Page 45 of Charlotte

Charli set her popcorn and drink on the table next to her chair, then settled into it, drawing the blanket she kept there over her legs. She picked up her tablet to read, wanting to be lost in a world that wasn’t her own. But instead, she just stared at its dark screen.

She had no idea if Janessa was right about Blake’s interest in her, but even just the thought of it had her stomach in knots. There was a far bigger part of her than she was comfortable with that was excited at the idea of Blake wanting to be with her again.

Even though she hadn’t dated anyone seriously since breaking up with Blake, it hadn’t been because she was pining for him or worried that another man might hurt her like he had. It had just been her resolving to be more careful about relationships after feeling like she’d misjudged things with Blake.

Also, she’d been focused on her career and being a single mom. And to top it all off, she just hadn’t met a man she’d felt was worth exposing Layla to.

But now, she wasn’t sure any of that was the whole truth. All it had taken was Blake’s reappearance in her life for her to question all of it.

The biggest question, however, was what she’d do if Blake was, in fact, interested in her and in rekindling what they’d once had. It was a complicated question that she wasn’t sure she had any sort of answer to.

Unfortunately, it felt like it was important enough that she had to give it some thought and consideration. If for no other reason than she didn’t want to be caught off-guard, should what Janessa suspected be true.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Blake had a hard time believing that he and Amelia had been back in Serenity for almost two months. They were in the middle of October, and fall was in full swing in the area. It was a beautiful time of year, though he wasn’t sure if he was ready for winter to arrive.

“Are we going to pizza night?” Amelia asked from the back seat of the truck.

He glanced into the mirror to find her watching him with an eager expression. Honestly, he’d been thinking of skipping it, mainly because he was pretty sure that Charli would prefer he not be there.

It wasn’t his desire to make her uncomfortable, but it was hard to know how Charli truly felt about the situation. She hadn’t said she didn’t want him around, but she also kept her distance from him.

There hadn’t been a pizza night every Friday since that first one, though he—and he was sure Amelia—would have loved it if there had been. Charli, however, was probably relieved that they hadn’t been around more.

He’d hoped that Charli would come around to acknowledging his presence in her life, and maybe even accept his apology. But neither of those things had happened, and he had finally accepted that they probably wouldn’t.

If he’d just been meeting her, he might have asked her out on a date. Just like when they’d met the first time thirteen years ago, there was something about her that drew him in. They’d had a year together, and that draw hadn’t lessened over that time.

“Do you want to go?” he asked.

It was a dumb question. He already knew the answer.

“Yep. Peyton said he’d be there, and, of course, Layla lives there. She’s got a really cool room.”

“Better than your room?”

“No, I like my room.”

He was glad to hear that, as he’d made sure she liked everything they’d bought for her. It was the one room in their apartment that actually had some personality and wasn’t just set up with practicality and comfort in mind.

For the first time in his life, he was making a home for someone. He’d never focused much on that in the places he’d lived in over the years. All he’d cared about was a comfortable bed, a comfortable chair in the living room, and a large screen TV. A strictly practical approach, but it had been good enough for him.

That was still true about the majority of their apartment in Serenity. His mom would have a heart attack if she saw it.

Because the family business was designing and selling furniture, their family home had always been a showcase. Even as a teen, his room had been immaculately decorated with nothing that reflected his own personality. There had definitely been no posters of his favorite cars on the wall.

When he’d come to visit Serenity, he’d been jealous of Jackson because his room truly reflected who he was. The only thing his aunt had asked was that Jackson keep it relatively clean.

Everything had been so much more relaxed at Jackson’s family’s home. And that was the environment Blake wanted to provide for Amelia. Which was why he’d let her have a say in everything they’d purchased for her room. The only thing he’d decided on was the mattress for her bed.

Another of his goals since coming to Serenity had been to provide Amelia with opportunities to be around people who would treat her with care. And he knew without a doubt that was the case whenever they were with the Halversons. So they’d go, and he’d hope that his decision wouldn’t give Charli more reason to hate him.

“I guess we’ll go.”

“Yay!” Amelia cheered. “Peyton said that there’s a basketball game tonight. Can we go to that, too?”

Jay had also mentioned the game to him. When he’d first talked about it, Blake hadn’t been sure about going. But then the man had revealed that he was the coach for the Serenity high school team, so supporting him seemed to be a good reason to go.

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