Page 37 of Charm Me Not

I finished my food with a smile on my face. She said no, but she didn’t really sound convinced. I had to give it one more shot, and I knew exactly what to do.

After finishing my food, I paid and got up to leave. Just as I passed by her chair, something caught my eye.

A black scrunchie. Laying alone on the seat.

She must have left it on accident in her hurry to answer her call.

I swiped it and shoved it in my pocket, a warm, tingly feeling coursing through my body.

Chapter 14

Una

I tossed thephone onto the passenger seat in frustration, watching as it flew into the air and onto the floorboards.

My deals were all going sideways now that word spread about what happened with Aria and Ali. New deals were slower to come in.

At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to pay Charlie back for three years. Not unless I found a real job, and that sounded like a death trap to me.

I leaned back, resting my head against the seat, and looked out the windshield at my house. I had been parked in the driveway for about ten minutes now, mostly sending messages or yelling at Flow and Jett to get some jobs done.

I fiddled with my thorn ring, finding comfort in spinning it around my finger mindlessly.

My mind drifted back to the restaurant. How Charlie wanted to “prove” to me that love wasn’t just a scheme or a scam. That true love existed.

It was such a Fairview thing to say. The whole happily ever after, the Fairy Tale High nonsense. It came from someone who had shown love to be true. Not someone who had seen time and time again that love never worked and you were better off being by yourself.

I had friends. That was all I needed.

Well, after I somehow got back on Ali’s good side. He was still pissed off and wouldn’t talk to me.

Yet he decided Aria was worthy of his time and affection. The two of them had been going out after school every day, spending all their time together.

No one could convince me that true love was a real thing. Sure, maybe people became infatuated over time, but it would fizzle out and they would go their separate ways. They always did.

Charlie, though, believed otherwise. And while it was kind of him to fix my car, it didn’t mean I had to trust him. I thanked him. I went to eat with him. I owed him nothing more.

He said he fixed my car because it was the nice thing to do. That he didn’t expect anything from it. The whole thing was unexpected. Sort of unwanted. But appreciated. The little I knew about him, he seemed like the guy who genuinely enjoyed helping people.

He thought he could get away with doing nice things, giving a gleaming smile, popping a dimple, and everyone would fall at his feet.

But not me.

I did what was expected when someone helped you out. Taking it any further would mean I wanted more. If I agreed to go out with him, even if it was just for him to show me I was wrong, it would be because I wanted to. And I didn’t.

At least, I didn’t think I did. The more I thought about it, the more I confused myself. Joining him for a meal wasn’t horrible. Being in the car with him both times wasn’t bad either. He had a comforting aura around him. Malia would probably say it was purple or yellow or whatever color she equated to calming.

Charlie. That charming little menace. How had I let him infiltrate my life so much, so fast? I had barely known his name before a few weeks ago, and now he was everywhere.

Everywhere, professing his fondness for me. What convinced him to spew his feelings while we ate? And how did I not see it coming?

Was I so blind to other people’s emotions that I couldn’t see the true motivation behind his kindness? He swore up and down that his feelings for me had nothing to do with him working on the car, but I knew better than that.

No one worked for free. For nothing. Even if it wasn’t money, there was always some sort of catch.

He thought telling me his feelings would make him feel better. That he had to get it out and let me know, no strings attached. Just like when he found me the day after everyone learned their coach was also my dad. He needed to confess that he wasn’t the one that told the Fairy Godmother. To ease his conscience.

That’s how Fairview kids worked. They would do anything to make themselves feel better.

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