Page 49 of Shadowing Charlotte
"Not if it means having to talk to that prick," I interjected bitterly. It didn't matter if Bill had all my baby pictures. It wouldn't matter if he had a fortune to leave to me. I wouldnever willingly subject myself to standing in his presence. Knowing I'd once admired the man, saw him as my hero, even, made me sick to my stomach.
"You'll have to forgive him eventually," my mother sighed out.
"Have you?" I countered sharply, louder than intended.
One of the orderlies glanced warily at our table, his lips pursing together. She didn't answer, staring down at her lap, and Charlotte had gone deathly still, shooting a look of warning at me.
"It's not the same… He's your father," mom finally whispered, her voice raw. "You can't hate him for the rest of your life."
"You would hate him too if you knew how his choices—"
"Charlotte!" I snapped, gaping at her in horror. What the fuck was she thinking?! Her lips slammed closed, her gold eyes widening in shock at her careless words.
"How his choices what?" Mom's eyebrows rose and she shifted in her chair.
"Nothing…" Charlotte whispered, averting her eyes and biting down on the inside of her cheek. The entire rec room had gone silent, the few occupants staring at us with curiosity and irritation.
"What are you not telling me, Alexander?" my mother asked softly.
"We don't need to talk about it," I answered tensely, looking out the window as the clouds rolled in, swallowing the light and painting the scenery a tepid gray.
As I stared outside, my mother turned to Charlotte, "What is it? You can tell me." Charlotte's eyes widened again in horror, and she shook her head, swallowing hard.
"I can't… It's not my place," she whispered, sounding like she was half a second away from bursting into tears.
"Damn it, Alexander!" mom shouted, slamming her hands on the table. "You tell me what's going on right this fucking instant!"
"Mom, we don't want to talk about this."
"I'm sorry, but you need to leave." Another orderly had come in and approached the table, a stern expression on her face. "We can't have these kinds of disturbances, Emily."
"No! We were just—"
"Visiting hours are nearly over anyhow. Dinner is in an hour," the woman interrupted, shaking her head. "Your son can come back next weekend."
"It's fine, Mom," I agreed, raking my fingers through my hair, relieved that the orderly had stepped in to end the conversation before it got out of hand. Her expression crumbled, the shadows returning in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Taylor," Charlie whispered guiltily, picking anxiously at her nails. "It was lovely to meet you."
"Oh. For me, too, dear," my mom replied, glancing at the orderly before pulling Charlotte into a hug. They weren't supposed to be touching and the orderly's expression darkened.
"Alright, Emily, let's go."
As my mother was pulled away, guided from the room before she was ready to end the visit, I reached for her hand one more time. We touched briefly, and then she was gone. I threw a sharp look at Charlie before I turned and headed back toward the lobby, not bothering to wait for her. The receptionist called my name as I stormed past her, but it was Charlie who halted long enough to sign us out of the registry.
"Lex!" I stormed out of the hospital, not stopping until I reached the car. "Lex, wait!" Her voice cracked as she called my name, but I slammed the door closed, staring blankly at the steering wheel. The door opened and Charlotte slid into the seat, her breaths coming out in tiny, panicked pants. "Lex, I'm sorry," she uttered, her voice barely audible.
"I told you not to fucking say anything." The words slipped out cold and detached as I stared blankly ahead. Silence followed, the tension in the car thick and heavy. There was nothing else to say.
"I didn't mean to! I wasn't trying to cause problems; it just spilled out!" she exclaimed. Although I was livid with her, I didn't want to shout or make her cry, so I said nothing else. When I didn't reply, she let out sad noise, reminding me of a whimpering puppy. "Lex!" She repeated my name in a whine, begging for understanding, or forgiveness, perhaps. "I'm sorry!" she insisted as I started the car.
"I love you, Charlotte, but sometimes you do some really fucked up shit…" I sighed, shaking my head and backing out of the parking spot. The entire drive home was silent.
Chapter forty-three
Charlotte
The car was deathly silent. No music. No conversation. Only the rumble of the engine as Alexander drove back to my house, clutching the steering wheel. I could tell he was pissed at me but all I could focus on was the fact that he'd said he loved me.
