Page 58 of Shadowing Charlotte
The light had shifted, I realized, the parking garage lights had come on and the world outside had been bathed in shadow. "Baby, look at me," Lex whispered, his eyes wide and his tone panicked as he lifted my chin. "Charlotte, what happened? Princess, tell me you're alright," he pleaded, giving me a small shake.
"I'm alright," The hollow words didn't feel like my own. I was a puppet on invisible strings, being commanded by some unseen force. A breath of relief spilled from him, and I was crushed in a tight embrace.
"Come on, I'll take you home." I was being pulled against my will. His hold, usually a source of comfort, sent an unexpected wave of terror through me. I recoiled, trying to slap his hands away as a sob ripped its way out of my throat. Alexander went rigid, his hands falling away and his blue eyes widening in shock. "Charlotte—"
"Don't touch me," I croaked out, unable to say anything else. Alexander didn't move. He just stood there, gaping at me.
"What happened, Charlie?" he finally asked, his words tight, like he was being choked. "I won't touch you, but I need you to say something."
"Adam… was here…" Simply saying his name was like breathing life into the memory and I shuddered. I could still feel his hands on me, his tongue against my neck, as I swallowed the solid lump that had formed in my throat.
"That motherfucker!" he hissed. "Did—" I flinched when he shifted toward me, covering my face with my hands. I didn't want to be touched, not even by him. That's when Alexander's eyes settled on the bruising around my wrist. "What did he do, Charlie? Did he—" He took a heavy gulp of air, shuddering. "Did he force—"
"H-h-he started to…" The admission sent a wave of nauseating shame coursing through me. Why hadn't I tried harder to stop him? Why hadn't I screamed? "I'm s-sorry… I didn't—I couldn't—"
"Hey. Hey… This isn't your fault, baby," he soothed, holding out his hand. I blinked at it through my tears, realizing he was offering me the choice, silently asking for permission. That was when I broke, finally falling into his arms as the sobs began again.
Chapter fifty
Alexander
Charlotte was an absolute mess for the rest of the night. After she hadn't responded to any of my calls and texts, I had checked her location and drove straight to the parking garage. I hadn't expected to find her in such a disoriented state, hadn't been prepared for her to tell me Adam had been there.
The moment the words left her mouth, murderous fury filled me. I wanted to hunt him down and choke the life from him, but Charlotte needed me. I had to keep my cool, if only for her sake. When she broke down, clinging to me and sobbing, I felt my own heart crack in two.
He'd touched her. I shook with rage at the thought.
My Charlotte… My headstrong, irritating, crazy girl had been hurt by that fucker again. As I held her, murmuring reassurances, I was already imagining a thousand ways to kill him, each more horrific than the last.
Fuck Tim. He'd assured me that morning that he could handle Adam; clearly, we had both been underestimating him. Fuck the police. Their investigation was taking for too long and the fucker was only growing more brazen. I was going to handle it myself.
"Take me home, Alexander," Charlotte sobbed in my arms, squeezing me tighter. She didn't need to say anything else. I scooped her up in my arms, cradling her against my chest like a broken doll, and carrying her to the car.
"I've got you," I assured her.
"Wait, my stuff—"
"I'll get them, princess," I promised as I lowered her into the passenger seat. The car door closed, and her head fell back against the seat, her eyes shutting. She lookedexhausted. Not the physical kind of exhaustion someone feels after a long day, but the kind of tiredness that happens after carrying more stress than one should physically handle. Like the weight of the world sat on her shoulders.
"Don't worry, baby. I'm going to make it all better," I muttered, more to myself than to her. I had to make it all better. I couldn't take another day of seeing my sweet, headstrong Charlotte lost in wreckage.
Her belongings had been haphazardly dropped on the floor of the Jeep. I carefully gathered them, ensuring I had everything, including her keys, in my arms.
Inside the Camaro, I hit the lock button on her fob, ensuring the alarm was set, before placing the pile in Charlotte's lap. "You should take a few days off."
"Saydiah already gave me the rest of the week," she replied, her voice soft and detached as I pulled out of the garage. "Will you stay home with me?"
"Of course, baby," I agreed with a small, strained smile. "I might have to work Friday, for an event, but the rest of my time is yours."
"You got a job?" Charlotte asked, her expression brightening slightly as she looked over at me.
"Told you security work would be fine," I replied, smirking at her. "Nothing overly dangerous, just standing around guarding venues and shit." She returned my smile with a tentative one, her hand reaching out for mine.
The rest of the drive was quiet, but Charlotte's hand never left mine.
When we arrived home, Charlie collapsed onto the couch, curling up in a ball as the tears returned, spilling down her reddened cheeks. Each time I saw her break, I felt the cracks in my heart deepen, threatening to shatter and fall to pieces, just as she had. All I could do was hold her, murmuring soft, sweet nothings in her ear until she cried herself to sleep in my arms.
When I woke in the middle of the night, Charlotte was awake, slowly pacing back and forth across the room, counting her steps under her breath.
