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“Hungry?” she simply asks.
“Famished,” I respond, placing my laptop down. “The girls asleep already?”
“Yes, it was a long day for them.”
Charlie places a plate in front of me, working silently with what appears to be an occupied mind. Something is of concern, her smile strained as she places a spoon in front of me only to realize it should’ve been a fork.
“Is something wrong?”
Her gaze lifts to meet mine. Behind her eyes, I see a sign of distress and know something isn’t right.
“Um… it’s nothing.”
“Okay…”
I dig my fork into my lasagna, and as I raise it toward my mouth, Charlie accidentally drops her cell on the ground. “Shit,” she cusses in frustration.
“Right,” I state, placing my fork back on the plate. “Sit down and talk.”
Letting out a sigh, Charlie sits at the table directly opposite me. Her stomach has grown, making it difficult for her to sit too close to the table. I pray to the Lord above it has nothing to do with the baby she’s carrying.
“Noah, have you spoken to Kate?”
I shake my head. “Not since… I can’t remember our conversation. Why?”
“There was a black-tie event last tonight. And, um… Kate and Lex attended.”
“That’s nice,” I say, waiting for something newsworthy. “And you’re worried because?”
“Dominic was there.”
The name hits me like a thousand knives. I loathe the guy, and with that, anger begins to swirl inside of me. The thought of him being there, and most likely brainwashing Kate with his anti-commitment talk, will make her question her worth. And fuck him for even doing that to her.
“I fucking hate that guy,” I mutter, crossing my arms.
“You’re not alone,” Charlie agrees, rubbing her face. “We got into a small argument. I didn’t think she should go. And now I haven’t heard from her since yesterday.”
“So, you had a disagreement. Don’t you women have them a fair bit?”
“Yes, no.” Charlie purses her lips. “Kate and I don’t. I just have this gut feeling, Noah. Something isn’t right, and I’m worried she’s not okay.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.” I pull my cell out of my pocket. “She’s probably busy.”
I dial her number. It rings out straight to voicemail. Her pompous British accent relays the message making me smile. I try again, but nothing. Her phone never rings out. It’s practically glued to her hand. Quickly typing, I send a text telling her to call me.
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Charlie admits. “She’s busy… with him… in his club. And this is exactly why I didn’t want her around him, especially after the pregnancy scare. No good will come of this. Some people are just assholes, and he fits the bill to a T.”
Charlie mentioning the whole ‘sex club’ thing only makes my blood boil. The looming headache comes crashing in full force, causing me to wince as I try to ignore it to no avail. Rubbing my temples, I do my best to alleviate the pressure.
“I’m sure she’s just processing,” I lower my voice, not even convinced myself. “You know her and her processing phase.”
Charlie nods, her tired eyes lingering in thought. “You’re right. I need to sleep.”
“I’ll clean up,” I offer. “Go rest, Charlie, I’m sure by morning, she will have texted one of us back.”
With a good night, Charlie leaves the kitchen. It’s only just after eight, but Charlie rarely stays awake past this time, knowing the girls wake up early. That and her pregnancy wears her out. I worry about her being so tired, but Lex assures me this is normal for pregnancy, hence why he does his best to help out as much as he can and be in town, except for the last two days, of course.
Moving toward the cupboard, I grab some Advil to rid myself of this headache once and for all, then gulp plenty water along with it. My appetite has disappeared, and so I clean up the kitchen and put the remains away.
