that I was able to gather some self-awareness and push my desire aside. The initial energy radiating from her at the bar earlier seemed to have faded into maudlin sadness. It was far past midnight now, and she’d drowsed the entire ride to Harrison’s house in the Hollywood Hills.Mansion. He’d offered her a tour, but I insisted she go straight to bed. The other two had left us alone in this one whole hall. I didn’t want to know what Emma was thinking when she suggested an entire wing of privacy.
I stepped to the edge of Kate’s bed. She looked so tiny, cocooned in the plush blanket. I was desperate to scoop her up and hold her.
“I’ve just come to check if you need anything before you go to sleep,” I said. I set down a glass of water and a blister pack of painkillers.
She shook her head. Tears balanced on the edge of her lids.
“Kate.” My voice cracked. Her pain was unbearable. “What’s wrong?”
Her lip trembled as she tried to smile on a shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Care to talk about it?”
She licked her lips and swallowed. “Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. I’m anxious and sometimes that makes me a little weepy.”
“Anxious?” I shifted back from the bed. “I don’t expect—There’s nothing … If you want to lock the door.” I retreated, dumbfounded and terrified I made her think she owed meanythingfor bringing her here.
“No. No. It’s not you. I know you don’t—” She frowned. “I just feel like I’m doing something wrong.” She stared just past my shoulder.
“You’re not doing anything wrong.” Was the regret of her breakup settling in? She seemed so sure earlier, but she had been quite a bit more tipsy.
“I’m feeling really mixed up about things.” She sniffled in a sigh.
“You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” I said softly. “All you have to do is sleep.”
She looked at me with such relief I thought that I might get a bit weepy myself. “Okay.”
“I’ll let you go,” I said.
“Don’t go yet,” she whispered.
She blinked up at me, long lashes damp with tears. Blood rushed through my veins at those three small words. I warred with myself.God, please, yes, I wanted to stay. But she was mixed up and vulnerable.
“I shouldn’t—” I brushed my fingertips over the soft duvet. I didn’t even remember stepping close to the bed again.
“I’m not looking for—” She glanced away, flushing. “The thing is. I think my heart belongs to someone else.” She said it like she was just now understanding it to be true. That didn’t help the thrumming of blood in my ears. “You are very pretty though,” she added teasingly.
I huffed out a breath. “That’s what they tell me.”
I looked at my shoes. Her heart belonged to someone else. What a fucking punch in the gut.
There was no way she was still caught up on that wanker. My deepest hope had been that she thought of RC. But now, I wished I was the person on her mind. Here and now. The person she told everything to. But how could I ever be that for her when I kept so much of myself at bay. It wasn’t fair to her.
Bloody hell, how had I managed to mess this all up?
When I continued to hesitate, she added, “I just don’t want to be alone yet.” She looked up at me with puppy dog eyes that would put Emma’s to shame.
“I’ll stay just for a bit. Until you fall asleep.” My body was rigid with indecision. I could do this. I could comfort her and take nothing for myself.
She nodded and wiggled her way to the farthest edge of the bed and under the blankets. I kicked off my shoes and clicked the lights down. It was just bright enough that I could make her face out in the dim light once my eyes adjusted. I cautiously laid down next to her.
