(Warnings: Mentions of past abuse but the mentions aren't graphic/detailed. Message me if you want more details before continuing! <3)
Out of all of the time that you spent with Charlie, you decided that in particular, mornings were your favorite. It almost felt sacred to you. It was part of the ritual of sneaking away together.
Waking up with your head on his chest and his arms wrapped around you always felt like a mini victory. You made it through the night together. In moments where time alone was scarce, having an entire night dedicated to sleeping in his arms felt like the ultimate prize.
This morning, Charlie was awake before you. Instead of lazing around with you for hours, he decided to make sure that you woke up to everything you deserved and more.
You woke up to the smell of coffee and your initial reaction was that perhaps you fell asleep with a candle still lit, which was a bad habit of yours. As your eyes fluttered open, you remembered that you weren't even in your apartment in the first place.
As you came to, you remembered that not only were you in a hotel room but you were also there with Charlie.
A sleepy smile formed on your face as you shifted in the bed, stretching your arms over your head and letting out a quiet yawn.
Across the room, Charlie was putting a plate of food together for you. He'd been nervous that he'd get carried away and eat too much if he didn't set aside some for you to begin with. When he heard the gentle noises you were making, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned brightly at the sight of you awake.
"Good morning, honey." Charlie greeted you, separating some fruit onto a smaller plate for you. "Did you sleep alright? I was trying to be quiet, I hope I didn't wake you up."
"I slept so well." You said honestly, dreamily sighing as you thought back to how well you had been able to rest since you were with Charlie. You had only good dreams when your head was against his chest.
He had his back turned towards you, putting the finishing touches on your breakfast but he was smiling even larger now. He felt the same way. He'd gotten used to sleeping in unfavorable conditions at home so to be able to share a large bed with you was unreal.
"Coffee? Water? When you're ready for food, I have some for you." Charlie called out to you, popping a piece of cut-up melon into his mouth as he spoke. "I already called off work for us today."
He looked back at you excitedly, swallowing his bite, "We're free."
You giggled at that as you slowly scooted into a seated position. "Are we laying in bed all day?" You asked and pulled the blanket closer, "Coffee, please, by the way."
Charlie chuckled, pouring some creamer into your mug. "Do you want to lay in bed all day, angel?" He asked, responding to your question in amusement.
Your skin flushed with heat at the casual nickname. It felt special when he called you that. He was always affectionate with people he knew well, calling them pet names, but this one was just for you. "Maaaybe." You responded in a sing-song voice.
He turned towards you, blowing on your steaming cup of coffee to cool it down for you as he approached. "Then, sure, we'll lay in bed all day," Charlie said simply, deciding to do whatever you wanted. He was just so happy to be here with you. He was willing to do anything to make sure you were just as thrilled as he was.
You made a slight hum of happiness as you took the cup from it and began blowing on it yourself, copying what he had just been doing for you. "Thanks." You told him, looking up at him where he was standing on the edge of the bed. "For everything, not just the coffee."
"For everything?" Charlie asked you, eyebrows furrowed.
You looked him over as you thought about how you wanted to word it. His hair was messy from sleep, somehow even fluffier than usual and sticking up slightly in certain places. He had on a thin white t-shirt and a pair of boxers, watch and socks still on. He was so handsome and adorable.
You were so in love with him.
"Skipping work to spend time together." You looked up at him with a smile, "Singing me to sleep. Making me laugh...Being so sweet with me all of the time."
He looked down at you with pure affection before leaning over and pressing a kiss to your forehead with a hand in your hair as he did so to hold you in place, the size of his palm comparable to your head. "You don't have to thank me. But I appreciate it. You're very welcome." He told you softly.
Charlie was always taken back by your tenderness with him. He hardly admitted that reassurance is what he needed from a relationship, but it became clear how much he craved it deep down whenever you gave it to him.
When it came down to it, Charlie Barber was a huge softie and he was very grateful that he could show that side to you and you not only embraced it but encouraged it.
While thinking of this, Charlie bent down and kissed your forehead again, this time letting his lips linger there for a few long moments before pulling away. "You're such a good girl." He told you genuinely, then kissed the tip of your nose with a smile.
You gave him a huge grin and it satisfied him enough to sigh happily, glad that you enjoyed his praise. Charlie pulled away to get his own plate of food and join you for breakfast in bed.
The two of you might have been hiding away in an unfamiliar hotel, but because you were alone together, it felt like heaven.
The two of you laid in bed from the moment you woke up to the early afternoon.
At home, Charlie hated eating in bed and it was one of his rules. Snacks could take place in every room in the house besides his bedroom. He hated the crumbs and the thought that there could be bits of food underneath him as he slept.
But hotels were different. This was temporary.
And besides, the excitement that you showed him when he brought your plate of waffles and eggs over, to set on the towel that he laid out on the bed in front of you, was enough to convince him.
At one point, you got distracted by him being so close to you and looking so cute in his pajamas that you abandoned your food and began kissing all over his skin. Charlie had to sit you in between his legs and make sure you finished your food before he made you cum a few times.
Breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Which is the reason that Charlie ate you out while you ate your waffles.
The two of you decided that although you enjoyed laying in bed and watching television together, you needed a change of scenery. You knew that it wasn't wise to go out in public together on the off chance that Charlie ran into someone that he knew while he was with you.
But you came to the conclusion that you'd be alright if you met somewhere discreet and walked there at separate times. There was a library a few blocks over and Charlie shared that he went there with Henry sometimes and never ran into anyone he knew.
The thought of spending your afternoon quietly and comfortably reading next to Charlie with a cup of coffee made you excited. It was something that a real couple would do and any time that you were able to pretend that Charlie Barber was yours, you were going to take it.
Soon, you were ready for the day. You made sure to bring a tiny skirt that Charlie always complimented and the pair of long socks he bought for you, soft and dark gray. It was getting cold outside, so you also had on a sweater that Charlie couldn't seem to keep his hands off of.
