Page 78 of The Charlie Method

“Because I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

“I expected you to be more judgmental. Most people would be.”

“Screw most people. Whose opinions do you value? Truly value?” He winks. “Mine, obviously, since you drove all the way here for this chat. But who else do you care about?”

“My best friend at Delta Pi. Faith.”

“Would she ever judge you?”

“Never.”

“Then who cares? The people who matter won’t judge you, so stop judging yourself.”

My family will judge me, and they matter.

I swallow the words, along with the lump of embarrassment that lodges in my throat. The idea of my parents finding out about my weird fantasies—

But why would they ever find out?another part of me argues.

True. I’ve never spoken to my parents and siblings about my sex life. So unless one of the tiny minority of people who’ll know about this decides to tell my family, it’s unlikely they’ll ever find out.

“You know what? I’m doing it,” I declare.

I’m so firm in my conviction, I feel a surge of adrenaline from it. I chug the rest of my Power Monster, then crush the can and throw it into the trash, causing Dante to raise his eyebrows.

“You drank that way too fast,” he warns.

“Yeah. That’s why we’re going go-karting now.”

He grins. “Let’s do it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

WILL

All you have to do is ask

CHARLIE:

One drink. Tonight.

She follows up that message with a time and a place, bringing a smile to my lips. It’s Thursday, and I’m sprawled on a bench in the lobby of the environmental sciences building, waiting for Beckett so we can ride home together. Since his class lets out only forty minutes after mine, it’s no sweat to wait for him. Evidently, he’s not paying attention to said class, because his name pops up on my phone.

BECK:

Charlie’s in.

ME:

I just saw.

BECK:

I guess we’re going to Boston tonight…?

He leaves the question hanging. It seems a little ridiculous to drive more than an hour into the city proper and then another thirty minutes to the suburbs. She picked the most out-of-the-way bar humanly possible. But if Charlie is willing to make the trek just to scope us out, then I suppose we can too.

When we get home an hour later, I kick off my shoes and head for the kitchen. We don’t have to leave for a few hours, so I have plenty of time to cook dinner.

---