Page 65 of Mr. Charming

“Well… fuck, this is awkward.” Tweetie blows out a breath. “You guys don’t really know Bodhi, but when Jade came back to Chicago last year, he tried to set his dad up with her. And it worked. They’re engaged and living together.” He side-eyes me, and a floating sensation fills my stomach.

“What does this have to do with today?” Decker asks.

“What can I say? The kid looks up to me. He loves me.” He laughs at his attempt at humor. “Jeez, okay.” His shoulders slump a bit. “I guess Bodhi heard Jade and Henry talking about Tedi and me the other night and thought you were the reason we weren’t together.” He glances at me. “So, that was his friend, Micha, who hit you with the puck. They kind of planned it.”

“What?” I gape.

Tweetie raises his hand. “They weren’t intending for this to happen. They were actually going after your… lower half.” He cringes again.

Decker’s hands go between his legs as if he needs to protect his manhood.

“They’re kids.” Tweetie’s shoulders lift. “But shit, I’m sorry, man.”

Decker narrows his eyes at me. What does he want me to do here?

Tweetie stands and pats Decker’s leg. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

I don’t miss the way his eyes linger. It’s clear Tweetie feels like an idiot when this entire situation is on me.

“Thanks, Tweetie, and I hope Bodhi isn’t in trouble,” Decker says right before he leaves.

Tweetie chuckles. “Well, I think he’s off his video games for a little bit, but that’s more because he had zero regrets for what he did.” He shakes his head. “Someone needs to tell him that I’m not the one he should idolize.” Again, he glances at me.

It’s nearly impossible not to rush over to Tweetie and throw my arms around him and tell him how wrong he is.

“I’ll see if I can get the doctor to come in.” He smirks. “Use the clout of being the best Falcon and all.”

Decker chuckles at his attempt to inflect humor, but I can’t find it in myself to laugh. In fact, I feel like the worst person in the world.

He leaves, and I hear him asking a nurse when the doctor will be in to see Decker. Tweetie throws his name out and says he can get some tickets to whoever can fix Decker up and get him out of here the fastest.

“That was nice of him to check on you,” I say.

Decker’s eyebrows rise.

“What?”

“He didn’t come in here for me. He was here for you.”

I look down at my lap.

“It’s coming, Tedi. Pretty soon, he’s not going to be able to keep his distance.”

I don’t look at him.

“Because when a man loves a woman like he loves you, there eventually comes a point where he doesn’t give a fuck who or what’s in his way. He’s going to fight his demons and yours to win you back.”

Thankfully, the curtain opens, and a doctor comes in, so I can try to ignore the fact that there isn’t enough armor in the world to protect myself from Tweetie.

It’s one of the things that keeps me up at night. The knowledge that if he does come for me, wanting a real second chance, I don’t have the fight in me to stop us from making another mistake.

Thirty-Two

Tweetie’s Journal Entry

Eight years ago

Florida

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