Page 71 of Whatever It Takes

It felt like there was an invisible line drawn in the middle of the room that separated us. Me on one side, her on the other.

She lifted her eyes, looking directly at me. “I’m going to hang out here for a while,” she said, folding her hands in her lap, seeming anxious.

It felt like she didn’t want me here.

Grant’s brother leaned forward in his chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and studied us with interest.

I inhaled deeply, not sure what the hell to do with myself. “Okay. Then we’ll wait.”

“Actually, I was going to ask you for a favor.” She gave me a tight smile that did nothing to calm my nerves. “Grant’s parents had to leave Emery with a family friend. Would you mind picking her up and staying with her until I get home?”

An awkward silence took over the room. I could practically see the wall between us being built brick by brick. I searched her expression, trying to figure out what the hell she was thinking. It felt like some kind of sick joke. She needed me by her side. Not to serve as a fucking babysitter.

I wanted to question her, but my head was screaming at me to give her the time she needed. The realization that I didn’t know how to handle the situation only made the tension spread through my jaw faster.

Fuck this shit!

With a quick jerk of my head and with my fist clenched to my side, I finally snapped. “Charlotte, I’d like a word in private, please.”

I did my best to school my features and keep the edge out of my voice. I told myself not to get worked up, but the longer I stood in this room staring her other life in the face, the more agitated I became. I felt like an outsider.

She excused herself as I held my hand out for her to walk with me down the hall. She glanced back at the Andersons before reluctantly following me out. She fell into step beside me, but she might as well have been on another continent. She was so close yet felt so far away.

The more distant she seemed, the angrier I became. The elevator ride was silent. I knew there were cameras and I was crawling out of my skin trying to keep my mouth shut. The last thing I wanted was to air my dirty laundry at my place of work. I was a private person and people already knew more about my personal life than I wanted them to.

Once we reached the main lobby and walked through the revolving door, I spun around and glared at her. A burst of anger flew out of my mouth. “What are you doing, Charlotte?”

She was slow to look at me. Her entire demeanor had changed since we left that hotel room just hours ago. She was a completely different person, one that concerned me.

“I can’t just abandon his parents. They have been a part of my life for the last seven years. Regardless of how you feel about the situation, I care about them.” She shook her head. “They’re still my family, and whether I like it or not, Grant is still my husband. I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be right now. Why can’t you understand that I’m just trying to do the right thing?”

She was slipping away from me. And all I could do was watch it happen. The stress of everything around us was getting to her. She was already questioning and second-guessing everything I was to her. I could feel it. See it with my own eyes.

She loved me. I knew that much. Yet, that didn’t stop the feeling of helplessness from taking over my thoughts.

Time passed and all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and take her as far away from here as I could. She belonged with me. Not them. Not him.

Life was so fucking unfair sometimes.

I cautiously stepped closer, cupping the back of my neck, and feeling more insecure than I ever had in my life. “You know that I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember and that will never change. A life with you and Emery is all I want.” Trying to come up with the right words without shredding my heart in the process was impossible. I swallowed, knowing there was no way to keep the pain from my voice, and I refused to hide it from her. “But I can’t stand by for much longer. You’re going to have to choose whose life you want to be a part of. Mine or theirs.”

All the color drained from her face, breaking my heart in the process. Instead of fighting for me, she stood there and said nothing. The unspoken words between us were causing more damage than she realized. I was losing her right before my very eyes.

“I’m going to stay at my place tonight.” She stared back at me in shock. “I’ll watch Emery until you get home. With Grant behind bars, you are no longer in immediate danger.”

With those parting words I did something I promised I’d never do again. I turned my back to her and walked away.

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