Page 21 of One Short Summer

“What are you smiling about?” Charlie’s voice sounds different, a little higher, making me look up from where I was staring off into the sky that is slowly getting brighter.

My hand goes up to my face, feeling my lifted cheeks. I didn’t even realize I was smiling until Charlie pointed it out. How odd. “Nothing really, I didn’t even notice. I was just thinking about Gabe and how grateful I am that he’s been such a big help. I needed him to keep pushing me the way he did. Now, I feel like I totally missed out on the last few months of my life, like it just passed by right in front of my eyes while I was stuck in some sort of fog.”

Charlie blows some hair out of her face before staring at me with a frown contorting her beautiful features. “I’m very happy, over the moon thrilled for you. I’ve tried to get through to you for a while, but it seems like only our dear majesty Gabe can get through to you these days.”

I’m shocked for a moment, processing what she just said. Had she really tried talking to me about it all? I have a hard time recalling her saying anything like that to me, but I have to admit the last few months almost seem like a blur.

My thoughts go back to the clear memory of Gabe calling me out in his living room, and I feel a little guilty for not listening to Charlie before. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I think, for a while there, I was too stuck in my own misery to listen to anyone. Something Gabe did or said finally got through to me. Maybe it’s Charming’s personality. He can be pretty demanding.”

She stops mid-knead, fully turning to the laptop screen. “You’re calling him Charming again?”

My eyes flicker from one of her eyes to the other, back and forth, unsure of what to make of this question. “Mmm, yes? I’ve always called him that, C. You know that.”

“I know you called him that at the beginning, but you haven’t called him that in months, since you got into your funk.” She studies me and my reaction for a moment before her eyes go wide. “Does that mean you’re back to flirting with him too? That seemed to go hand in hand last year.”

Another thing I don’t know how to respond to. I haven’t outright flirted with him. Well, except for that minor exchange after his run, if you can call that flirting. All I know is that the urge to do a whole lot more than that has definitely returned.

As for my answer, I decide that caution might be best. “Would that be a bad thing?”

She thinks for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t know, Mo. You’re my best friend and I obviously love you. But this is Hudson’s brother we’re talking about, and you told me you’re planning on leaving again. Didn’t you say you’ll have a job with your dance team when you’re ready, even if it’s just a job behind the scenes?”

I nod, not trusting my voice right now.

Of course, she’s right. My manager did tell me the doors are always open for me, that they’d have a job for me, no matter what. But all it ever did was push the possibility of not dancing to the forefront of my brain, twisting that knife in my heart a little deeper. Just the thought of working behind the scenes, watching my colleagues dance their heart out onstage, makes me nauseous.

On the other side, it might be better than nothing? I haven’t decided yet.

Charlie wipes her fingers off on her apron and crosses her arms across her chest. “I just don’t want things to be awkward in the future if something happened between you two. I mean, you’ll come back to visit, there’s no avoiding each other. He’s a part of my family.”

Her fingers go up to her face but pause midair. I’m sure she was going to rub her temples—something Charlie does when she’s stressed—but she stops right before touching her skin, probably remembering her dirty hands. “In the end, it’s your decision, of course. You guys are both adults. I just want you to think of the consequences, that’s all. Even though I do have to say I’m also a little thrilled you’re even entertaining the possibility. That’s a huge step into the right direction in my book.”

“There’s nothing wrong with flirting though, right?” I’m not sure why it comes out as a question. I don’t want it to be a question, but I’m talking to Charlie, and as much as I hate to admit it, she does have a point. The last thing I need is to make things awkward between all of us by starting something that won’t end well, a fear I’ve had myself. On the other hand, he does make it seem awfully worth it. “I promise I will not chain him to the bed and have my way with him before I disappear, okay?”

I knew the eyeroll would come before it did, but then Charlie chuckles. “Whatever, Mo. I know there’s something between you two, and you guys would make an adorable couple. Maybe I’d say go for it if I knew there could be a happy ending for—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence. You know I don’t do relationships. I’ve never wanted to, tried it anyway, and got burned even worse than I thought. I’m clearly not meant to be with anyone, so I’m better off by myself.”

Charlie’s frown is back, front and center. “Do you really still believe that?”

“I do.”

She sighs, something she’s been doing a lot during our conversations. “I wholeheartedly disagree with you on that, but you’re too stubborn to accept the fact that you might be wrong about this. Gabe is such a good guy, and I love you both. Just think things through before you do anything. That’s all I’m gonna say about this.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I salute her, and despite the slightly depressing mood this relationship talk just pulled us into, we both have to grin. Keeping this topic casual in any way is my best and only way to move forward. “You really can’t blame me though. You know more than anyone else how delicious those Mitchell men are.”

Just when Charlie opens her mouth, the back door of the house swings open, and I raise my index finger to my lips to keep her quiet.

Gabe walks out of the house, balancing two big plates in his hands.

Without a word, he puts one in front of me, the delicious smell of food wafting its way into my nose as I stare at the pile of cheesy scrambled eggs, topped with sour cream and avocado. One of Gabe’s favorite breakfasts that quickly became one of my go-to staples too after he introduced me to it.

My heart does a little flip but I thoroughly ignore it.

When he sees who’s on the screen, he doesn’t hesitate and takes a seat next to me. “Hey, Charlie.”

This guy.

I’m immediately distracted by his thigh pressing tightly against mine. Even though I have a blanket wrapped around my body, I still feel his body heat, warming me up in places that have been ignored for too long.

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