AllFreeNovel
Share Us
True, but I didn’t want to be faced with the possibility that I’d ruined a friendship. If they had a falling out, I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. Dread settled in my gut and I grabbed Jamie’s hand when he moved toward the door. I couldn’t find the words but I was sure that he saw how apologetic I was in my pleading eyes.
“It’ll be okay, Charlotte… one way or another.” He then pulled away and went to let Lincoln in while I stayed rooted to the balcony.
When Jamie opened the door, Lincoln brushed past him, threading his fingers through his hair. “Jamie, I just made a fucking fool of myself, so bring on the liquor in droves. I’m such an idiot,” he hissed.
Jamie didn’t say anything.
Lincoln continued, “I talked with Charlotte, and?—”
“Lincoln,” Jamie began. “Stop. I know…”
Lincoln’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you know?”
Taking a deep breath, I stepped back inside because I didn’t want to stand in the shadows like a coward while they talked about me.
Lincoln did a double take at me and then he turned to Jamie.
“What the…? Charlotte…? What are you doing…?” he sputtered and then stopped. I could practically see him doing the math in his head. Finding me in Jamie’s bedroom at this hour—or even at all—said it all, I suppose.
Lincoln rounded on Jamie and snarled. “Motherfu?—”
“Lincoln, this isn't…” My words trailed off when he looked at me. I swallowed hard because the disbelief and hurt on his face made guilt clog my throat.
“Are you two… a thing?” he asked.
An awkward silence fell over the room like a suffocating blanket. I glanced at Jamie with bewilderment. What exactly were we?
As Jamie opened his mouth to reply to break the silence, Lincoln said, “So you’re the reason why she kicked me to the curb.” He glared daggers at his friend.
Jamie’s scowl was just as fierce. “So you’re just going to disregard everything she told you? Her primary reason for turning you down. It was never something she wanted, Lincoln.”
“How the hell do you know what Charlotte and I talked about?” Lincoln glanced at me with accusation, and I averted my gaze. “You two are unbelievable. What is this, Jamie? Did you get a kick out of stealing the woman I had my eyes on from right under my nose?”
“It was never like that, Lincoln,” Jamie denied.
The longer I listened, the less guilt I felt and the more pissed off I got. “Hold it right there.” I stepped forward and both men looked at me. “First, you two aren’t going to talk about me as if I’m not standing right here.”
Jamie blew out a breath and Lincoln’s jaw clenched. “Lincoln, I understand that you’re hurt and angry but you're turning this into something it isn’t.”
“Well then, Charlotte, tell me, what exactly is it?” His full attention was on me and he had his arms folded over his chest while his eyes drilled into me.
Jamie angled himself between us and gave his friend a seething look. “This is between you and me now, Lincoln. If you want to direct your anger at someone, it should be me.”
“It’s okay, Jamie. I’ll say what I have to say.” I scowled at Lincoln. I’d never been one to back down from anything and he knew that. “Lincoln, I didn’t cheat on you with your friend so stop acting like it. We broke up years ago, and I didn’t expect you to want to rekindle our romance.”
“So you didn’t get the hint during our messages and phone calls?”
“No!” I threw my arms up. “What hint? You said you wanted to come to Pacific Paradise to unwind and to see an old friend. How the hell was I supposed to decipher that you wanted to get back together from that?”
He dropped his hands and nodded. “Okay… I see I should have been direct from the beginning.”
My indignation melted away too. “That would have helped, and I’m sorry that I avoided you when I realized what you wanted. I should have womaned up and told you I wasn’t interested.”
The slightest hint of pink tinged his cheeks and his gaze slid away from me. I was sure women didn’t turn him down often.
“Maybe I messed up,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean Jamie isn’t a complete asshole for going after my ex.” He shot Jamie a pointed look. “You knew about my past with her and you still went after her.”
Jamie’s deep sigh resonated with remorse. “When I first saw her and felt something…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t know who she was, I swear.” He addressed Lincoln but he looked at me and I held his gaze, my heart turning into a puddle.
