Page 28 of Shadowing Charlotte
"Because I'm a fucking idiot Charlotte." I sighed. "Look, I agreed to go out with my friend. I didn't even want to, but I'd just talked to my dad, and I was pissed off. I wasn't thinking. When I messaged you, I was already stuck at Tarot. I would have rather been with you, but she was there. And I figured, since you had a boyfriend, I would blow off some steam…" I told her. "It's not an excuse. I know I fucked up," I whispered against her ear as I pulled the hair tie away and combed my fingers through her cinnamon tresses. "Please, Charlie. Give me a chance to make things right; to be a proper boyfriend."
The thick tears blooming in her eyes spilled down her cheeks as she stared up at me, wary to agree. She didn't trust me, and I didn't blame her. I'd never been religious, but in that moment, I found myself silently praying that she would give me a chance to make up for the hurt I'd caused her.
Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded. Another tear spilled down her freckled cheek before she threw her arms around my neck, and squeezed me until I could barely breathe.
"Thank you. Thank you…" I murmured, unsure if I was talking to Charlotte or whatever God was looking out for me.
"I think I could love you…" Her words were a faint whisper against my shoulder, the sound making my heart stop as she continued to cling to me. I was rendered speechless.
Love…She could love me. Closing my eyes, I sucked in a long, steadying breath.
"I think I could love you, too, Charlotte."
Chapter twenty-three
Charlotte
We were both lying naked on the living room floor, twisted in the throw blanket I'd pulled off the couch, when I unblocked him from my phone. I found myself oscillating between contentment and maddening hunger for the man beside me. Alexander had been running his fingers through my hair for nearly half an hour, his eyes full of fascination as he moved a lock back and forth, watching it shine like copper when it caught the light.
"Are you going to change your relationship status?" he asked playfully, glancing over my shoulder as I approved his friend request. I looked up from the phone, my eyes narrowing at him. The grin fell from his face.
"I don't think that's a good idea. At least, until this shit with Adam dies down," I said seriously. The sound of shattering glass echoed in my head and I shuddered. No, the last thing I wanted to do was set him off again.
"Fair enough." he agreed, snatching the phone from my hand.
"What are you doing—"
"Deleting him from your friend list." He scrolled down on the screen before I snatched the phone away from him.
"That's going to piss him off…" I complained.
"Fuck him!" Alex replied with an amused grin. "You should have filed charges the night he struck you, Charlie." I chewed on the inside of my cheek, hating him for being right.
"Well, since you want to delete my ex from my phone, do I get to delete that bitch from your photo gallery?" The bitterness was prominent in my voice as my cheeks warmed with jealousy.
"Go ahead." He handed me his phone, his blue eyes still glued to the screen of mine. I shifted on the floor, set my own phone down, and opened his photo gallery, scrolling through—
"They're gone…" I whispered.
"They were gone the day you found them." he replied easily, glancing at me. "I didn't even take them for me. She wanted me to take them." I grimaced, wrinkling my nose in disgust. "And she's not a bitch, Charlotte. She's a grown woman who had consensual sex with—"
"Withmyboyfriend," I finished with a glare that silenced him.
"I wasn't your boyfriend then." Lex's tone was somber. Pulling the phone from my hand, he tossed both devices on the floor. "But I am now," he added, wrapping his arms around me and staring at me with adoration in his blue eyes. My heart nearly stopped. "I'm not going to cheat on you, Charlie. Not ever."
"What if you meet your hall pass?" I countered.
"Hall pass?" he echoed in confusion, pulling me into the crook of his arm so we both could stare at the ceiling together.
"Yeah, a hall pass. You know? Like some famous, hot celebrity who you couldn't pass up if you got the opportunity," I explained.
"And who is your hall pass, Charlotte?" Alexander squinted his eyes with playful suspicion.
"I don't know… Sean Bean, maybe?" Lex burst into laughter, his entire body shaking as he tightened his hold on me.
"One does not simply walk into M—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know." I laughed, rolling my eyes as I covered his mouth to silence him.
