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“If she stayed, it would’ve been horrible,” Charlie said, rocking him in her arms. “Can you imagine what kind of mother she’d be? You’re better off, Rick. This was a better turnout. You don’t need someone like her. Despite your hardships, you came out on top. You’re kind, capable, handsome, and the sexiest, most successful person I know.”
He tried to pull a smile at her words, but the effort was lost. “I guess it turned out okay. I would’ve ended up like… your brother.”
“Exactly.” She stuck out her tongue and shuddered. “Gross. That’s never attractive.”
They swayed together in the middle of the living room. Charlie’s warm body pressed up against him while her soothing voice helped ease the inner flames.
“I wouldn’t have met you, well, I sure wouldn’t have fallen in love with you as hard as I did,” she said. “The men in my world were dull, pea-brained Ken dolls made to follow like a drone. When I met you, all the frills and grump, the disgruntled, sexy scowl only made me more interested.”
He lifted a brow at her. “You are attracted to my grumpiness?”
“Don’t put it that way.” She giggled. “You have a flare. Substance. Something was always bothering you, which means you care a lot.”
He hadn’t thought about it that way, finding it ironic.
“And youarecaring. No matter how hard you try to hide it, you carry your troubles all in your big, strong heart. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She reached up to rain kisses on his neck. “Let’s forget about her, my love. We shouldn’t waste our breath on people who don’t matter.”
He put out a heavy sigh in unspoken agreement. She stepped into his arms and wrapped him in a big hug.
“Thank you for sharing, Rick. It makes me so happy that you feel comfortable with me to say all that,” she whispered.
His arms managed to snake around her back through the emotional twister. Having her next to him helped tremendously. He couldn’t remember a time he felt validated, but he also never spoke to anyone about his feelings. Not to the school counselor, not to his dad. Not to any of his friends, and certainly none of his previous girlfriends.
Closing his eyes, he let the quiet in the room wipe his mind into a blank slate. His heartbeat returned to normal, and the only sensations he accepted were Charlie’s scent, her warm skin, and her voice as she hummed.
They eventually moved to sit down on the floor, Rick’s leg spread straight as Charlie sat on his lap. As she caressed his cheek, he looked at her for the first time since he stepped into thehouse.
He didn’t know the time, but she was already in her sleepwear. A pink silk robe over cozy lingerie that was both adorable and made his blood run hot. Her face was freshly washed, and she looked like… home. Like her presence once he came back was an expectation. To have her where he wanted her, day in and day out, sounded like a goal he’d like to achieve.
“I’m sorry for not answering the phone,” he apologized, running a hand through his hair. “Wasn’t watching the time. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
She nodded. “I understand.” As her fingers walked along the bare skin of his chest, exposed by the first two unhooked buttons of his shirt, she stared him in the eyes. “But I would like to know why you were at my mother’s. Were you trying to talk to her?”
Rick’s expression turned dry, sensing a flush of chagrin over the day’s disrupted event. “Yeah. I told you. I can’t wait around and let you deal with this on your own.”
“And I told you, I’ve got it handled.” Her face turned stern. “I spoke with Aera, and we came up with a plan. You don’t need to bother with reasoning with my mother. We don’t need her.”
“Oh? What’s your plan?”
Her eyes lowered to his chest, appearing wistful. “I’m going to get a loan from my father. That way, I could get the funds without going through an actual loan company. We’ll write out a contact of when and how I’ll pay him back. This way, I won’t feel as guilty as if it was a free ride.”
“I’m glad there’s a solution for that,” he said. “But I’m also worried about your emotional state with this animosity between you and your mother. This can’t be easy on you.”
“It’s not.” Now it was her turn to sound somber. “But it is what it is now. I will not speak to her again. Rick, today she had her lawyer send me an email of her altered will. She’s officially disinheriting me.”
Flabbergasted, his only way of response was blinking mutedly. It boggled his mind hearing about the lengths people would gothrough to prove their point. Was it worth it to hurt the ones they claim to love to vindicate themselves?
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her head and hating that Charlie was going through this.
“It’s over. The relationship can’t be fixed at this point. In fact, I don’t even know her anymore,” she said. “I’ve had images of this woman who fed me, sheltered me, gave me a path to walk on, was my loving mother. Sure, I spent most of my time with the nannies, butmomwas there to make sure everything was in place. She was supposed to be the person I go to for support, who was supposed to stick by me even if she didn’t agree with my choices. But that woman was never there. I was only living with a guardian, not a mother.”
“Do you think we’ll ever get over our mommy issues?” Rick asked, saddened.
That pulled a small laugh from her. “Maybe, but it’s a long process. We need space right now. Let’s live the way we want and tell the rest to fuck off.”
He smiled, loving the way her eyes glinted under the dimmed lighting. “It turns me on when you swear.”
“Really?” She raised her brow bone suggestively.
