{Charlie's P.O.V}
"Ok, a patient came in with symptoms that include shortness of breath and/or trouble of breathing especially with physical extortion, dizziness and lightheadedness, problems with fainting during physical activity, and chest pains, along with your initial examination and finding swelling in their ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck, and hearing arrhythmias, and heart murmurs. What would your first instinctive thing to test for and what tests would you do to come to that diagnosis." I read the question off the card out loud to Sloane who paces in my kitchen with half a sandwich in her hand, her blue scrubs making a weird sound as they rub together with every step. We've been doing this for about an hour because her intern exam is in a few hours and if she passes shell become a resident at the hospital, so I'm here quizzing her like I have been since 9 am, it's now 12:30.
"Cardiomyopathy, the key symptoms would be the swelling in the veins in the neck, caused by the heart pumping too much blood, you would perform a C.T scan which would show irregular heart patters and some swelling in the left ventricle." she turns to me with her eyebrows raised.
"Correct," I tell her and then toss the heavy textbook down on the island counter.
"No no don't put the book down were not done yet" she says urgently walking over and picking it up. I sigh and stand up walking up to her and grabbing her shoulders, turning her to me and looking up at her seeing as she too, along with everyone else I know has a few inches on me.
"We are done because it's past one-thirty and you have to be at the hospital in an hour. Sloane listen you're going to ace this exam I promise. And when you do I'm taking you to the club and we'll celebrate the hell out of you becoming a resident. You got this ok?" I give her shoulders a slight shake in assurance after my little pep talk and I watch her face relax.
"Ok, yeah I got this. Im going to rock this fucking exam" she exclaims and I laugh.
"Exactly. Also, we finished all the topics and questions so there's not much else to do. Now you get going because you can't be late." I tell her backing away and letting her stalk off to the front door.
"Don't forget to eat something" I remind her from my spot still in the kitchen, she gives me a thumbs up while putting her shoes on.
"And water don't forget to drink water" I add as she opens the door.
"They give us some in the exam but thank you. I love you" she yells halfway out the door.
"Love you too" I call out watching her leave but the door shuts before that.
I chuckle to myself as I turn to my coffee maker and start making another pot. I planned to start my morning with it and a puzzle-like I always do, but Sloane walked into my house and into my room at 9 am asking that I help her study, I said yes obviously. She's my best friend and she's been working so hard to become a surgeon, and after this exam, she's one step closer to where she wants to be. Im proud of her and want to see her succeed so of course id help her, she loves working at a hospital and helping other people and with her brains, who am I to not help her.
After I've made my coffee how I like it I head over to the living room, and to the small table I have near the window where my record player sits and crouch down looking through but little crate filled with records, making a mental note I need to buy another crate seeing as this one is basically filled to the brim. I flip through the alphabetically sorted records according to last names shuffle through half the alphabet until I pass the t section not finding the one I want until one catches my eye. I ponder putting this one on because I know what song is on this one. I say fuck it and grab "The Thin Red Line' album Glass Tigers 1986 album and get it on the player.
I head over to the coffee table in the living room a few steps away from where I just was and sit down in front, of it where I have a puzzle halfway done, as the first track Thin Red Line starters playing. With the outline already pieced together and the bottom left corner done working its way up. The puzzle is about 5000 pieces if I can remember correctly. I scan the possible pieces that could fit with the open spots and pick one up and get ready to place it. That's when I hear an annoying ring come from the kitchen.
"God damn it. I just fucking sat down" I whine flopping my head down on the table. I sigh and get up begrudgingly and walking back to the island and grabbing my phone. Quickly realizing it was Dean calling.
"Hello?" I ask.
"Well don't be too thrilled to hear me" Dean quips sarcastically.
"Well, I had just sat down with my morning coffee that doesn't even count as a morning coffee anymore and sat down with music and a puzzle, after studying with Sloane all morning for her intern's exam for hours I could basically perform an appendectomy myself now." I rant huffing after and crossing my arm over my chest.
"Meow kitty put the claws away, I was only calling because im bored and wanted to know if you wanted to go do stuff, but if you're going to be sassy bitch about it ill find someone else" he snaps back but in a joking way. I sigh and laugh.
