Becoming Better

Chapter 15 - Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

Up close, Shawn looked as handsome as ever. He was leaning against the fence, dressed in a black leather jacket, looking at her just as intensely as he had been inside. Something stirred deep in Charlie's stomach as she gazed back at him.

"What are you doing out here?" Charlie asked him, swaying slightly from the alcohol.

"Same thing you are," Shawn answered.

Charlie looked around. "Where's Mara?"

Shawn took a drag of his cigarette. "Probably somewhere planning my murder."

Charlie blinked, taken aback by his statement. Then she remembered she had forgotten to ask Mara about that Instagram message she got last weekend. She had been too preoccupied with Cassius and his new girlfriend all week.

"Why would she do that?"

"Because we just broke up," he answered matter-of-factly, like this didn't bother him at all.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry," she said, looking down. Things were spinning too much for her to look him in the eye.

He put out the cigarette. "Don't be. This is like the 5th time we've broken up in a year. Mara picks me up like a toy, gets bored, then puts me down again. I finally put a stop to it."

Charlie frowned. "That sounds awful."

"It's my fault, I was the one that kept getting back together with her," he continued.

"But what do you mean, she picks you up like a toy?" Charlie asked.

"Mara's probably not who you think she is. She puts on a nice face when she meets new people, but in reality, she's not a good person," Shawn explained. "She uses me. She uses everyone. And she talks down to me so much I almost believe her at this point."

"Oh," Charlie understood. She thought about how Mara called Shawn an idiot when they visited Beachside High. "Like how she did when we visited you at school?"

"You noticed that, huh?" Shawn raised his eyebrow.

The more she found out about Mara, the worse Charlie felt about her. None of this information matched the persona she displayed to everyone at Saint Peters. Charlie felt like she was the only one who had seen a darker side to the girl.

"So anyway, are you having fun at your party?" Shawn asked her.

Charlie shrugged. "I'm trying."

"Why just trying?" He seemed genuinely interested in her response.

"Well, I just went through a breakup too... so I'm sorry for what you're going through. I understand," she said.

He looked surprised. "Who in their right mind would break up with you?"

Her stomach flipped at his question. She was drunk, but she still had enough wits about her to see that he was attracted to her. Charlie tried to ignore it, but she recognized that the stirring in her core meant she was attracted to him too.

'Don't even go there,' she thought to herself.

The front door to John's house opened and Wyatt popped his head out, looking for her. When he saw her, he looked relieved that he finally found her.

"There you are!" he yelled. "Come back inside Char, everyone wants to give you your cake!"

"Coming!" she said, but she didn't move just yet.

Shawn straightened up. "That's my cue," he said. He walked over to her and put his hand under her chin so she had to look him in the eye. "Happy Birthday, Goldie." He paused for a moment, then headed off down the street.

Charlie knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help but think about how much she wanted him to do bad things to her.

****Uh ohhh! Charlie better ease up on the drinking. Do you think it's going to get her into trouble? And will she finally confront Mara about all things she's hearing about her?