Page 92 of The Charm of You

Addie responds with several bloody knife emojis, and immediately, it’s clear the unknown number is Owen.

I tap to call Addie to check in and see if there’s anything specific I can get for her, like aspirin or a shot of tequila. But she doesn’t answer, and I don’t imagine that’s a good sign.

I hurry to the store, anxious to get to her and lend a hand, and once I’m back in my car with the items she asked for, another message comes through. This is a private one.

AUSTIN

I had other plans in mind for you tonight, but I guess spending a couple of hours for a mutual friend in need is the philanthropic thing to do, wouldn’t you agree? You are the expert, after all.

It’ll definitely give you a chance to show your soft side.

You’re horribly mistaken if you think I have a soft side.

I bet I can pull it out of you. I’ve been told I’m quite charming and convincing.

Pushy is the word you’re looking for.

Semantics.

And how do you suppose you’ll PUSH this supposed soft side out?

You’ll see…

chapter

twenty-nine

AUSTIN

The only reason I survived two hours of nasally teens whining about splinters was Caroline. It’s thanks, in particular, to the charcoal dress she wore. It clung to her curves in all the right places, and the shoes on her feet were sexy as hell.

At first, I believed the impractical shoes she tends to wear were ridiculous, but she’s converting me to the dark side of loving them simply because they make her legs look so long and slender.

Caroline was right about my damn soft side too.

I stapled chicken wire to the trailer in order to ensure the freshmen finished their float by Addie’s deadline. She threatened to ban them from the homecoming dance on Saturday unless they completed it.

And I actually felt bad for them. I don’t personally care about trivial things like awkward school dances, but it seemed important to them. So I sucked it up and helped like a chump.

Caroline seemed to like that side of me too. It felt like she rewarded my good behavior by bending over time and time again in that tight dress, and all I could think about was spanking the good out of the princess.

I’ve never felt such an inclination before her.

She’s turning my world upside down.

Once all was said and done, she texted me to meet her at our spot. That was the word she chose—our.

And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cause a stir in my chest.

I didn’t even have to ask her what she meant, since I knew right away.

Each bump and dip in the uneven path jostles me from side to side until I pull up to our spot and cut the engine on my truck.

With the help of my headlights, I find Caroline seated on the edge of the bridge, her arms crossed over the thick wooden railing.

Her feet dangle off the side and effortlessly sway like a leaf in the breeze.

How often does she get to sit in solitude like this? From what she’s said, New York City doesn’t lend her too many peaceful moments.

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