"What were you thinking of doing. Also, I thought you were working today" I say sipping my coffee before it goes cold.
"Nah Jesse came in so arch didn't need me, now I have the rest of the day off. Now my sister invited me to the beach, but I didn't want it to be just us two, so I was thinking you might come?" he suggests. I laugh at him heartily.
"You're asking me to come to the beach with you because you don't have the balls to go alone with your sister" I quire pursing my lips and heading back to my coffee table and taking a seat on the floor in front of it. I shift to hold the phone between my shoulder and ear so I could multitask.
"Ok ouch, firstly. Secondly, it's not that I don't have the balls it's just that I don't want to hear her constant nagging about how im almost thirty and I haven't settled down and im still working as a mechanic 'n' all that bullshit and if you're there she won't do that" he exaggerates, starting up his car, as I can hear the engine through the speaker.
"Right... so you don't have the balls to be alone with her?" I question again, with a tone that says I'm right. He sighs a small frustrated sigh.
"If I say yes will you agree to come" he argues frustratedly and full-on laugh.
"Maybe" I say with a tease in my voice.
"Yes I don't have the balls" he bites.
"Nope can't do it" I say with a smug smile.
"Are you serious? You set me up" he whines.
"Im sorry but I was counting on an alone day, I've got a lot on my mind right now and I need to go get groceries" I explain briefly not really wanting to delve into how I'm starting to like a guy who was a complete asshole to me but is also super sweet and goofy and how every time I see him my heart does this funny thing, but like he also treated me like garbage, and is a little insensitive and could definitely use some lessons on respect.
Maybe I should make a pros and cons list?
"Well if I come over maybe we can talk about your problems instead of my sister talking about mine" he suggests cheekily and I can just see him right now with a shrug of his shoulder and a crooked unsure smile on his face.
"Dean Micheal Foster, you are going to go to the beach with your sister, and you are going to tell her you are perfectly happy being single and working in an auto shop and you're going to tell her to suck it up, and that if she cant deal with the fact you're happy how you're living right now she can leave" I rant sternly through the phone, even though im stitching this puzzle together at the moment. I mean come on I love the boy but he's almost 30 and can't stand up to his younger sister.
"Ok, first of all, don't use my full name, that's not fair, and I hate it. Second-" I hear him sigh heavily in a pouty way. "You're right"
"I know" I say gulping down some of my coffee.
"Fine, I'll let you go then"
"Alright. Have fun" I say dragging out the word fun.
"Yeah yeah" I hear the roll of his eyes. We bid our goodbyes and I immediately throw my phone over my head behind me hearing the soft thud of it hitting the couch cushion before heading back to my puzzle and the soft tunes of Glass Tiger.
Three and a half songs later I get up and head to my kitchen for cup of joe number two. I proceed to pour it and then head to my fridge, grabbing my creamer and as im about to shut the fridge door and an immediate smile spreads across my face when I hear the song that starts to play, and I couldn't help but hum along as I walk back to my mug and finish making my coffee, the smile never leaving my face. Even as I sit back down and pick up another piece, I found myself singing along with his voice in my head.
"And then you'll cry over me" hell the lyrics fell through my lips that were still pulled up, I mean I don't know why I'm all smiley I put this record on, on purpose.
The entire song he was on my mind, hell he's always on my mind nowadays, and it's only been a week since I last saw him, you'd think he'd vanish from my thoughts in that time, yeah nope, I can't rid it of him. Let's be honest here, aside from the very first interaction we had at my job, we've been on ok terms, except for the weird possessiveness when we were at the race...I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit hot. I have my reasons ok, he keeps me on my toes, in a good way, and I like that. The confidence he gives me is insane, whether it's him teasing me back about something or he blatantly compliments me. The little sexual remarks I can live with, cause I'll be honest, it boosts my ego. Well, I'm also not going to leave out the obvious either, he's god when it comes to sex as if he invented the sport, and is the most respecting human being whilst doing the act, and not destroying the mood at the same time.