"You're so pretty for me, aren't you? Are you ready for a day at the library with daddy?" He asked you, coming up behind you and running his large hands up and down the sides of your body.
You giggled and arched against him, making little noises each time that his hands came in contact with your bare skin, whether he was slipping them under your shirt or skirt. "I think so," You hummed, "If you keep doing that, though, we'll never leave."
Charlie chuckled, bending down so that he could kiss along your shoulder. "I thought we could grab a pizza on the way back and bring it here. We could have another slumber party. Pajamas and all."
You let your hands drift over his, squeezing slightly. "You want me to stay the night with you again?"
His fingers interlaced with yours. "You know I love having you here. If it were up to me, I'd always have you all to myself."
You grinned at that and then bent your head back in an attempt to look up at him. "I am all yours, Charlie. Even when I have to hide it."
He smiled at that and kissed your forehead from above you. "And I'm yours. Always, I promise."
You let a quiet noise of comfort out as you stood on your toes to reach up and press your lips against his.
The only thing that took you out of your moment of pure happiness was the sound of Charlie's phone dinging which indicated an incoming call.
"Fuck." You sighed and Charlie made a similar noise as he pulled away from you. He patted your shoulder gently in a quick way to comfort you before he rushed over to where his phone was sitting on the nightstand.
"Sorry, honey. I have to take this." He told you, holding his phone up so that you were able to see that Nicole's name was lit up on his screen. "We'll head out afterward, alright?" Charlie asked you as he started walking towards the door that led to the balcony.
You tried not to show your disappointment. You understood that he had to take care of this. "Okay," You agreed, then gave him a sheepish look while you shifted on your feet. "Good luck."
He hesitated with his hand on the handle of the door. He gave you a genuine smile. You were so patient with him. "Think about what kind of wine you want with our pizza tonight. I'll pick that up too." He told you, knowing that it was your favorite thing to drink.
Your crestfallen expression turned back into a happy one, pleased by how thoughtful he was. You gave him a nod and a tiny wave to let him know he should step outside and answer his phone.
You lost track of the time that Charlie was in deep discussion with Nicole, but in reality, it was around twenty minutes so far.
Glancing at him from the other side of the sliding glass door, you could tell that he was worked up from how he was gesturing and his eyebrows were furrowed together. It didn't take a genius to put together the pieces that he was most likely arguing.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, you ran your fingers over the material of the skirt you had on, trying to busy yourself so you didn't eavesdrop on the conversation. As much as you wanted to know what was going on, you weren't sure that you'd be able to handle it if you could pick up something you didn't want to hear.
You glanced back over at him to see him frustratedly running a hand through his hair and exhaling enough to puff his cheeks out slightly. You laid back against the bed and sighed. It was easy to pretend that you were the only woman in Charlie's life because of how well he took care of you.
But right now, when you were all alone on the hotel bed the two of you shared while he was talking to his wife a few feet away, you had to remind yourself not to get carried away in your thoughts.
Charlie knew that the moments of bliss with you couldn't last forever. Soon reality was bound to set in. But he assumed that it would be later. He wasn't ready to give up his fantasies just yet. Especially not to talk to Nicole.
"Well, what did Henry say when you told him that I didn't spend the night at home last night?" He asked, stopping his pacing so that he could reposition his phone in his hand.
Nicole audibly sighed on the other line. "He thought it was cool that you stayed at a hotel and he asked if he could come to see you." She said, almost as if she were irritated that Henry took it so well. She was glad that Henry was happy, but having him upset about the situation could add more fuel to her being the victim.
Charlie was relieved. "Well, he can come over here tonight if you let me know ahead of time." He offered, "I'm assuming I'm still not allowed back at home." He said, rolling his eyes. He knew that you'd understand if you had to go back to your apartment for a few hours while he spent time with his son.
"You're allowed to do whatever you want, Charlie. I just don't think it's a good idea to be together when we're fighting like this. I'd rather have Henry think that you're in a hotel to get work done for the theater instead of him seeing us argue." Nicole replied, a snippiness to her voice.
In a way, Charlie agreed. He just disagreed with the entire fight in the first place, so it was hard to voice that to her.
"That's why I called you, actually," Nicole said, now a lot more cautious than she'd been before.
"Henry saw us arguing?" Charlie asked quickly in concern, pausing his movement again to process this.
"No," Nicole said, just as quick. "No, he didn't. I don't think so. I was going to let you know what I decided that I want to do about this."
Charlie leaned his back against the metal rails of the balcony, thinking. "What have you decided?" He asked, wanting clarification.
If you hadn't been mindlessly scrolling through all of the apps on your phone, you might've fallen asleep while you waited for Charlie to get off of the phone because of the way that you were lying down on the comfortable hotel bed.
He walked back into the room with the door sliding shut loudly, the product of him slamming it behind him as he entered.
You sat up suddenly and scooted to the edge of the bed, watching him to gauge what his mood was, trying to put the pieces together from the conversation that just took place that you hadn't been able to hear.
Charlie said nothing to you, but instead, he went to the mini-fridge and opened it, pulling out a beer and violently twisting the top off, tossing it into the trash.
You glanced over at the time. It was barely past noon. You knew that Charlie liked to unwind with a drink or two, but you'd never seen him drink so early. You grew nervous, alternating between staring down at your hands and glancing up at him. You weren't sure what to say. It was hard to decide how to navigate a situation like this.
He still hadn't addressed you. Instead, he began pacing around the room, taking abrupt drinks from the bottle in his hand. At times, he'd stop and dig for something in his bag or look at his phone again before putting it back in his pocket.
"Charlie?" You finally asked in a quiet voice.
He turned on his heel to look at you, eyebrows raised. You couldn't tell if he was angry at you for interrupting his process or if he'd been so caught up in his thoughts that he forgot that you were even there in the first place.
You looked at him with a similar expression though yours was rooted in nerves, while his origin was his frustration.
