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She reached the living area where Eve was settling on one side of a cream-coloured loveseat. There were other chairs, including an ottoman, but Charlie chose none of them. Instead, she sat down so close to Eve, their knees touched.
A simple smile from Eve set Charlie’s belly ablaze and she searched around for something to distract herself with. Her gaze landed on a large painting of a green forest that took up most of the opposing wall.
“That’s a lovely painting,” she remarked, like she knew anything or cared about art.
“Thank you. It’s an original Clarissa Foster. When I bought it, she said it was an interpretation of the woods around Bearton that she spent most of her childhood in. The piece is called ‘nostalgia’,” Eve replied with practised ease, as if many people had had this question.
“You know what, I see it.” Charlie stared a little longer at the wealth of green tones and the dark trees. Strangely enough, it did make her think of running through the woods in her bear form. She could practically hear the rustle of the leaves and the groaning of the trees in the wind.
It certainly made her yearn for another shift, something she firmly attributed to the painting and not the alluring woman next to her.
Eve’s eyes sparkled. “I didn’t know you liked art.”
Nervously, Charlie ate a singular crisp and pushed the urge to shift away. “I don’t really, if I’m honest. I find art a bit confusing and vague.”
“Aren’t cars art?”
“That’s different. Cars are cars. They’re powerful and complex and logical at the same time. It’s as close I can get to freedom without shifting,” Charlie said, surprising herself by her honesty. She didn’t usually share these things about herself but something about Eve made it easy.
“You sound like my brother and dad,” Eve replied, her voice holding a lot of affection.
The image of Jack’s disappointed face appeared in Charlie’s mind and guilt forced her to lean as far back as the loveseat allowed. “Talking about your brother and dad… I don’t think they’d be too pleased about this. Us.”
Curiosity sparked in Eve’s grey eyes. “No? Why wouldn’t they? They adore you.”
“Yeah, but… Like… It’s complicated, isn’t it?” Charlie desperately searched for a gentle way to explain the situation with Jack without revealing his frustrations with his sister. The last thing she wanted was to breach that confidentiality or hurt Eve.
Eve leaned her head on her hand. “What’s complicated?”
“Just that, umm… This is just very, very new so it might not even last and other people’s opinions can influence things,” Charlie stammered. “And I mean, their opinion matters, doesn’t it?”
“You’re right,” Eve replied with a nod.
Relief lightened Charlie’s chest. “I am?”
“Yes. We should keep this between us until we’re more certain where this is going.” Eve ate a crisp too, the crunch filling the silence.
That wasn’t what Charlie meant at all but she didn’t know how else to get her point across without outright rejecting Eve. If she was honest with herself, that wasn’t really what she wanted. It was what she ought to do, if she was a good friend, but any thoughts of Jack had already faded from her head.
She allowed herself to relax in the loveseat and nodded. “I think keeping it a secret is for the best.”
“Great. I love secrets.” Eve’s mischievous grin suggested she really meant it. She held up her glass of juice. “To making a lot of secrets together.”
Charlie gulped as any rational thoughts fled her mind. Whether this was right or not, she was too invested to back out now. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy herself without thinking about Jack, her boss, or any consequences that this dalliance might lead to.
Yes, the best course of action was to keep Eve and Jack as separated as possible.
Twelve
Eve
* * *
As the weeks passed, Eve realised a permanent smile had made itself home on her lips. She could see it whenever she saw herself in the mirror, passed a clean window, or took selfies for her private folder. While it was tempting to share her excitement with the world, she wasn't about to break Charlie's trust. Even if it meant lying to her family.
"Evie, can you pass the peas?" her dad said.
Eve handed the dish across the table while she made sure to keep her expression neutral and her thoughts off of Charlie. "There you go. Dinner is really tasty, by the way. Your cooking has improved.”
