Chapter 16 - Charlotte

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Chapter Sixteen

Charlotte

No, this was not happening – fate couldn't be this cruel.

I stared at the four motorcycles parked in front of my house and restrained the urge to scream. I'd only been gone for under five hours – they couldn't have fallen off the wagon so quickly. Maybe my dad's friends only stopped by to say hi. Maybe they didn't know my parents were clean and trying to sober up.

I walked up the porch stairs and could hear laughter inside.

I knew I should've just come straight home after I left Christian's, but I needed time to think and clear my head. I dropped his truck off at Karla's house, and went to Bridgewalk Public Library for a couple hours. There was something about that place that calmed me down and always made me feel better. I helped Sally shelf books and clean up, and then I walked home.

No, they wouldn't do that to me. I wouldn't believe it – they were serious this time, this time was supposed to be different.

"Charlie!"

I turned around and saw Christian getting out of his truck. "What're you doing here?" I was still mad at him even though a part of me knew he didn't do anything wrong. I was humiliated that he saw my bruises, but moreover, I was upset because I didn't want him to know they were from my parents.

"You leave me stranded at my house out in the country, and that's all you have to say-" He stopped and took a deep breath before saying in a kinder voice, "I mean, I wanted to apologize – I reacted badly, and apparently, I still am. But I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, and I'm sorry. I've been all over town looking for you, Charlie. Just come talk to me, please?"

I kept thinking about when he came and picked me up earlier, and how he talked with my dad, and everything seemed so normal – so perfect. I wanted that and I knew if Christian knew the truth, I wouldn't have it.

I looked backed over at the motorcycles again, and it felt like everything was being ripped away from me. Only five hours ago, it felt like my life was perfect, and for the first time in years I felt a glimmer of hope. Could everything be taken away from me so quickly?

No, I wouldn't believe it. My parents were probably sitting in the house sober and trying to get those guys to leave. They probably had a pile of movies sitting on the coffee table waiting for me to get home, so we could have our movie night.

"No, don't you understand?" I walked down the steps because I didn't want my parents to hear us out here. "I don't want to talk about it. It's none of your business, and you have no right to demand answers from me. We aren't dating, and until one week ago, you didn't even know I existed."

He furrowed his brows and took a hesitate step toward me. "Charlie-" he said in a pained voice.

I heard people laughing and uncertainty began to set in. I looked up at my house and then back at Christian. "No, just go home, okay? I don't like you that way and I definitely don't want you here," but that was a lie. I did want him here, I wanted to run over to him and take comfort in his arms. I didn't want to go inside, but at the same time, there was this small part of me that clung to the hope that they were still sober.

And if they weren't, I couldn't bare it if Christian witnessed them in that state. He would know the second he saw them where I got the bruises from, and I was terrified of what might happen.

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