Page 41 of Mr. Charming

They’ve really welcomed Tedi into their friend group. It was probably a mistake to ask them to come out tonight. I should have kept Tedi away from my friends. Did I learn nothing in Florida?

“I have to use the restroom.” Decker gets up, wobbling for a second before he straightens.

“Want me to take you?” Tedi asks. “Jeez, how much have you had?”

“Why don’t you ask the bartender who’s been feeding me drinks all night for whatever reason?”

“It’s okay to possibly offend people and say no, Decker.” Tedi rises from her chair, but he puts his hand in the air.

“I’m good.”

She sits back down, and we all watch Decker leave.

Eloise gives Conor a look, then he’s sliding his chair out from the table. “I’m beat. See you tomorrow. Tedi, it was nice spending time with the one who…” Eloise cuts him a look. “You. It was nice spending time with you.”

Eloise whispers something in Tedi’s ear, and Tedi waves off whatever she said. “I’ve got to get Decker home. I think he’s had too much anyway.”

Conor nods at Tedi before he and Eloise leave the room, shutting the door behind them.

Now, it’s just the two of us. I either do this now or never.

I swallow hard. “I’m sorry for my comment I made at the restaurant.”

She meets my gaze, and I see the tension lining her body. “Nothing you said was untrue. Fucking a baseball player was on my list.”

I pick up the last lonely shot on the table and down it. “I assume you can get him home?” I stand and grab my coat.

“I’ll be fine.”

I nod and push through the chairs toward the door. My hand clenches around the metal doorknob.

Just leave. There’s nothing else you need to say. This is for the best. The more she hates you, the easier this will all be.

“Thank you,” she says so quietly that I wouldn’t even hear her if other people were in the room. “I’m sorry too.”

I turn around and our gazes meet. How did we ever get here?

“I don’t want this,” I admit, waving a finger between us.

“Me either, but…”

I nod because she doesn’t have to say anything else. I get it. I understand exactly what she’s thinking.

“We can do this, can’t we?” I ask.

She shrugs. “We were never just friends.”

I huff. She’s right, we never were. “Maybe that’s what we were meant to be?”

A painful expression crosses her face, and I regret my words. If I had to do it all over again, I’d change a lot of things, but never allowing myself to have her as more than a friend in my life is not one of them.

“I’ll try harder,” I say.

“Me too.”

The door opens, and I step out of the way before it hits me. Decker comes in looking white as a ghost.

“I’m leaving. Are you coming or not?” he asks Tedi.

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