Page 81 of Charlie

"Do you think we're not terrified that you'll change your mind, Charlie?" There's a bite to Lach's voice that isn't usually there. "Every morning when I wake up, I wonder if today will be the day you tell us you're going back." He drags his fingers through his hair as he paces the room. "I know you'll eventually have to leave to take care of things, but will you come back? Or will you decide this was some crazy fling you had while on holiday?"

"Okay, we obviously have some things to talk about," Jack says, rolling his shoulders like he's getting ready for a fight. "But let's do it in the kitchen? I'm starving." He links his fingers with mine and pulls me out the door, leaving the other two to follow.

"What do you mean that you're scared you'll lose yourself again?" Cam asks, wrapping an arm around my waist as we walk down the hallway.

"My entire existence was intertwined with Rob's. So much so that I lost everything when he cheated on me. I lost all of my friends, my house, my money, my fucking life. I liked what Rob liked. Rob's hobbies became my hobbies. I can't do that again."

"Good. We don't want that, either," Lach interjects. "We want you the way you are now. And we'll still want you in ten years when you've grown into yourself even more. And in fifty years, when you're an old biddy sitting outside hunched in front of a canvas, we'll still fucking want you, Charlie. Don't you get it? We've been waiting for you our entire fucking lives."

A tear slips down my cheek before I can stop it.

Cam steps in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. "We'll spend every day for the rest of our lives showing you how precious you are to us. You can be whomever you want to be, Charlie. We'll be by your side supporting you the entire way."

"Charlotte." The intensity of Jack's voice has me spinning around. I crash into his chest and he pulls me close, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I know it's scary, but I promise we'll always be here for you." He pulls a ring off his finger and pushes it onto the ring finger of my left hand. I run my fingers over the thick, worn band. "We are yours and you are ours. Finding each other was the hard part. Now we need to figure out how to make it work." He kisses me gently, his touch reverent. "Let's make food, and then we can sit down and figure everything out while we eat. I think it'll make us feel better to have a solid plan in place."

The guys sit me at the u-shaped bench seat in the kitchen while they cook dinner, their easy banter making me smile. The small touches and glances between Cam and Lach make me feel a warm giddiness I've never experienced before. Jack pushes through the back door, a platter of steaks in his hand, and sets it on the table, followed by four beers. He rummages around in several drawers while the other two finish up, finally pulling out a notebook and pen. He slides in next to me just as the other two set down a salad and a bowl of roasted potatoes.

"I could get used to this," I murmur, the side of my mouth quirking despite trying to hold back my smile.

"That's the fucking plan, Sassenach," Jack mutters, handing me a beer.

I snort. "You guys are just going to wait on me hand and foot for the rest of my life?"

"Yes, goddamnit! Why is that so hard for you to believe?" Lach holds my gaze, frustration blazing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I—" Fuck.

"You what, Charlie? Can we please get to the truth of what this really is so we can move past it?"

My heart clenches. "I don't feel like I deserve this. All three of you are so interesting and complicated and good-looking. And then there's little ole me who's never done anything interesting in her entire life. I'm a blank canvas with no depth."

"No. You're looking at it all wrong. We want you to paint us into the fabric of your life, Charlie, and a blank canvas is a perfect place to start. A midnight sky that reminds you of Cam's eyes. Deep caramel that brings back the memories of the warmth of Jack's embrace." He pauses, then barks out a laugh. "Hell, I don't know what color I would be."

I finish for him. "You'll be the luminescence in every grain of sand, the shimmering in every ripple of water. You'll be what makes it come alive." I grab the notebook from Jack and scribble down everything Lach just said. "I'm going to frame this and hang it next to my bed."

Cam clears his throat, his eyes suspiciously bright as he takes a pull of his beer.

Jack tips up my chin and studies me. "Better now?"

I nod, chuckling. "Go ahead and eat, I know you're hungry."

"Thank God."

The guys dive in, serving me before they serve themselves.

"How's the family tree going?" Cam asks before popping a piece of his steak in his mouth.

"Good! I need to find somewhere to buy paint, though. I only have some of the colors I need to paint the vignettes. I probably need a few nibs and ink for my pen, too."

"Fucking finally!" Lach shouts, high-giving Jack.

"What was that about?" I glance at Cam, but he looks just as perplexed as I feel.

"We’ve wanted a reason to take you into the city for a while now, but we knew that if we suggested it, you would say that you had to work on the family tree."

"Why do you want to take me into the city? And what city are we talking about exactly?"

"Any city will do, lass. We want to wine and dine you properly," Jack grins.

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