Charlie's knee-jerk response was to be snippy with you just because that's what he was used to when he was in a mood like this. But then he looked you over and he felt his wall of grumpiness beginning to crumble.
He took in the way you were staring at him with concern, eyebrows knitted together and eyes big. You were wearing the pair of socks that he bought for you and your feet were dangling over the edge of the bed, swinging slightly. You looked adorable and nervous and his urge to comfort you overwhelmed his current troubles.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Charlie told you with a frown.
You blinked, processing that. He seemed so defeated. "You don't have anything to apologize for."
He was quiet for a moment. Charlie then audibly exhaled in relief. His posture changed as if you literally took a weight off his shoulders. He moved over to the bed beside you, the mattress sinking in under his weight which caused you to rest against him.
Charlie wrapped an arm around you and pulled you to his side and you kissed his cheek before wrapping an arm around his waist, staying close.
The two of you sat in a soothing silence for a few minutes while Charlie sipped on his beer and you nuzzled against him. You could wait until he was ready to explain what was going on.
"I'm really worried." Charlie finally said in a soft voice.
You pulled away so that you were able to look at him. "Yeah?" You asked him gently, encouraging him to continue without pressuring him.
You watched as he avoided your eyes and swallowed hard. You could tell that he was trying his best not to get emotional and it made your stomach twist.
"I think I've been so distracted by a future with you that I didn't realize how much this divorce was going to change my life." He admitted. "I'm not worried about it ending, but I'm worried about what's going to happen when it does."
You didn't say anything because you wanted him to keep talking.
Charlie took a long sip of his beer, then handed it over to you so that he could lean forward with his elbows on his knees and run his hands over his face.
You began rubbing his back, trying your best to calm him down and soothe him like he'd done for you so many times before.
"Nicole's going to LA for a few weeks and she's bringing Henry with her," Charlie told you, the sound slightly muffled from the way he was speaking into his palms.
"Oh," You responded simply, thinking about it. You didn't want to show him that you didn't understand why that was such a big deal. You didn't want to invalidate him.
"And I know that isn't a big deal." Charlie continued as if he could read your mind. "But it just made me realize that when we get divorced, what's stopping her from doing shit like that all the time?"
The gentle circles against his soft dress shirt paused for a moment while you took that in. You continued again, nails scratching against him just slightly in a satisfying way. "Like taking him to LA?" You asked, wanting to understand.
Charlie moved his hands away from his face and sat back up now, but he kept his eyes ahead. "Taking him to LA for weeks at a time, fuck, maybe even months. She might even want to move there. She tells me all the time that I'm the only reason we're in New York."
You could hear the panic in his tone as he began realizing how quickly and severely things were going to change when the separation took place.
Charlie shifted, running hands through his hair and taking in shaky breaths. He was trying his best to be strong for you. He didn't want to make you upset by seeing him worked up. He knew that you often relied on him to be your rock and he didn't want that to change.
But it was so hard to control the way that tears pricked at his eyes as the mental image of Henry getting on a plane with his suitcase to move across the country from him entered his mind.
He was doing a decent job at hiding it, but you could see the way his shoulders were trembling and you could hear the sniffles.
It broke your heart to see Charlie so sad.
You scooted up next to him and put an arm around his waist, resting your head on his shoulder to let him know that you were there for him.
Charlie felt better to have you so close and he let some of his walls fall, comfortable enough to be this vulnerable with you. He usually dealt with these kinds of emotions on his own and it was an entirely different situation to have someone on his side.
"I don't want to lose him." He admitted, in a smaller voice from him than you'd ever heard.
You were at a loss. You didn't know how any of this worked. It was hard for you to feel confident that you knew what to say and you didn't want to say the wrong thing and fuck this up.
"You can fight for him, Charlie. He'll know that you're fighting for him. He loves you. He'll understand." You told him, hoping that you sounded confident.
Charlie moved so that he was able to wrap both of his arms around you, holding you close to him. You weren't sure what he was doing at first, but then you felt that he was pressing his nose against your hair and it was clear that he was crying openly now.
"You're an amazing dad. None of this will change that." You told him, squeezing him tight.
He nodded, almost collapsing against you as he repeated that over and over to himself in his mind. He wasn't sure if anyone had ever told him that and he tried so hard to be good to Henry.
The two of you sat like this for a while, as much time as it took for Charlie to cry until he calmed down.
The entire time, he held you tightly to his chest and used his grip on you as this tether to reality to keep himself from overthinking and blowing this small situation out of proportion.
"Thank you." He mumbled, kissing the top of your head before pulling away and quickly wiping at his eyes, trying to hide the evidence from you even though he knew that you were aware of his emotions.
It was strange to him because he assumed that he'd feel embarrassed or apologetic after breaking down in front of you. But he didn't feel that way. He just felt grateful to have you there for him.
"Don't thank me." You assured him. You reached up with your free hand and wiped some of his tears away, a gentle smile on your face to let him know that you didn't mind. "I should thank you."
"For what?" Charlie asked, watching you intently. He loved you so much.
"For the beer." You teased him, motioning towards the bottle that he placed in your hand earlier.
It was enough to make Charlie's lip twitch up into a brief smile which was what you'd been hoping for.
You chuckled a little, then gave him a more serious expression. Your thumb ran over his cheek and you thought about how he'd wiped your tears for you many times before. It felt natural even with the roles reversed. "Thank you for trusting me."
Charlie gave you a look of pure affection. He had no idea what he'd do without you. There was so much that he could thank you for, but he decided to keep it concise. "Thank you for making me feel safe." He decided on brushing some hair away from your face before he kissed your forehead.
You beamed up at him to hear that. One of your favorite things about Charlie was how secure you felt when you two were alone. To know that you could provide the same thing for him was reassuring.
Seeing your smile lifted Charlie's spirits and he was reminded of why he was there in the first place instead of being at work: To spend time with you. "I want to call my lawyer to ask a few questions." He told you, "And I need a cigarette."
"Go on a walk. It's nice out. I'll be here." You assured him, reaching up to kiss him.
