Virtual Connection

52.

Dedicated to @scarymendes because your comments give me life. XD Seriously, you keep being awesome! ;D

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"Where are you staying?"

Charlie shifted uncomfortably at Jane's question but he didn't stop flipping through the magazine he had in his hands. He frowned at the pages, thinking of a response.

He couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her that he would spend hours in the hospital's waiting room, nodding off there for a few hours. When someone would nudge him awake, he would walk back to his car and spend the night there. Because there wasn't much space in his car, his body would be stiff when he woke the next morning. He'd stretch in the parking lot, hoping no one would see him and with a smile on his face, he'd visit Jane again for a few minutes before the nurses would come in and tell him that he had to leave.

He was running short of food and money as well. He could only stay here for a few more days.

Charlie's mom was worried about him and her calls were getting more and more frequent. Only last night, she had demanded that he come back home in 2 days' time.

He didn't know what to do. He had to tell her but at the same time, it was impossible to tell her that he was going to leave. He didn't want to leave Jane. Not like this...

He looked up and smiled at her. "I'm staying with a friend," he told her, shrugging.

She narrowed her eyes at him and for a second, Charlie thought that she would see through his lies.

"A friend?" She asked, suspicion etched on her face. "And is your friend obsessed with the color grey?"

"Huh?"

"Is your friend a creepy psychopath who is so insecure that he feels the need to constantly dominate his significant other?"

Charlie rolled his eyes and groaned loudly. "Janette, this is seriously getting old now."

That cracked her up and she threw her head back to laugh, her shoulders shaking. Charlie smiled at the sound. He wanted her to laugh forever.