Page 28 of Charlie

"Feeling better?" Lach asks, pushing through the door. He sits on the couch and starts pulling foil containers from a brown paper bag.

I blush, nodding my head. He must see something in my face because he raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to elaborate. I sigh. "The guy I was dating before I came to Harris sent that package to me." His gaze drops from mine.

"I see."

I sit next to him. "I'm a mess, Lachlan. I don't know if it's the divorce, or if it's being here or what." I scrub my hands over my face and gulp down the glass of wine he hands me.

"What do you mean?" He pulls the lids off a multitude of containers. The smell of butter chicken fills the room, making my mouth water.

"This guy I dated. I like him. A lot. I feel like it could have gone somewhere if circumstances were different."

"Right person, wrong time?" he asks, handing me a piece of naan.

I nod. "And then I met you." Heat creeps up my cheeks, but I'm determined to get this out, the alcohol in my veins fueling my courage. I twist toward him and nudge his chin with my knuckle so he's looking at me. "I really like you. I've had an amazing time the last few days."

"I'm not seeing the problem yet," he says, dipping his chin and pressing his lips to my fingers before I drop my hand.

I tear off a piece of bread with my teeth, giving myself a few precious seconds to admit something to him I hadn't fully admitted to myself yet. Fuck it. "And then tonight, when I met Jay..." I trail off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"You liked him, too." Lach finishes, his lips twisting into a smile.

"You think it's funny?"

"It's okay to have feelings for multiple people, Charlie. That's just how it works sometimes."

"So you've liked more than one woman before?"

He shakes his head. "I've never had the desire to date more than one person at a time."

"See!" I groan. "Life just doesn't work that way."

"Why not? I knew a woman who dated three guys. They were all happy."

"For how long?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Years."

I gape at him. "What happened?"

"That's a story for another time, Charlie. Eat." He holds a piece of chicken to my lips and I open obediently.

He grabs the remote and turns on the TV, flipping through some movies. We decide on a new release and I cuddle up to his side, completely content. My eyes start getting heavy twenty minutes in and the next thing I know, Lach is carrying me to the bed and cocooning me with his warmth.

Heavy pounding wakes me from a dead sleep. I slip out from under Lach's arm and pull on my robe before opening the door. Isla jerks when it swings open under her fist, startled.

"Good morning?" I croak, pushing my knotted hair out of my face.

"Come up to the house with me. Now."

"Why?" I groan, just wanting to go back to sleep.

"Because." She pushes past me and pulls me into the bathroom, ignoring my protests. "Brush your teeth," she commands. She brushes my hair while I take care of my teeth. I'm too groggy to question her. I put my hair in a ponytail and swipe some Chapstick over my lips. Lach is waiting by the front door for us, I tense, waiting to see Isla's reaction, but she only rolls her eyes.

"You better have coffee," I grumble, shivering as we step out into the cold. I stumble up the path to the house, the wind ripping my hair from the elastic. Isla holds the door to the manor house open for me, pushing me through when I hesitate a little too long. I turn to ask her what's happening, but she mumbles something I don't quite catch and disappears upstairs. I head toward the kitchen, desperate for some caffeine. I'm only a few feet from the coffee pot before I realize this is a setup. Jack is sitting on a stool at the island, a piece of toast halfway to his mouth. He's barefoot, his leg crossed at the knee over worn corduroy pants. An earth-colored sweater hugs his torso. One gorgeous eyebrow cocked up.

It takes my brain a few seconds to catch up.

"Oh my God. Oh my God!"

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