"Hm." He murmured, thinking about it as he placed a few quick kisses on your lips, "Okay, honey. When I get back, we'll start our day, though, alright? I still want to take you out."
"Sure," You told him, standing up from the bed.
Charlie did the same and grabbed his jacket that was hanging over the back of the chair. He slipped it on and patted the pockets, making sure he had his cigarettes and lighter. "Behave while I'm away." He teased, walking towards the door.
It was clear that he was still caught up in his anxiety about the future, but he was trying his best, giving you a weak smile and a tiny wave as he left and let the door shut behind him.
You stared at the closed door and sighed deeply.
Glancing down at the half-empty bottle in your hand, you contemplated for a moment before bringing it up to your lips and drinking the rest in a few gulps. Fuck it.
Around forty-five minutes later, you decided that you wanted to go on a walk of your own to make sure that Charlie was doing alright. You knew the kind of mood that he was in before he left and the thought of him needing someone while you were just sitting around, practically twiddling your thumbs, made you anxious.
You grabbed the extra room key that he left for you, put it in your wallet, and left the room in search of Charlie. He was a large man; it wasn't like you'd be able to miss him, even within the crowd of people in the city.
Using the elevator and walking through the lobby on your own felt odd when you reminded yourself that you were there with a married man. As dirty as it made you feel, it also made you feel slightly proud of yourself that you were able to keep it a secret and that someone like Charlie wanted you badly enough to sneak around with you.
You pushed through the sparse crowd of people who were milling around by the check-in desk, mumbling sweet 'excuse me' and 'sorry's.
When you reached the lobby exit, you paused dead in your tracks when you heard your name being called.
It wasn't Charlie's voice. You knew that, far from it.
It was Tom's. Your ex-boyfriend.
You'd recognize it anywhere.
It was the same voice that would yell angrily at you in public. The one that purposefully isolated you from your friends. The voice that accompanied the pain he'd physically inflict on you if you upset him. There was no way that you'd ever forget that.
It felt like your entire world was crashing down around you. In the storyline of your life so far, Tom has been the biggest villain.
One of the most helpful ways that you were able to get over the trauma he'd caused you was to tell yourself that you'd never see him again. And you didn't think that you would. Having him here was far from what you planned.
You glanced behind you and saw him approaching, holding a hand up as his way of telling you to stop before you even started walking away from him. He was suspicious that you didn't want to see him, that much was clear based on the way you hadn't returned his calls and you were offering him the position of power over you by seeing him in person, you would have to run away from him to avoid him now.
You took in a deep breath before you tried your best to push through the commotion of people walking into the hotel in front of you.
This felt like a nightmare.
Moving from the Midwest to New York had been intimidating, but it had been freeing because you were escaping the hold that Tom had on you. Seeing him here, in the one place that felt like your safe space, was devastating.
You knew that you should've been more careful about seeing him, knowing he was in town. But New York was so big and he never specified exactly where he was staying. It seemed impossible to run into him. You supposed you just had horrible luck.
Pushing through the front doors to the hotel and entering the bustling sidewalk was comforting to you instead of being overwhelming. You could lose Tom easier in the crowd of people.
You could hear him calling your name and you noticed how people who passed you glanced in your direction, trying to see whose attention this man was trying to get.
Although you'd been doing a good job at weaving in and out of the multitude of people, you reached an impasse when the crowd came to a stop at the corner of the street, making you pause to figure out the best way to get through.
"There you are." You heard Tom's voice say from behind you before you felt a hand on the back of your arm. "You're quick, aren't you?" He asked in a way that made it seem like he was teasing, but you knew better.
Between his touch and words, you found it hard to breathe. You did your best to catch your breath and come to terms with reality, but in doing so, you let your guard down and allowed Tom to lead you towards the less populated part of the street. He assisted you in moving against a building empty from people asking for spare change or loitering.
With your back against the brick and him standing in front of you, it was impossible not to look up at him even though you would've loved to pretend that he wasn't there in the first place.
Seeing him in a place that wasn't your bad dreams or thoughts was almost breathtaking in the worst way.
Tom saw the look in your eyes and he took it as a pleasant surprise, not a horrifying realization.
"I thought moving out to a big city like this would make you less shy. Are you still nervous around me? Or do you just like it when I chase you? " He asked you jokingly, pretending to be utterly oblivious to how much torment he'd caused you, which was the reason for your hesitance.
You looked him over, not in a way to check him out, but in a way to defend yourself. You were used to being on guard with him that you still felt the need to do so even in the middle of the busy city.
He filled in the silence, "What are the odds I run into you? It must be meant to be. What were you doing at that hotel?"
You took in a shaky breath, glancing at the people passing by on the street behind him, wishing that you could just join them instead of having to deal with this. "Tom, I've been avoiding you on purpose." You admitted, ignoring his comments and questions.
His face fell instantly. "What?" He asked, an edge to his voice, letting you rethink what you'd just said.
There was so much growing that you'd done since you two ended it and you moved away. You felt like a different person because of how much insight and confidence you were growing. But somehow, being in front of him, you felt like a child again.
"I..." You trailed off, trying to figure out how to word it to piss him off the smallest amount. "I wasn't ready to see you. That's why I didn't return your calls. I didn't want to see you. I still don't." You told him, feeling your heart speed up and your mouth go dry.
Tom was staring at you in surprise, eyebrows raised, mouth slightly parted. You never spoke to him this way before. He didn't understand. You didn't look much different, maybe you were wearing a little more makeup, but he didn't recognize you.
He couldn't place why you felt so unfamiliar, but truly, it was because you weren't as submissive now. You were more willing to stand up for yourself.
"You're kidding." Tom exhaled. You watched the way that pink tinged at the tops of his cheeks, a sign that he was getting angry. "All I wanted was dinner with you. Maybe even a drink, for fucks sake. Do you know how rare it is that my job sends me out here? It felt like a sign to see you. This feels like a sign. I can't believe I ran into you."
