Charlie awoke to voices. "What is she doing here?" A voice snapped. She blinked once. Twice. Then she recognized the voice that belonged to Kylie.
Charlie refrained from gasping and shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep. If she remembered correctly, she was at Logan's house. She must have feel asleep in little Brayden's room. Yep, she confirmed, as she saw Brayden sound asleep, rolled up into a ball beside her on the bed.
She shut her eyes again, praying Kylie wouldn't know she was awake. What was Kylie doing here at Logan's house? This didn't make any sense.
Logan walked in, "Oh, crap. I didn't even know she was here."
Kylie said, "What do you mean you didn't know she was here?"
Charlie still couldn't wrap her fingers around it. Kylie, a senior, her best friend, who hated everyone, especially people like Logan was here at Logan's house. The junior? The jerk? The egotistical bastard.
"I had a party last night, remember!"
She glared, "Yeah, I remember. Char and Luce were practically begging me to come, but I didn't want to be seen with you. It might blow our cover."
What cover? What the hell was going on? Charlie thought. She couldn't take it. She opened her eyes slightly, peeking through. Luckily, both Logan and Kylie's gazes were transfixed on each other, and not looking at Charlie.
Logan finally smiled genuinely. Charlie gaped, because Logan was actually smiling. Not smirking. Not cackling. Not evilly grinning. He was actually smiling. Nicely.
He walked over to her and brushed hair out of her face, "Aw babe. You care so much about me you're willing to stay away from me to save our relationship." His voice softened, "You know, Kylie, I don't care if people know about us. In fact, I think I might like that... a lot. I wouldn't have to flirt with every girl at our school if that was the case."
She closed the gap and they both embraced in a long hug and an even longer kiss.
The realization finally hit Charlie. Logan and Kylie were secretly dating. Kylie? Dating? She suppressed a scoff. And Logan? "Settling down?" Yeah, as if! No wonder Logan never showed up to a waiting Lauren. Because he was secretly in a relationship with Kylie. But why? Why was it such a big secret?
As if reading her thoughts, Kylie sighed, "I know. I want that too, I just don't want to be seen like that. My friends would totally treat me weirdly and embarrass me, and it would be so uncomfortable. I'm sorry, Lo. You know I want us to be public, right?"
He nodded and she smirked, "Plus, we wouldn't want your friends to think you're whipped, right?"
He rolled his eyes playfully, "You should get out of here so I can wake Charlie up and tell her to leave."
She winked and popped open a button of her shirt. Charlie closed her eyes quickly, not wanting to see anything that wasn't PG. "I'll be waiting. In your room." She flirtatiously whispered in a seductive voice.
Charlie winced. Before she could register what was happening, she was shaken awake by an unsuspecting Logan. "What?" She mumbled, pretending to be tired.
"You have to get out of here. Now!" He said in an urgent voice. "Get out!" She could practically see the lust dripping from his eyes.
Charlie mumbled curses under her breath, "Have fun with the sex, bastard." She muttered, still unbelieving of his and Kylie's relationship. Charlie was offended that Kylie would think Charlie and Lucy would treat her weirdly. A boy wouldn't ever make their friendship weird.
"What?" A disbelieving Logan said. "Nothing." Charlie mumbled and looked over. She planted a kiss on Brayden's forehead and whispered to Logan, "Tell him Charlie said bye, okay?" And she walked out of the room and out of the house to find her car waiting for her.
Suddenly, Charlie felt a pang of guilt as she realized her sister and Lucy were probably searching everywhere for her last night. How did they get home? She thought.
And if the day couldn't get any worse, her annoying phone started ringing. She picked up without checking who it was. "What?" She snapped.
"Well, someone's a little cranky." A familiar voice said. Charlie's mood suddenly brightened and she realized it was Caleb. She could practically feel him smirking on the other end. She drove home as she held her phone to her ear using her shoulder. "Sorry." She sighed, "I'm definitely not a morning person."
"Dually noted." He said.
"Mhm." She mumbled, feeling a little spent.
