Page 42 of Charlie and Her Sweet Escape
Charlie glanced at me quickly. “I let your family know I was picking you up.”
“Thanks, Chuck.” I yawned so wide, my jaw cracked.
“You should rest,” she said as streetlights glowed on her face at regular intervals. The suggestion hit me with another reminder of how tired I was, but her stricken expression when Greg had yelled at her haunted me behind my closed eyes.
“Charlie?”
“Yes?” she asked distractedly as she looked for the almost hidden turnoff into my neighborhood.
“Greg was wrong.”
“About what?” She navigated down the narrow dirt road, her headlights bouncing off the bushes and trees on either side of us.
“You’reveryeasy to love.”
She cast a quick, sideways glance at me. “Oh. Thanks.”
But I could tell she didn’t believe me.
She pulled into the parking space in front of my townhouse and got out of the car. The sound of her door closing reverberated through the quiet neighborhood. I jogged up the steps to catch up with her, reaching her just as she went to open the door. Without giving her time to stop me, I scooped her into my arms.
She squeaked and flung her arms around my neck in a tight grip. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you inside, bride.”
“Bennett,” she protested, but her laughter gave her away. She liked this, and I was finding I’d do almost anything to make her laugh. I owed her that much, especially after today.
I twisted the doorknob and carried her inside the dark house. “Home sweet home.”
She stared into my eyes until time stood still. She had washed her makeup off, and her wedding curls were undone around her shoulders. My huge hoodie engulfed her, making her appear even smaller and more vulnerable than usual. Had she ever looked more beautiful?
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Wish you could turn back time?”
“And miss out on legal rights to that torso?” A twinkle shone in her eye. “Never.”
16
CHARLIE
I loved fairy tales growing up. My favorite one was Hansel and Gretel. Maybe because I always wanted a sibling, like Gretel had, to explore the woods with. But I also loved the delicious-sounding candy house (who wouldn’t want to live in at least 85% sugar?) and the scary, cannibalistic wicked witch they have to escape from. They’re lost, but they have each other. I don’t know why I keep thinking about it today—probably just craving the wedding cake I didn’t have the appetite to eat earlier. Anyway, this is all embarrassing. One more reason for Rosie to keep her promise to burn my journals if I die before she does.
—from the journal of Charlie Forrester
While Bennett showered, Rosie came by with a cold pizza, a lot of winks and elbow nudges, and one long hug before she took Hansel and left to stay at the Savages’ house.
And I was staying here. The original plan was to take Bennett’s boat to the cabin, so my overnight pack had been stowed on the boat before the wedding. But wearing my wedding dress all night was not an option. So I’d stolen Bennett’s clean boxers, a shirt, and a Forrester Expeditions hoodie from his closet. More than once, I’d pulled the collar of the sweatshirt to my nose and inhaled Bennett’s familiar masculine scent. I was currently living my teenage dream.
Married to Bennett Forrester.
Wearing Bennett Forrester’s clothes.
Sleeping in Bennett Forrester’s house.
I bounced on my heels with nerves. Bennett and I hadn’t really talked about expectations for our wedding night—or any night hereafter. We’d been caught in a whirlwind of wedding planning and interviews, and I’d forcefully put the thought out of my mind.
We still had to figure out sleeping arrangements. I’d sleep in the guest room tonight, but at some point, we were going to have to get used to sleeping next to each other. Survival shelters were not that big.
I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but my stomach churned when I pulled the pizza out of the oven. Bennett and I needed to have an awkward conversation.