You weren't sure how to respond. You shifted on your feet and pulled your sweater tighter around you, searching for some sort of comfort in this highly uncomfortable situation. "We didn't leave each other on a good note. Just because you happen to be in my city doesn't mean I want to meet you for a date."
Tom let out a chuckle of disbelief. Before, you would've canceled plans and scheduled your entire day around a potential date with him. "I think we should go sit somewhere and talk right now. I was just going to grab some coffee. But I'm leaving tonight and I don't want to miss this opportunity with you."
Your stomach was doing flip-flops. As you looked up at him, you thought back to all of the shit he put you through. When you still lived in Illinois, you would've bent over backward to please him.
But now, after experiencing what love felt like with Charlie, you realized how unnecessary Tom's approval was.
You were about to tell him no and you were going to make up an excuse as to why you needed to walk away from him. But before you could, the man you were looking for in the first place made his way through the group of people to your left. Charlie.
Charlie walked down the sidewalk, flipping through emails on his phone as he did so. He'd been gone for almost an hour and he spent nearly all of it speaking with his divorce lawyer, wanting to get as much information as possible before he proceeded with the process.
He'd been so caught up in the documents that the lawyer sent over since hanging up the phone that he almost missed you entirely. It took him a moment to process it and he had to do a double-take, not expecting to see you outside of the hotel room.
"Charlie." You called out thankfully, having to squeeze at the material of your shirt to keep yourself from reaching out for him desperately.
Tom said nothing, wanting to observe and get some answers to what was going on.
"Hi. What are you doing out here, honey?" Charlie asked, almost amused to see you wandering around until he took in the nervous look on your face and realized that there was a strange man practically pressing you against the wall behind you.
"I came to find you." You told him, moving away from the outside of the building to take a step closer to him.
Tom looked Charlie up and down, a look of judgment passing over his face as he did so. He held his hand out, offering it to Charlie to shake. "I'm Tom." He introduced himself, "I'm in town for business."
Charlie's eyes narrowed in thought, trying to piece together what was going on. He paused for a moment before offering his hand, still blatantly suspicious as he did so. "Charlie..." He said slowly, trying to decide whether he should be giving that information out or not.
As he placed his hand in Tom's, he had to hold back the laugh that wanted to escape his chest when he felt how hard the other man was gripping him, wanting to assert his dominance.
On the other hand, Tom was less concerned with the handshake itself and more concerned with the wedding band on Charlie's hand that he could feel against his palm. Interesting.
The situation slowly dawned on Charlie as he put together the pieces. His mind went back to a time when he was in your apartment. It was one of the first times he spent the night there. He picked up a picture frame that held a photo of you and your sister and he revealed a photo of you and a man underneath it.
Charlie looked Tom over and realized that he was the same man that had been in that photograph.
Tom was very handsome and close to Charlie's age, a few years younger. He was wearing his work clothes, a nicely tailored suit. It was much different from the slightly wrinkled clothes that Charlie had on, a size or two too large. As much as he hated to admit it, Charlie felt somewhat inadequate and jealous.
Charlie remembered you telling him that your ex-boyfriend lived back home in the mIdwest. Alarms went off in Charlie's head. These facts, mixed with how you were staring up at him in anxiety, alerted him that something was wrong.
Assuming that you two had history and sensing how uncomfortable you were, gave Charlie the urge to step in and take care of this.
"We should start heading back," Charlie said, addressing you, but he was looking between you and Tom quickly, judging the situation.
You nodded and pushed away from the wall, moving beside Charlie as if being closer to him would protect you and the anxious thoughts that you were having.
"We were actually about to catch up and grab a coffee or something. Weren't we?" Tom stepped in, asking you, though his tone was more of a statement than a question. Not only did he want the moment alone with you, but now that another man was involved, Tom also wanted to make sure that you were following his directions, not Charlie's.
You felt like they were both grabbing an arm and pulling you in different directions, even though that was far from the case. Having the two men beside you made you realize that you had to choose between your past and future.
It wasn't a difficult decision.
"No, he's right. I need to get going." You answered, moving towards Charlie.
Charlie had his hand outstretched towards you, wanting to put a gentle hold on your arm so that he could street you away and make sure that you were safe. He only knew a tiny portion of the story, but he had a feeling that this was a big deal, that you were walking away from Tom and he wanted you to know that he was there for you.
You allowed Charlie to hold your arm before he moved his hand to your back, securing you in place beside him. It felt comforting just to have him close to you but mainly to have him touching you.
Tom was upset and confused by your change of heart. He was so used to you doing whatever he asked. He could always count on you for that.
Tom looked over at how close you and Charlie were. He instantly followed behind the two of you, closing that gap that you put in place.
"Are you her boyfriend now or something?" Tom asked in an accusing tone, speaking over the conversation of the people passing you.
Charlie paused and looked down at you, raising an eyebrow. He was in a bad mood, to begin with, having to deal with all of the Nicole drama along with the lengthy talk he had with the lawyer.
All Charlie wanted to do was get back to the hotel room to be alone with you. He was looking forward to wrapping his arms around you and hugging you before he met you at the library close by. He had visions of kissing you in between the shelves, hidden away from the eyesight of anyone but the thrill of being together in public still in your veins.
Now, dealing with this man who made him feel possessive and self-conscious didn't help his grumpiness.
Charlie was allowing you to answer Tom's question yourself and when you didn't, he had no problem stepping in and doing so for you. If you weren't there, he would have a lot to say to Tom, but he didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable.
"I'm a lot more than her boyfriend," Charlie said simply, his mouth set in a deep frown. He wasn't sure how else to describe his relationship with you.
You were his employee, technically. That was the easiest descriptor. But you were also the love of his life, the only reason he smiled lately. For you to be only his girlfriend, felt anticlimactic. You were everything to him.
You reached a hand up and squeezed his arm gently. Charlie Barber admitting out loud that you two had a relationship made your heart pound. You did so much to hide it away that hearing him be almost proud of how much you meant to him made you extremely happy.