"Where are you, anyway? Here I am tapping on your window for like ten minutes, but I get the feeling you're not home?"
"Wow. Great discovery, Sherlock!" She said sarcastically, "I, um, fell asleep at a party yesterday."
"What?" He said sounding a little shocked.
Charlie realized suddenly how that may have come out she wrong way. "No!" She blurted, "Not like that, I mean, um, I didn't- you know, uh- I didn't sleep with anyone- I just slept- well I did- but he's only 7 years old- and not, um- not that kind of." She cleared her throat, "I didn't have um- sex. I just slept."
"Pedophile." He mumbled.
Charlie laughed, "Sorry Mr.Cop, I just couldn't help myself." She said jokingly.
"Hey. Are you coming home anytime soon?"
"Maybe. Why?" She smirked, "Missing me already, Mr.Cop?"
"Hardly Mrs.Pedophile."
"Mrs.? I'm not married."
She could feel him rolling his eyes as he said, "Yeah, who would marry you?"
She scowled, "Hey!"
Her phone started buzzing and she said, "One sec, I have another call." She put Caleb on hold and answered with, "Hello?"
"Hey, Charlie! You're finally picking up your phone." Mason joked.
Charlie frowned, remembering what happened last night, "Can I help you with something?" She said rudely.
"Um... yeah. I just wanted to say sorry for yesterday."
"Okay?" She said, clearly annoyed. "Later."
"Wait!" He protested, "Are you busy? I mean, we could go get some IHOP or something. I'm totally like spent from last night. I could use some pancakes."
Charlie glared into the phone, "Go get some fucking pancakes with Lauren. Maybe there'll be another kid there that you can have sex with in front of." She angrily hung up, and clicked back on the call with Caleb.
"Hey, sorry, that was-" She was interrupted by shouting.
"Look, Caleb, I know how hard it's been. Trust me, I know more than anyone. I loved your dad. I also know him better than anyone. He would want me to be happy." A woman shouted.
"And you think he would be happy? To see that you're sleeping around with half of the fucking town? You think that would make him happy? You're delusional." That was Caleb shouting now.
"Caleb-"
"Don't." Suddenly, Charlie felt bad for eavesdropping, but she continued to listen.
"Matt-"
"DON'T SAY HIS NAME." Caleb yelled.
She took a deep breath, "Matt, your dad, he told me before he died that he wanted me to find love again. That he wanted me to be happy. And Tim... the man I've been seeing... he makes me feel like your father used to. It's been so long, Caleb. Don't I deserve to move on? Tim is trying so hard to get you to like him but you won't even let him in. Caleb, I love him. You know that no one can replace the place your dad had, right? Tim is just helping me make a fresh start. Your dad will always have that spot just for him. Always."
"Just stop. Do whatever you want. You're not my mother anymore. Get out." Caleb calmly said. Charlie heard a door slam shut, and she jumped up in her seat.
"Caleb?" She whispered softly.
"I have to go." He mumbled.
"Wait!"
"Yeah?"
"I'll be home in 10 minutes. I'll bring the ice cream?"
There was a few minutes of silence and Charlie thought he might have hung up on her but he said, "Okay. I'll bring the blankets."
"Okay." Charlie said, unsure of what else she could say.
"Okay." He responded.
"Okay." She said weakly, and she heard his laugh on the other end.
"See you in 10 minutes, prude." He said playfully.
"I'll see you then, asshole."
"Okay Mrs.Pedophile."
She suddenly wanted to keep talking, "Fine by me, Mr.Cop."
"If you don't stop using your phone while driving, a real cop is gonna pull you over."
"Yeah well, if you..." When she couldn't think of a better comeback, she said, "Your face."
"Nice one." He said, laughing.
"Thanks. I really took my time coming up with it."
"Whatever." She could feel his smile. "Just get your ass over here already." He said and the beep of the phone signaling the end of a call went off.
Charlie smiled to herself and felt giddy at the thought of Caleb. She always loved seeing him laugh, but she really, really loved it when she was the one who made him laugh.