See like I- there are just so many participating factors here that arent helping my case but they are because they're good factors but they're meaningless if he doesn't feel the same about me. What am I supposed to do exactly, it's not like I can walk up to him, look him in the eyes and ask him 'hey I know its been like just over a week but I like you a lot and I was wondering if you feel the same because if not I'll look like a real idiot right now and probably never leave my house again.' well I might not word it exactly like that, but knowing my and my horrible thought to mouth coordination it'd be something along those lines, because he also somehow manages to make me extremely nervous at time too, not in a bad way.
What bothers me the most is that we haven't talked in a week, not even a text and now my mind is overthinking that too. To be fair I have his number too, I could've texted him as easily as he could me, I just don't want to seem desperate.
Wow, I have been single for way too long, I clearly have no idea what im doing. Truthfully though I have been single by choice, ish. Maybe I should think about the online dating thing again, maybe start that backup. Im just worried if I do that I'll end something that could have some potential, maybe ill wait on that a bit, not dive into it right away. God knows I struggle in that department too.
I finally shut myself up and sigh to myself. I really hate my mind sometimes.
~~~~
I ended up sitting there with my music and my thoughts and finishing the rest of the puzzle, which shocked me because there was a-fucking lot to finish, or so I thought, maybe it just looked like it. I stand up and look at it in triumph before walking over to my book shelf and pulling my polaroid camera off of it and heading back to the table. I stand up on my couch and lean overlooking through the viewfinder and making sure everything's in line before snapping the photo. I pull the film out of the top and place it in my pocket to develop before placing the camera on the couch and leaning down to completely obliterate the puzzle I just finished.
Most people would cringe at the sight, but that's what it's for, you put it together, you can leave it there for a little while if you want but at some point, you're going to have to take it apart, I just prefer to do it sooner rather than later, that way I can start on a new one as soon as possible. Hence the picture.
When I check my phone it's almost 2:30 and I figured now would be as good as any to hit the grocery store, seeing as I've been living off of takeout for almost a week now, the time was to come eventually and it has arrived.
'You're fucking dramatic'
I know.
I don't care.
Besides going now would mean everyone's at work so I won't get caught in busy ass stores or long lines.
I quickly throw on some ripped denim mom jeans and some random big tie-dye shirt that I tie in a knot in the front to stop it from looking like a dress on me. I throw on some converse, toss my hair up in a bun so it's not sticking to my neck. I grab the rest of my essentials before I head out to my car.
As I pull up to a red light, I smile lightly as the wind brushing through the windows calms me in a weird way, flipping through radio channels until I find one that I like whilst also figuring out what else I could do today.
It's days like these that make me realize I have a very boring life. I mean I could head over to the gym, but it's been a while and I'm afraid im a little out of practice, I don't even remember the last time I did an aerial. And Sloane, she's only at the hospital for a couple of hours today with her intern's exam today they only gave her a few hours of work afterwards but, it's basically an off day for her after that.
I pull into the parking lot of the grocery store and hop out. I grab a cart before heading in and start my oh so exciting journey of grocery shopping. All jokes aside I don't mind it, I find it relaxing in a way, and I basically get to decide what I want and get anything I want.
I continue to roam the aisles, my cart already occupied with a few things, all healthy things sadly, so I decide to head over to the junk food and grab some stuff from there. As I'm about to pull a bag of jalapeno chips off the shelf, I feel my phone buzz in my back pocket. I pull it out and chuckle to myself when I see it's Dean.
Dean:
I hate you so much right now
Me:
Aww, come on you know you love me. Go throw yourself into the ocean then you won't hear her.
I chuckle at my own reply before shoving my phone back into my pocket, I'm just about too when I catch a glimpse of harry contact sitting there, our last conversation being about the night we all went out to the club in Miami, which was just over a week ago. Texting him would be fine, it's not like im confessing my love to him, just keeping it short and sweet.
Me:
Hey
I then actually push my phone back into my pocket and continue to shop instead of staring at my phone aimlessly for god knows how long. Low and behold thought about five minutes later I feel my butt buzz again and when I glance at the screen a smile breaks out on my face.
Harry:
Hey Ace
Followed by another.
Long time no see or speak for that matter.
I chuckle.
Me:
I could say the same. It's a good thing I remembered I had your contact
Harry:
Are you saying you've forgotten about me already, ouch Ace.
I laugh at his reply while the image of him saying that pops into my head, his hand over his chest and joking offended look on his face.