Tom laughed bitterly at that, narrowing his eyes to look at the two of you. He glanced down at the ring on Charlie's finger. His stare landed on you again, patronizing. "Wow, look at you. You moved to New York to find yourself and this is where you ended up. Is it everything you ever hoped it would be? Living on your own and fucking a married man?"
Your jaw dropped just slightly. You weren't shocked that he was speaking to you in this way. He always did, even when you thought he loved you. But it was the content of it that threw you off guard, the mention of Charlie being married specifically.
Charlie's entire body tensed up and his touch on the small of your back dropped entirely in fear that he would take his anger out on you without meaning to. He was collecting himself, stopping himself from losing his temper altogether. He didn't want to cause a scene and he didn't want to upset you with an outburst.
Tom was pleased by the shock on both of your faces. "Your sister told me that you'd been seeing someone who wasn't good for you, but I assumed it was some douche bag you met at a bar. Not an old man that you have to sneak away to a hotel with so his wife doesn't find out."
That was the last straw for Charlie. He swiftly moved in front of you so that he was shielding you from the two of them as he moved close to Tom. "You need to watch the way you're talking to her."
Tom said nothing in response, but he had a big, satisfied grin on his face, proud that he was able to work Charlie up this much. He took a step closer to him in a way to challenge him.
"Mind your business too. Do you understand? You aren't in her life for a reason. Keep it that way." Charlie spoke to him with his finger pointed in his direction, emphasizing each of his charged words.
You moved to the side so that you were able to hear Charlie better, blinking in surprise. You'd seen him angry before, but since he was so sweet and gentle with you, it still took you by surprise to see him this way.
Tom took a long look at him, smirking in judgment. He started stepping away, looking at you again now. "You won't want to be here for much longer. When you decide you can't handle it and you come running back home, I'll be there."
Charlie was fuming. He didn't like the way that he was disrespecting you and he also didn't like the idea that this was the man you'd been with before him. Charlie knew that you hadn't had great experiences in relationships but imagining you being with Tom made his stomach sink.
You said nothing, ducking your head away, so you didn't have to look at him. You were trying your best not to get emotional. All of this happened so quickly and you didn't have enough time to process it.
Charlie put a gentle arm around your waist so that he could begin leading you through the people in the direction of the hotel. It was crowded enough that his arm placement wouldn't be evident to those you walked past. His thumb rubbed against your sweater, soothing you.
As angry as he'd been, having you almost alone made him tender for you again, just wanting to take care of you instead of just wanting to fight your ex-boyfriend.
You were shivering and you weren't sure if it was from the cold breeze or everything that just happened.
The two of you were silent the entire time you got back to the room because you were both sorting through your feelings. When the door shut and locked behind you, you were able to let your guard down finally.
You took a seat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand over your face in thought.
You watched as Charlie began pacing in front of you and it brought you back to how you'd been in this position that morning when he got off the phone with Nicole. Although this situation was different, it was the same concept. The two of you could be so happy if it weren't for your pasts coming back to haunt you.
"I'm so sorry." You told him quietly, feeling guilty that you not only brought him into a situation where he got upset but also because of Tom bringing up the fact that he's married.
Charlie stopped his movements to look at you with a frown. "Sorry?" He asked, repeating what you said so he could make sure that he heard you correctly.
You swallowed hard and nodded, fidgeting in your seat on the mattress. Being around Tom, who treated you so much differently than Charlie, made you on edge again. You assumed that he was going to get mad at you the way that Tom would've.
Charlie instantly softened at that, noticing how small and cautious your body language was. "Don't apologize, sweetheart. You didn't do anything wrong." He told you gently. He moved beside you on the bed and put a hand on your knee.
This conversation mirrored the one you had this morning, but the roles were now reversed.
You took a deep breath and nodded, reminding yourself that this was just Charlie. There was no reason to be afraid.
As upset as he'd been on the sidewalk a moment ago, almost all of that was gone from Charlie's body now. Instead, he just wanted to comfort you. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. "Who was he, honey?"
You frowned, looking down so that you could toy with the edge of your skirt, wanting a distraction. "My ex-boyfriend. From home." You admitted. In his silence, you kept speaking. "That's why I've seemed like something's wrong. He keeps calling me because he's in town for work and I've been so nervous to see him.."
Charlie thought about that. He remembered how you cried in his apartment the night before after you spilled your wine in the hallway. He knew that something was going on, but he hadn't realized it was something like this.
"He must be staying in this hotel. I went to find you and I ran into him..." You told him.
Charlie could sense the nerves in your tone and he wrapped an arm around you and pulled you tightly to his side. "Is this okay?" He muttered quietly, wanting to make sure that you were okay with this much touch right now.
"Please." You said softly, your way of letting him know that not only was it okay, but you needed it.
Charlie nodded and pulled you onto his lap, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. He gave you a few moments to collect your thoughts. "Can I ask a few things?"
"Sure." You told him, running your fingers over his hand, over his knuckles.
"He was your first relationship?" He asked, glancing down at how tiny your hand looked compared to his.
You frowned and nodded, "My only relationship."
Charlie's lips pursed in thought. Tom was an ass and he was your only experience before him... "How'd you meet him?"
You sighed as you thought about it. You turned his palm over so you could attempt to grab his hand and Charlie eagerly closed his fingers around yours, holding you.
"My sister got married a few years ago. I was the maid of honor and Tom was her husband's best man. I hadn't met him before then. I guess we were flirting at the rehearsal dinners and all that, but I never fully realized it at the time." You shrugged, remembering.
Tom had seemed so distinguished, handsome, and older. You assumed he wouldn't want anything to do with someone as inexperienced and naive as you. But in reality, that's what he liked about you the most. You were trusting and immature. You listened to everything he said and assumed he was right. It was perfect for him.
"I think I've told you before that my mom passed away not too long ago." You said, glancing over at him.
