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Nausea rises in my throat as I swallow it back down. I don’t need a fucking recap. I was there. A sickening feeling takes over as I remember watching my two sisters enter the courtroom. I shake my head to rid myself of the memory of seeing the pain behind their eyes.
A hand appears, fingers wrapping themselves around my drink as she pries the glass from my grip.
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Her blood red lips touch the glass right where mine were just moments ago. I watch her throat work as it takes a sip of the amber liquid down.
Her cute little pert nose wiggles, her lips purse as she pulls the glass away. She tries to not make a face of disgust, but she fails miserably. She swallows it all. I’ll give her that, but I bet a million bucks she hates it. My theory is confirmed with her next words.
“Ugh, how do you drink that? It’s horrible.” She reaches for a water I ordered with no intention of actually drinking it. I find bartenders are less judgy if you order a water with your six bourbons.
I actually chuckle. It feels good to. A little tension eases from my chest. The sound causes her eyes to land on mine.
“You laughing at me, Andrew Shaw?”
“What if I am, Charlotte Reed?”
Shock colors her pretty face. She’s surprised I know her full name, but what she doesn’t know is that I know way more than just that. More than I should. I’ve been unable to get this woman out of my head. I’ve spent the better part of six months fantasizing and obsessing over the one woman who’s off limits.
Our eyes snare each other, captivated, and held in a single heavy moment.
“My, my…you sure are full of mysteries, Andrew,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. I hardly hear it over the din of the bar, but she doesn’t say it like it turns her off. She says it like it’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to her, like she can’t wait to unravel me.
What she doesn’t know is my secrets are too dark, too buried, and I’m too broken to ever be unraveled. I’m unwilling to taint her with everything lurking in the darkness of my life. Never her.
Clearing my throat, I take back my glass and down the rest of it in one swift swallow.
“So, it’s that kind of night, huh?” she asks with her eyebrow half raised. It’s a look I can’t decipher on her beautiful face.
“You were there today. This shit is too much.” I shake my head in frustration. “I wish Adalyn and Andrea didn’t have to suffer through this trial.” It’s just one more way I failed them.
She spins on her stool so she’s facing my side profile. I feel her piercing green eyes boring into the side of my face. “They are stronger than you give them credit for. Have some faith. They can handle this.”
I scoff, my biceps bulging under my button-up shirt. I didn’t change after the courthouse. I just came here, ordered a drink, and I’ve been here ever since.
“What? You don’t think they are?” Her expression turns incredulous.
I turn my eyes toward her. “Of course, I think they’re strong enough, but that doesn’t mean I want them to endure this bullshit. We all know he’s guilty. The man deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life.”
“You of all people know how the system works. This is the only way to ensure he does. No one on that fucking jury will say he’s innocent.”
I know she’s right, but that doesn’t mean I like it. This is the one time in my life where I wished I could bypass the whole process and take care of it myself. That’s what I should have done a long, long time ago, but Charlie can’t know that. Nobody can.
Charlie sighs. “I went by to check on them before coming here.”
“How were they?”
“She’s okay. She can handle this. So can Addy. They both just need time and our support. They didn’t want to come out. Both said they just wanted to stay in the hotel tonight. I can’t blame them.”
I nod, knowing I owe them so much more than that. I feel guilty that I haven’t checked on them myself. I reach in my pocket and pull out my phone. I start to type out a text, then delete it. It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough. Sighing, I shove it back in my pocket without saying anything. Another fucking thing to feel guilty over later.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?”
I turn my head toward Charlie, taking in her delicate features. Her expression is a stark contrast from that fiery personality I’ve come to crave.
I ignore her question, finally getting the attention of the bartender. He heads over. “Another one?” he asks as his eyes rake over Charlie.
His inspection of her makes my blood boil. I don’t like how he looks at her, but she seems to soak up the attention, leaning further onto the bar so her tits pop out more.
“She’s with me.” My tone leaves no room for argument. “She’ll start with a shot of your top shelf Tequilia. Keep them coming.” My tone effectively dismisses him.
