Page 92 of Heartless Devil

“We are something amazing,” he says, pressing his lips to mine.

“We can’t do this anymore. What about Cam?” I say, pushing him away.

“I fucking love you, Charlie. Fuck. I’m so in love with you it’s pathetic. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can’t do anything without thinking about you. You’re the other half of me.”

My heart breaks at his words. This beautiful, broken man.

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not, then it’s not the end,” he tells me, grabbing me and pulling me closer.

We stand under the water for what seems like hours, until the water starts to get cold, and he makes me get out, wrapping me in a towel.

“You have to start standing up for yourself, princess. I need you to see how amazing you are,” he says, kissing the top of my head.

The only thing I want to do right now is curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep.

The sun filtering in through the curtains wakes me up the next morning. I’m alone. No note, no message, nothing.

I pull up social media only to find out that Cam has plastered my name and other choice words with it all over everywhere. My heart sinks. I know how vicious she can be. I’ve just never been on the receiving end of it.

I’ve always known how Cam could be. How hateful she could be. How mean she could be. I guess there was a small part of me that hoped she would give me the opportunity to explain myself. I should have known better.

I quickly delete every app I have. I get rid of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, anything that she can slander my name on. I just don’t want to read it anymore. I try to tell myself that at the end of the year, none of this will matter anyway. I’ll be locked in a house in the middle of nowhere, married to a man I can’t stand.

I have bigger issues to worry about than my former friend hating me. The loss of her does leave a huge hole in my heart though.

My phone starts ringing, pulling me out of my thoughts.

My mother. Can’t I catch a break?

“Hello?”

“Where have you been?” she barks.

“What do you mean?”

“Jasper said he’s been trying to set up a second date and you blew him off. I thought you understood what was expected of you, Charlotte.”

“He asked me a couple of days ago and I was sick. I was running a fever. I even sent him a picture of the thermometer. I haven’t heard from him since,” I tell her.

“That’s not his story. Regardless, he’s on his way there to whisk you away for the night. Get your bags packed.”

“Mom, no,” I tell her, panic rising in my chest.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not ready for an overnight,” I tell her.

“I’m not stupid, Charlotte. I know you’re not a virgin,” she says in a bored tone.

“It doesn’t matter. I barely know him. Please don’t make me do this,” I beg.

“End of discussion, Charlotte. Get your things packed.” She hangs up before I can say anything else.

Quickly, I type out a message to Cole. Once again sharing my location with him and hoping like hell he gets my messages this time.

I throw a bag together, and when I hear the doorbell, I run into the bathroom and throw up. I can’t believe this is actually happening right now. There’s no telling what he’ll do to me.

“Hello?” I hear his voice carry through the house.

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