He nodded, letting you know that he remembered. You weren't guarded with him, but you often kept your past to yourself, not wanting to overwhelm him or overshare.
One night when you two were tangled in your sheets together, you admitted to him that you didn't have much of a family. Your dad hadn't been around since you were a baby and your mom was sick for most of your childhood. You didn't tell him specifics, but you did tell him that she wasn't alive anymore and the only person you had was your sister, Erin.
"Well, I was really sad when my sister got married because I felt like my mom should be there and I got drunk at the reception. It was one of the first times I ever drank, honestly." You told him, keeping your eyes down.
Charlie nodded, listening, squeezing your hand gently to encourage him.
"I don't remember much of it after I gave my speech at dinner." You sighed, getting a little sad now as you thought about it. "I just remember waking up in a hotel room with Tom later that night."
He didn't need to ask anything. He could connect the dots. You were sad on a very emotional day and had too much to drink. Tom saw the opportunity and took advantage of you. He felt another spike of anger enter his body.
You chuckled a little, not because it was funny but because you were embarrassed. "I lost my virginity to him that night and I know it shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but I felt like I was indebted to him somehow. It should've just been a one-night thing, but I wanted to be with him...I wanted to love him, so it felt more special to look back on, I think. I don't know if that makes sense."
Charlie swallowed hard, "It makes sense." He assured you. It was taking everything in him not to walk out of the hotel lobby and find Tom so he could beat his face in.
"Anyways, we started dating and things went bad pretty quick, as you can imagine. He was terrible to me, but it was hard to get away from him because of how close he was to my brother-in-law. Moving here felt like a new start because I was so far from him... I can't believe he was here." You said softly, shaking your head.
Charlie took that in, alternating between grasping your hand together or running his thumb along your skin. He thought about how he wanted to ask the following question and a part of him wondered if he should say anything at all.
"Sweetheart," He started softly, getting your full attention. When you looked into his eyes, he continued. "Did he ever hurt you?"
You faltered at the question. Memories flooded your mind of past arguments that had turned physical. You thought it was just a part of fighting with a partner. It took you a while to realize how wrong it was. "Sometimes." You answered him quietly, barely audible.
Charlie's grip tightened on you, but he did his best not to flinch or react to your answer outwardly. He thought about you putting your trust into a man like Tom and only getting hurt in response.
Charlie noted how patient and forgiving you were with him and his stomach sank when he realized how hard it must be for you after all that you've gone through. You trusted Charlie and although he never took it for granted before, he appreciated it more than ever.
He didn't even realize that tears were pricking his eyes for the second time today until he heard you sniffle yourself. Charlie's gaze snapped up to you and instantly began wiping your tears away as they fell down your cheeks.
You allowed him to comfort you, moving your cheek against his touch.
"I wish I would've been there to protect you," Charlie said gently, his bottom lip trembling as he spoke. "I would do anything to be able to go back and save you before you ever had to experience that." He said genuinely.
You nodded, agreeing. You wished he would've been there back then too. If Charlie had been your first relationship, your view on love would've been so much different, even with the current circumstances.
"You're here now." You offered, touched that he was getting emotional just to think about you in pain.
Charlie gave you a weak smile, "I am." He said. "I'm here now, angel. I'll protect you, I promise." He told you. He was referring to having Tom wandering around the city, but he also meant in general. He'd do anything to keep you safe.
You leaned forward and kissed him briefly, overwhelmed by the affection you had for him. You knew that he felt this way but hearing it out loud was so much different. You needed it.
"I know that it's hard to believe me after what you've gone through and what I put you through every day by sneaking around, but I need you to know that you can trust me. I'm always going to be here for you." He told you, kissing you in the same way you'd just kissed him.
You hummed against his lips and held him in place, not wanting him to pull away just yet. "I know." You assured him in between kisses. You then shifted in his lap, so you were straddling him, making it easier to wrap your arms around his neck.
He made a noise of comfort and wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you tightly against his chest. He pulled away to look at you. "I love you." Charlie said, "I love you so much."
You smiled, feeling like you were floating. Having Charlie reassure you was all you needed to recover from the trauma of today. You could get through anything if you had him. "I love you too." You muttered, crashing your lips down against his again.
You two continued this kissing, just enjoying each other's company and bodies pressed against each other. Opening up to him about Tom made you feel closer to him and you wanted to act on this newfound closeness.
"You're mine. I'm never going to let anything hurt you." Charlie told you, moving his hands to your thighs, grabbing you there and moving up towards your ass to squeeze there as well.
You gasped at the feeling, letting out a slight giggle as you ground your hips down against him. All of the anxiety you had just been dealing with was slowly dissipating while Charlie touched you this way.
"I'm yours." You agreed, then moved forward to begin kissing his neck. "Can I tell you something?" You asked, slightly muffled.
Charlie tilted his head back with a sigh and nodded, "Tell me everything."
You hesitated, working up the courage. "When you stood up for me outside... I liked it."
Charlie smirked, his hips twitching upwards at that. "You did? You liked it when I got angry and defended you?" He asked, curious. When you nodded, he continued. "Before he was an ass to you, I was just jealous. I wanted him to know that we're together."
You kissed his neck, enjoying the way that he was talking. "I like when you get possessive... What did you say again? You're more than my boyfriend?" You asked, feeling bold from the way Charlie was reacting to your touch.
He nodded with a breathless chuckle. "I did." He said, his hands exploring all over your body. "I guess I am, though, aren't I? Your secret boyfriend?" He asked you, almost shy to say it out loud.
You pulled away so you could give him a big, silly grin. You looked him over, wondering what it would feel like when you could publicly be with him. This was a good start. "My boyfriend." You repeated, in awe just to admit it.
Charlie laughed, his whole face lighting up with happiness, a welcome contrast to how sad he'd been a moment ago. "Is that okay, honey? Do you want to be my girlfriend?" He realized that as he asked it, it was the first time either of you had used a title to describe your relationship. It made him giddy, like you two were somehow more serious now. He was aware of how immature it made him feel, but he didn't care. He enjoyed it too much.
