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With a heavy heart, she sighed before looking him in the eyes. “Apology accepted.”
She said no more. It was all she could offer, given what he laid out in his heartfelt speech.
He was sorry, but it changed nothing. They were still the same people with differences he so elaborately highlighted. She wasn’t going to assume more than what he presented to her.
Rick didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands, moving behind his back to crossing his arms, to shoving them inside his pockets. His level of hesitance went up a notch. She could almost see the thoughts inside his head.
“If there’s nothing else…” she said.
“There is,” he immediately said, hands out of his pockets now. “I…shit, I am not good at this.”
Her breath intensified, the thrill coursing over every synapse firing in her body.What was he going to say?She wanted to shout. It couldn’t be what she thought it was. He’d been so self-assured when he rejected her.
“I want you, Charlie,” he finally said, and her heart morphed into butterflies. “I want to try something real with you, because I can’t seem to get you out of my mind for the last goddamn weeks.” He laughed, almost irritably. “It’s crazy. You’re always there. I can’t get myself to stop. I see your face everywhere. And I miss it. I miss you. I want to be next to you, and kiss you, and touch you.”
The air knocked out of her lungs at his confession. Life wasn’ta romance movie, so this was beyond reasoning. Was she hearing correctly?
“What about the things you said?” she asked, her voice so low she was whispering. She stood from her seat, heartbeat on overdrive. “About how we’re too different? That you don’t believe in love, or that a future with me isn’t going to work? What changed?”
“Me,” he said succinctly. “I did. I can’t say I don’t have doubts, but I want to try. I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re kind, sexy, and you make me crazy thinking about you. I don’t care about differences anymore. I just want you.”
“How do I know if this is real? You’ve been ignoring me since the day we were introduced, Rick. And now I know why, as insulting as it is,” she said. “I’ve always wondered why my best friend’s brother didn’t like me when I have done nothing wrong. I tried to be friendly because Alex loves you, but you never wanted to meet me halfway. You don’t want a relationship with me, platonicorromantic. I find it hard to believe any of that is different now.”
“Maybe I avoided you all those years because I didn’t want it to lead to this. I knew I wouldn’t be able to turn back if you got in. And you did get in, Charlie. You are in every one of my thoughts, my conscience. I can’t get away, and I don’t want to anymore. I wantallof you.”
Her head spun wildly, and she found it difficult to concentrate. Was Rick really standing there, saying things she only made up in her head? He wanted her forher. It didn’t sound real, but it had to be.
“I’ll be your model. For your product line, or something,” he offered hastily when she didn’t respond. “Anything. Please, Charlie. If you give me another chance, I’ll show you what you mean to me.”
It was everything she wanted to hear and so much more, and she wanted to let everything go and throw herself at him. But shewas learning that if she wanted anyone to take her seriously, if they wanted her kindness, then she should demandmore.
“I’m tired of being taken for granted,” she said, walking around her desk and stopped to lean against it. “You’re not the first, but it broke my heart that you became one of them, too. I’m so sick of being pushed around and having you all think I’ll just be ready to forgive and forget. I won’t stand for it anymore.”
“I fucked up,” he said. “And I don’t expect your forgiveness right away, but I won’t give up. Even if you don’t accept me again, I want to show you I am truly sorry.”
She nodded. “I need time, Rick.”
“Take all that you need,” he said eagerly. “But… at least let me be around you.”
The fluttering of her heart almost made her betray her emotions to him. She had to stand firm, no matter how handsome he looked and how cute he sounded begging.
“Fine, you can come tomorrow morning for the photoshoot. I’ll call our team and get you set up.”
His mouth split into a grin so wide it overpowered his face. He made a move to come to her, but stopped when he remembered to give her some distance. “Great. I’ll be here. Thank you, Charlie. You won’t regret this.”
“Rick, dear, you’re going to have to stop squinting like that. I can’t line your eyes this way,” Marnie, their senior makeup artist, directed at Rick.
Charlie watched with amusement as Rick tried to do as told, but wouldn’t stop wriggling every time Marnie got close.
Rick arrived on time to the spa dressed in his basics, and was immediately dragged into the small photo studio. They used the room to document their clients’ progress before and after using their services and products..
He was a good sport when the stylists had him change his outfit and sit still for half an hour. Once Marnie took out her tools, Rick started having reservations.
“Why do you need to line my eyes?” he asked, still squinting as if he was in pain. Marnie tried drawing on his eyelid, to no avail.
“To make it pop,” she answered, then grumbled when he moved away again.
“Feels like my eyeballs are going to popout,” he quipped, causing Charlie to smother a chuckle.
