Page 40 of Shadowing Charlotte
"For someone as fucked up as you are, you certainly have a weak stomach for the horrors of real life, cupcake." Lex told me, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a smirk.
"And you look like a fucking frat boy," I countered impertinently, rolling my eyes at him. Lex tightened his hold around me, shaking his head in amusement.
"Do you really think he'll tell your father?" he asked as we climbed into the car.
"I doubt it," I replied. Adam could threaten us all he wanted, but I knew Daddy wouldn't give him the time of day after what he had done to me. Lex began to drive, the car growing uncomfortably silent. I flicked on the radio, finding one of the rock stations, filling the car with the sound of an electric guitar. "I thought we were going for smoothies?" I asked as he passed the shop and drove through the green light.
"We are…" he replied carefully, like he was hiding some kind of secret. He pulled out his phone, typing something, and then shoved it back into his pocket, before reaching over and settling his hand on my knee. "Not here, though," he added. The only sound in the car as we drove was the music, alternating between popular bands and up-and-coming artists.
Eventually, we pulled into a parking lot and Lex shut off the engine. "We have company today, princess." He gave me crooked smile.
"Who?" I asked curiously, my brows knitting as I wracked my brain. Surely, he wasn't going to introduce me to Zane, not after the pictures I'd found in his phone. Lex didn't reply, pulling his phone open. I anxiously bounced my knee, his silence unnerving me.
After a few minutes, a red Camry tore into the parking lot, music blaring, and parked in the spot beside us, nearly hitting the Camaro in the process. "Come on, princess." he instructed, opening the door. I followed suit, climbing out of the car with my stomach churning anxiously.
"Lex!" The bright, cheery voice made me grimace, and I was unable to do anything but watch as a set of arms threw themselves aroundmyboyfriend, pulling him close and sending a wave of unpleasant heat coursing through me. I didn't recognize her until she finally released him, after the embrace that had lasted far too long for my liking. It was the blonde—the one from his Facebook.
I was still frozen, standing by the passenger door. "Oh, you must be Charlotte!" she exclaimed, releasing him and bounding excitedly around the car to pull me into a hug, as if I were a friend she'd known her entire life. I blinked, my arms hesitantly returning her embrace. "It's so nice to finally meet you!" she added, flashing me a dazzling smile full of white teeth. "I'm Jessica."
"Hi," I replied as she released me, feeling more than uncomfortable.
"Of course, I know all about you. Alexander hasn't stopped talking about you for the last year." A year? I looked at him over the roof of the Camaro, quirking an eyebrow. "This is Nadine," she added, holding out her arm and pulling a young woman into a side hug.
"Your… girlfriend?" I asked hesitantly, glancing at Lex and getting a short nod. Nadine was much calmer than Jessica, the pair a harsh mix of quiet and extroverted. Lex slipped behind me, entangling his fingers with mine as we entered the small breakfast nook; Jessica babbling excitedly the entire time.
We all slid into a cozy booth, and I immediately lifted the menu, unsure of what else to say. I had lots of friends when I was in school, but I'd always had a hard time with starting small talk. First time meetings were uncomfortable for me more often than not. "They don't even have smoothies!" I huffed in complaint, my eyes narrowing at Lex.
Chapter thirty-four
Alexander
Icould tell Charlie was uncomfortable. From the moment she'd laid eyes on Jessica, her demeanor had changed. She'd gone unusually quiet, her posture stiff. A guarded look replaced the warm expression I'd become used to her wearing.
I had hoped this meeting would be a reassurance, erasing any worries she might have had about the few women I had in my life.
"They don't even have smoothies!" she complained, her honey eyes glaring at me.
"You need to eat, anyway," I replied with an apologetic shrug. She let out a small, disgruntled huff and returned to reading over the menu.
"So, you're a publisher?" Jessica asked Charlotte, folding her hands together on top of the table and smiling eagerly
"Editor's assistant," Charlie replied bluntly, never looking up. I watched the smile fall from Jessica's sweet face, a wounded look flashing in her eyes.
I leaned over, pressing my lips to the shell of Charlotte's ear. "Jess is like a little sister to me. Be fucking nice," I demanded in a low voice. Pulling away, her eyes flickered with anger before she sighed and dropped the menu.
"I'm sorry," she told Jessica, forcing out a smile. "I'm not great with meeting new people and doing the whole 'get to know me' sort of thing. I'm an editor's assistant at Hewart Press."
"How many books do you read in a week?" Nadine asked.
"Less than you'd think," Charlotte replied. Her forced smile melted into a genuine one and her eyes softened. "Maybe four, during my busiest week."
"You must really love books…" Jess commented.
"I do," Charlie replied, that guarded tone returning. It didn't seem to matter what Jessica said. Charlotte wasn't warming to her the way I'd anticipated. "I used to want to be a writer. But… things change," she added cryptically. My eyebrows rose. I had no idea she had wanted to write. "Most days, though, it's hard to truly enjoy reading when I'm working on a manuscript."
"Why's that?" Jess asked.
"Well, because, when I'm reading a manuscript, I'm actually analyzing, rather than simply enjoying the story. When most people think of editing, they think of proofreading. Looking for spelling mistakes and punctuation." As Charlie spoke, the tension melted away. I smiled. Listening to her explain, I could tell that she loved her job. "There's so much more than that. There's line editing, which is making sure that everything is concise and flows well in each sentence and paragraph. Then, there's developmental, which sort of encompasses the whole story, you know? Like making sure that the author isn't contradicting themselves or that the plot has everything it needs. So, one is looking at the smaller details, one is looking at the broader picture."
