Page 29 of Coming Unraveled
He takes a few breathes, wondering how Everleigh is doing if she is really as heartbroken as Avery makes her seem. His heart, now firmly placed back in his chest, pumps violently as he wishes he were home to hold her in his arms, to comfort her.
“Charleston,” he commands as he presses the programmed number on his phone. “I need to go home and I am going to need you to come with me.”
It had taken a lot more convincing on his part than he felt is necessary to have Charleston help him move on with his life, but finally, they were on the small plane headed for Asheville, and then headed for the place that felt more like home than his grandmother’s house in Atlanta.
The shark of a woman beside him is busy typing away on her laptop, something she has been doing since they made their way to their assigned seats. All of the men and woman, surrounding them had assumed the two were a couple, and Brooks can see the appeal, she is classically beautiful, but she can’t hold a candle to the woman that has Brooks so far wrapped up that he can’t see straight.
A snapping breaks him from his musings and he watches as Charleston finally shuts her laptop and stores it in her bag.
“Thank you for joining me, Charleston.”
“At this point, you might as well call me Charlie,” she retorts as she sits up straighter in her chair. “It’s what my friends call me.”
“Are we friends?”
“Sure, I can actually stand to be in your presence for more than a few minutes and frankly you don’t have any diva-like qualities. So, sure, I’ll consider you a friend.”
He watches as her expression doesn’t falter, she states her comments matter-of-factly as she brushes lint off her pants.
“Ok, friend, well a bit of advice, you’re going to want to change when we get to town.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a small town and you’re going to look like a pretentious bitch if you walk in wearing a full-on suit like this.”
Her gaze travels down her body, clad in a cream-colored linen suit, confusion marring her features. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
“Nothing. You’ll just stand out like a sore thumb in Carson.”
“Why did I agree to join you?”
“Because we’re friends and I need a plus one for a wedding tomorrow. And don’t worry, there is a great store in town where you can buy something.”
“Look, Brooks,” she begins just as he begins to stick his bottom lip out exaggeratedly and flutters his eyelashes. “Stop. You know that I can’t resist the puppy face, dammit. Fine. I’ll follow your rules, but ask the airline attendant for a vodka. I’m going to need one to go shopping at some hick store.”
His pout changes into a full-on grin as he flags down the attendant and orders Charlie her drink.
“Don’t worry. I think the town will surprise the hell out you. You may even want to stay.”
As the attendant returns, Charlie downs the vodka before twisting her body towards Brooks and saying, “Only when hell freezes over.”
Brooks chuckles, excited to prove his friend wrong. Most people never give it a second thought when he says that celebrities lived in his town, waving it aside as if he’s talking about some soap star from the seventies. Nope, Carson has more celebrity clout than most towns in New York. Which is why he loves the town even more.
As they depart the Asheville Airport terminal, Brooks watches as Charlie glances around the city with surprise on her face.
“Not what you were expecting?”
She startles and then a blush rises on her cheeks when she realizes she is caught gawking, and she turns back to face him.
“I grew up in New York City and I really don’t get to travel a lot when it isn’t work-related.”
“Well, you should try to change that. All work and no play makes Charlie a dull girl.”
She giggles, a sound Brooks wishes he heard from her more. It’s almost as elusive as the laughs heard from Everleigh. Charlie continues to take in her surroundings, watching as the metropolis turns into corn and wheat fields. Her window which has been down begins to ascend as the smell of manure wafts into the car.
“I’d take this smell over the smell of the city any day,” he counters as he opens his window in defiance.
“Don’t be so barbaric.”