You nodded, your eyes going wide at how much you wanted that. "Please?" You asked him, almost bating your lashes.
Charlie groaned at your reaction, your genuine sweetness making him throb. Or maybe it was the way that you were rubbing yourself against him and the feeling of your body under his large hands. But regardless, he found himself aching and needy for you.
He let out a gentle growl as he hooked his hands under your thighs and stood up, picking you up in the process of doing so. "You're my girlfriend, baby. My perfect little girlfriend."
You moaned happily, allowing him to move over to the couch, holding you in the air as he did so. He gently set you down and bent you over the arm of the sofa by putting his hand in between your shoulder blades and pushing your body over it.
When you were bent over, ass in the air towards him, Charlie groaned again as he looked you over. He slowly pushed your skirt up, allowing him to see the panties you had on. "I want to remind you that you belong to me, okay, honey? Let daddy show you how well he can take care of you."
You gasped, overwhelmed by the way he spoke to you and the slightly rough way he was touching you. It was rare for him to be like this and it was always your favorite. "Yes, daddy." You responded.
Charlie grinned at that and began running his fingers over the curve of your ass, pulling your panties off in one smooth motion as he did so. He brought a hand down and gently smacked your ass, not enough to sting but enough for you to enjoy the feeling. "So pretty." He muttered.
You shivered at how large his hand felt as he spanked you. It was a reminder of how big and strong he was and how gentle he was with you. He could've smacked you hard, but he didn't. Like he said before: he just wanted to take care of you.
Charlie began undoing his belt and before you knew it, you felt him prodding the head of his cock along your entrance, smacking your ass again to let you know to spread your legs. "Open up, sweetheart. Let daddy in."
You did as he said, scooting your feet so that you could part your thighs. Your back arched to allow him better access, already so needy for him.
"Good girl," He sighed, a whine tinging his voice as he continued to tease you by running his cock along your folds. "I'm going to give you what you need, but you have to do something for me first, okay?" He asked in a gentle tone.
You nodded, "Anything." You said, wiggling your hips in time with his stroking.
Charlie's teeth ran along his bottom lip as he watched you, having to hold back from giving in right away. "Tell me you love me. Can you do that for me, angel? I just want to hear it."
You whimpered at his request and at how happy it made you feel. You'd been expecting him to request something dirty, not that. You carefully looked over your shoulder, making eye contact with him to the best of your abilities.
"I'm so in love with you, Charlie." You told him honestly.
Charlie exhaled deeply, taken back for just a moment. He rocked his hips just slightly so that he was beginning to thrust inside of you. "I love you too, so much. You mean everything to me." He said before entering you entirely, his entire cock inside of you in one movement.
The two of you kept your eyes on each other as you gasped at the feeling, the inhales breaking off into loud moans of surprise, always so shocked at how good it felt.
"Oh god," Charlie groaned, staring down at you as he began fucking you, rocking his hips in and out. "I think you were made for me. You're so tight. The perfect fit." He grunted as he picked up the speed immediately, needing more even though he was already getting it.
You weren't able to respond verbally. Instead, you let out a noise of pleasure and allowed yourself to turn back around so that you were staring down at the couch, wanting to focus on how good it felt instead of positioning yourself to stare up at him.
Charlie fucked you like this for a while, thrusting wildly and spanking you in between the rolling of his hips. The sounds in the room could be described as almost animalistic, just pure pleasure and adoration. Besides the city outside, the only thing that could be heard was the sounds of your bodies against each other, moaning, and words of love.
"I fucking love you." Charlie groaned, his hands grasping at your hips to assist him in driving into you at a quick speed, "You're all mine. You belong to me. It won't be long until everyone knows." He grunted.
You moaned at that, imagining the day that you two could go in public together and display your affection. You realized that he wasn't wearing a condom again, another sign of his trust in you.
"Would you like that? Letting me show you off? Everyone will be so jealous that I have the hottest little girlfriend in the world." Charlie muttered, getting lost in the moment of being inside of you. He reached down so that his chest was against your back and he began rubbing at your clit, in perfect rhythm.
Your toes curled and you arched more against him, a shock of pleasure getting sent through your system. "I can't wait. I just-oh," Your words were interrupted by a moan when Charlie's touch was hitting the right spot. "I-I just want everyone to know I'm yours."
"Soon." Charlie moaned, his thrusts becoming sloppy and rushed because he could feel the way you were throbbing around him, getting closer to your orgasm and drawing him in.
"I want it so bad." You whined, unable to feel any sort of embarrassment for how
"Shh, I know, honey, I know you do. So do I. It's okay." Charlie cooed, his fingers still working perfectly on your clit.
You whimpered loudly. So close.
"You wanna cum for me? Cum for daddy." Charlie rambled, kissing the back of your shoulder, the closest part of you to his lips. "Please, baby. I want you to cum." He groaned desperately, wanting you to finish before him.
Your jaw dropped in a silent moan as you felt your orgasm hit you. You'd been right there, but having his encouragement forced it to happen, rushing through your body in waves.
You tensed up as you experienced the euphoria and Charlie fucked you right through it, not stopping his pace even though he brought his fingers away from your clit as not to overstimulate you.
When he felt how your pussy throbbed and clenched around him, it was enough to make Charlie cum in an instant, not expecting it. He gasped as he slowed his motions down, wanting to continue to move inside of you as he came, filling you up.
Whines left both of your chests as you slowly came down from your highs and enjoyed the last few moments of sex before it became too much.
Catching his breath, after several minutes, Charlie worked up the strength to pull out from you and while doing so, he picked you up in his arms.
You collapsed against him, giggling sleepily and putting an arm around his neck.
"Let's get you cleaned up," Charlie murmured, kissing all over your face, over and over again as he spoke. "We still have a date to get to, don't we?"
Despite everything, you felt like you were in heaven.