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Startled, I jerk and nearly lose my balance on my wet feet. I thought I was here alone, but then I realize it’s Charlie’s voice. What the fuck is she doing here? She should be at the café with Andrea, working.
I jerk the bathroom door open to find her sitting on the end of the bed I was sleeping in not too long ago. Her red hair is tied in a bun on top of her head, her Second Chance Café t-shirt tight across her breasts. My eyes linger there.
Charlie clears her throat. “Eyes up here, Shaw.”
I lift my eyes to meet hers, but hers now roam over my half naked body. I’m only wearing the towel I was drying off with.
I clear my throat and raise my eyebrows at her as her eyes finally make their way back to mine.
“Eyes up here, Charlotte,” I say, poking fun at her.
The conversation we’re about to have won’t be easy for either of us. She didn’t leave work and drive here without a reason.
She stands abruptly. “We need to talk when you’re dressed. I can’t think when you look like that.” She gestures her hand up and down my half naked body. I raise my eyebrows at her, more than open to not thinking or talking right now, but she has other plans. “I’ll wait in the living room for you.”
I nod, knowing the flirting game is over. We have so much to talk about, and I don’t know if she’ll accept the size of explanation I can give her right now.
I dress quickly in jeans and an old college T-shirt, run my fingers through my damp hair, then walk into the living room barefoot. She’s standing by the front window with the sun shining through the glass, highlighting her features.
Her red hair looks brilliant in the sun. She turns to face me when she hears me walk in. I stop and admire just how beautiful she is and wait for her to speak first. It’s very unlike me, but it’s also unlike her to show up like this. She must have something she wants to say.
I make my way around the sofa to stand in front of it. She studies me, then rubs her hands on the front of her jeans.
“Look, Andrea told me to come talk to you.”
It’s clear she’s uncomfortable, and I was dead wrong about why she’s here. She didn’t come to talk to me. Andrea sent her here for me to talk to her. Well, that isn’t ideal, but I can work with it.
“We don’t have to do this. I shouldn’t have come here without calling. She insisted, but I should have refused.” She turns to walk toward the front door, but I’m standing in front of her within a few short strides.
“No, no. Don’t go, please.” My voice is barely a whisper. “I was coming to see you at the café, to talk to you. To try to explain.” I clear my throat. “I want to talk to you. I just didn’t expect you to come here. It just kind of threw me off. That’s all.”
Her shoulders sag a little in relief. She turns and walks over to the sofa. After taking a seat, she pats the cushion beside her for me to sit. “Come on. I know you aren’t shy.”
I smirk as I take a deep breath. This is it. Here we go. I take a seat beside her on the sofa and turn so I’m facing her. She follows suit, so we’re able to look at one another directly.
“I’m sorry I blew up on you like I did. You didn’t deserve it, and I’m sorry.” I rush my words out. I should have said them yesterday at the party. She deserves so much better, so much more than I can give her.
She waits a beat as she stares into my eyes, like she’s determining if she believes me or not. Or maybe if she should accept my apology or not. I’m unsure which. The moments that tick by feel like an eternity.
Finally, she says, “I accept your apology. I wasn’t trying to pry; I just wish you would trust me enough to open up to me.” Her words cut like a knife. She doesn’t know I already trust her more than anyone else in my life. More than I’ve ever trusted even my own family.
I take a chance and place my hand over hers as it rests on her lap, squeezing gently. Until now, we haven’t touched each other at all. It’s unlike any other time we’ve seen each other since the first night we spent together in Sacramento. I’m yearning to feel her, even if it’s just to hold her hand.
She doesn’t recoil. Instead, she turns her hand and laces her fingers with mine. My chest warms at her touch as my feelings for her bubble to the surface.
“I do trust you. There are just too many things in motion right now, things I can’t tell anyone, not even you.”
She releases my hand and stands. I can’t tell if she’s mad, sad, or hell, even happy. I fucking suck at this.
I stand too as I prepare to stop her if she decides to storm out. I want to tell her how I feel about her. At least, part of how I feel. I don’t think she’s ready for the whole truth. Honestly, I don’t know that I’m ready to tell it.
“Please, don’t leave. Let me try to explain,” I plead. “If you’ll just hear me out, I think maybe you’ll understand. And if not, you can leave, and I won’t try to stop you.”
Sighing heavily, she takes her seat again on the sofa, scooting back when I take mine to create distance between us. She has her arms folded protectively across her chest instead of being relaxed with her hands resting on her lap.
“I’m not keeping things from you. There are things I’m keeping from everyone. Not because I want to, but because I have to. It’s necessary for now, but Charlie, I promise as soon as I can, I’ll tell you everything.”
Frustrated again, she stands and walks back over to the window. It’s like she can’t seem to sit still.
