Page 144 of Always You

But hewasn't.

“It’s been a week. He just left you hanging after you called him God knows how many times?”

I shrug my shoulders, my face filled with fury. After the funeral, I cried for days, not letting any other emotion in than grief. I didn’t eat, didn’t shower. Suddenly, there was no more reason to get out of bed. But in the last twenty-four hours, my grief has been replaced by anger. Straight up burning flames of fury that are directed toward Hunter Hansen.

“Did you text him? Saying what happened?” she asks carefully.

“No!” I bark, lifting a reprimanding finger in the air. “And neither will you! If that asshole doesn’t think I’m important enough, he doesn’t need to know shit.” I don’t expect him to be at my beck and call whenever I want. I know he has his own life. But up until now, I truly thought we were still friends. That I could still call him and he’d at least listen to me, no matter how random or silly it might seem. I shouldn’t have to tell him my mother died over a text message. No, he should pick up the goddamn phone. Surely calling him ten times in a row screams important, right?

“Okay. Okay.” She throws her hands up in the air in surrender before moving forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she locks her gaze on mine.

“But you gotta end this, Charlie. He’s killing you inside. You can’t be friends if it’s going to keep hurting you like this. He’snotyour friend. You gotta stop trying.”

I ball my fist, wanting to punch something, knowing she’s right.

Fuck this shit and fuck him.

“I know.” I pause, but finally breaking that invisible chord in my head. “And I will.”

59

We’re watching a movie on a Wednesday night, when Jason gasp next to me, glancing at his phone. “What the fuck?”

“What?” I ask.

His eyes grow wide, an amused grin on his face, and I give him a bored look, assuming he’s gushing over some chick again.

“Charlotte is here.”

“What?” I repeat while my heart feels like it’s jumping out of my chest, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

“She’s standing in front of the gate, demanding I send you out.”

“How does she even know I’m here?”

“Lucky guess?”

I rub my hand over my face in confusion, wondering if I missed something, then look at my friend quietly as I get up to walk out the door. Wearing nothing but sweats, I punch the code of the security system to open up the gate door, then walk out on my bare feet.

The white concrete feels cold underneath my skin, while the sun is about to set between the hills in front of me. A smile splits my face when I watch that dark blonde wavy hair walk through the gate, a taxi still parked in front.

“Well, this is a surprise.” I walk toward her, my arms wide, ready to pull her into a hug until I notice the scowl on her prettyface. My gaze roams over her entire body, slowly registering the cloud of thunder she’s approaching me with. She’s wearing a pink sweat suit, with bags underneath her eyes that furrow my brows with worry, and when I can take a closer look, her hair seems messier than I’ve ever seen it before.She looks exhausted.

“Are you okay, Charls?”

“My mother died,” she blurts, her clear-water eyes shooting daggers at me with an ice-cold expression.What?

A tightness forms in my chest instantly, nausea piling up in my stomach as my eyes grow wide. That's not possible. She was doing better. I would’ve known if she was sick again. Charlotte would’ve told me.

“What? When? I thought the treatment was going well.” My voice cracks as I bite my lip, not understanding what’s going on. Hoping this is a joke, a mistake, or whatever it could be to make it not true. Because there is no way. There is no way I missed this. But guilt also scrawls up my spine, knowing I haven’t been there for her lately.

“It was,” she sneers. “She was going to fully recover. Was finally strong enough to enjoy life again.”

I swallow hard; the blood rushing from my face, softly shaking my head.

“I don’t understand.”

She gives me a false smile, and my heart breaks, witnessing the hurt in her eyes as they well up. They are lethal to me, effectively killing me from the inside out.

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