Page 432 of Not Over You

“I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what you’re used to.”

An awkward quiet falls over the hallway, and I catch the two of them share a look. It hits me in the gut. The fact they have looks to share.

Graduation night might be years behind us, but right now it feels as close as then. Minutes ago she was mine—or as close as she’d ever be. I half expect to reach in my pocket and find the remnants of a phone, destroyed. Like she destroyed my trust.

Hell yeah, I’m being way too dramatic.

Jordan comes skidding around the corner, halting at the silence that has dragged out.

“Uh,” he starts, and I swallow, hooking my head to our guests.

“This is my brother, Archer Reed.” I pause while they shake, and when Jordan turns to Charlie, I take a breath and continue on the exhale. “And this is Charlie Davis.”

Jordan’s brows draws in, but he catches himself before gaping at me. “Charlie,” he says.

“Charlotte,” Archer corrects. “She hasn’t gone by Charlie in years.”

My jaw clenches to the point of pain.

“Archer,” she says quickly with a quick shake of her head. “Charlie’s fine. Please.”

“Charlie it is then.” My brother smiles genuinely, completely unbothered or unaffected by the awkward as fuck exchange happening in a four-feet-wide space.

He rubs her back gently before resting his hand on the back of her neck, and Jordan finally lets his eyes slide to me.

“Charlie?” he mouths, and all it takes is a confirming nod for him to breathe out a, “fuck.”

Then he cracks out in a smile and spreads his arms wide, turning into the best fucking friend I need at the moment.

“Let me show you our humble abode. Here’s the living room,” he says, leading them away.

My brother follows first, then Charlie, but right before she rounds the corner, her eyes meet mine. And for that split second, we’re eighteen. Only instead of seeing the apology I need, those gorgeous amber eyes narrow into a glare.

Like any of this could possibly be my fault.

As if she weren’t the one who ruined what we were supposed to have.

I’m not the one who left her heart to bleed only to show up years later out of the blue—being even more out of reach than ever before.

CHAPTER 3

CHARLIE

My breaths haul in and out of my lungs, but I manage to keep it together until I shut the door to the hall bathroom upstairs in the brownstone. Then I throw a hand over my mouth as a sob breaks out of me.

I’m not sure why I’m crying other than emotional overload.

Not even twenty feet away in the guest room is Benji Jones, the guy who a part of me always imagined I’d end up with if he hadn’t lied to me all those years ago. And standing right beside him is Archer—my boyfriend, the one I’m moving to Ecuador for because he’s the best human on the earth.

And now he’s Benji’s brother?

I sink down on the edge of the tub in the center of the bathroom and drop my face into my hands.

What is happening right now?

I knew Benji had a half-brother, but he rarely spoke about him. I’m not sure he even mentioned his name. As close as we were, I’d only ever met his father on one occasion and not long after he was killed by a drunk driver.

And Archer always referred to his brother as B, no mention of him being a half-sibling or having a different last name.

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