Page 24 of Tempting Promises
“Good to know.”
“Do you hate me?” she asks.
She’s tanked, and I know she won’t remember any of this. “No. I just wish you’d believe the truth.”
She smiles softly. “Truth about what?”
“That I never cheated on Aurora. I’m not that man, regardless of what she’s said and the lies she’s spread about me.”
Charlotte purses her lips. “You made her leave me to deal with this on my own.”
“Deal with what?”
“Life.”
Maybe she believes that, but it’s not true. I didn’t do anything to her other than be honest about how I felt. I didn’t want Aurora to end up hurt, but she did anyway. Then she became a vengeful bitch and told everyone I cheated on her and that she walked in on it. Which never fucking happened.
She was relentless, and I became the asshole in this town. Atfirst, I tried to deny it, and then, I just let it go because people believed what they wanted to anyway.
I hear a knock on my door. “Drink your water,” I tell her as I get up. “I’m going to let Faye in.”
“Bossy.” She rolls her eyes and then drinks more water.
Faye smiles as I let her in. “How is she?”
“She’s herself, only drunk. I’ve been trying to keep her up and drinking water. You can have my bedroom, I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She rests her hand on my chest. “Thank you, Rowan.”
“Don’t thank me.”
“Well, I am. You’re a good man, and you left the girl who was probably a sure thing without even looking back.”
I shake my head and sigh. “I’m glad I was there to help.”
She kisses my cheek. “Me too, and I know Charlotte will be as well.”
six
CHARLOTTE
My head is pounding. I roll over and rub my face in the pillow, wanting to sleep because the pain is excruciating.
God, how much did I drink?
I inhale, but it doesn’t smell like my pillow. There’s a woodsy scent that is definitely male.
Oh no. Oh Lord. I keep my eyes closed and try to think back through the haze of my brain to remember how I might’ve ended up in a man’s bed.
I remember getting to the bar. Faye and Margot convinced me to go and I had no plans to drink, but then I got an email stating I needed to pay about four thousand dollars to fix my truck’s engine issues.
I mean, why the hell not just keep piling on the bad news, right?
So, I did a shot. I figured one wouldn’t kill me, but when one turned to six or seven...
Okay, Charlotte, time to face the music and see just how badly you fucked up.
First thing I notice is that I have pants on. So, that’s a good sign.