Me:
Well, I could say you've forgotten me as well, you could've texted me too just as easily.
I realize I've been standing in one spot for too long and come back to reality, using my forearms to push the cart while my hand stays clutched in one hand and I continue to do some more shopping.
Harry:
Touche ;)
What are you doing later? I'm in Daytona
Me:
Depends on later, I'm grocery shopping right now.
The conversation goes dead for about five minutes so I assume he's doing something, it gives me time to focus and realize what I've put into my cart, and by the looks of it, I've just been grabbing random shit off the shelf. Randoms cereals that I don't typically eat because I can't have milk and cereal with anything else is just kind of gross. I've got some Mexican candy in there. When did I even go down that aisle?
I spend the next five minutes pulling out shit that I threw in before getting the last few things I needed like my coffee creamer, some more Nutella, plus one extra tub for Sloane, I figured if she passes this exam why not she can have all the Nutella she wants.
Before I know it im back at my car stacking all my groceries in the trunk and my phone starts going off in my pocket. With a carton of eggs and a bag full of food in the other, I manage to pull my phone out of my pocket and answer blindly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Ace" I can hear the smirk in his voice, I'll be damned if I said my whole face didn't flush almost immediately at the rasp of his voice, and the way he said that nickname.
"Hey" I say, placing the stuff in the trunk. I hear him laugh from the other end, and I'm confused until it hits me seconds later to realize I've said hi twice. "Sorry" I apologize quickly and quietly.
"S'alright. So you never really answered my question, what are you doing later?" he asks as I put the remaining bags into my trunk.
"Well I was thinking of heading over to the gym, but that wasn't a done deal than order sushi and watch a movie later, but if you were thinking of doing something, I'm free" I assure him, but saying that last part a little more quietly, trying not to sound weird.
"The gym? I learn more and more about you each day don't I? And order food, are you not at the grocery store to buy food to make" he says with a chuckle, I laugh lightly too as I hop into my car fishing for my key in my pocket.
"Well just because I have food doesn't mean I feel like cooking" I reply completely avoiding the gym thing. I don't wanna talk about it.
"Come to think of it, when was the last time you had a cooked meal, that you made?" he questions incredulously. I pause immediately because I couldn't give him an answer, I genuinely don't know. Im not exactly the best at it, and I'm, not a big eater, something small from a small place that does delivery works for me. "Wow. Ok so how about this, I come to your place we hang out a bit I make you dinner and we just have some fun" I bite my lip in a smile at his suggestion, even though my mind is freaking out at the thought of him coming to my house, no apartment, not even more like a bachelor pad.
"M-my place, as in where I live" he laughs slightly and I can hear the confusion.
"Yeah as in where you live. That alright with you love?" he asks wearily.
"Uh yeah -yeah- yes, yes it's ok" I stutter out stupidly.
"Good. Well, im on my way home right now, and I'm grabbing a shower because I've been in a blazing hot car all day along with the sun and I'll be there around, let's say 5-5:30?" he suggests, I look at the time to see its 4:30 now, perfect it gives me enough time to clean myself up and my place.
"Yeah sounds good" after that, we bid our goodbyes and I shoot him my address before tossing my phone in the passenger seat and heading off home.
It only took me 10 minutes to get home and I put my groceries away in record time, basically throwing them in their sort of correct places before heading to my living room and tidying up some shit here and there, fixing up the pillows on the couch, folding up the throw blanket, wiping down my coffee table and such, and just putting away things that are out of place. Im not an overly messy person but I also don't reposition the couch pillows every time they're used.
After that I take the fastest shower possible because it's over 5 already, I basically just needed to wash the day away from my body, my hair in a bun, fine, as I washed it yesterday. I throw on a pair of sweatpants because honestly, this is my house I couldn't care less, especially when he's already seen me in booty shorts and a tank top. I throw on a Harley Davidson shirt that I cut because it caught on fire, I can blame drunk Dean for that one. Throwing on some sock I run out to the living room and realize I'm good. He's not here yet and I'm ready, everything's in place. House is clean I'm clean, no dirty dishes, sun coming in through the bay window nicely.
'Hey crazy lady take a breather'
I inhale deeply followed by the same on the exhale, realizing I'm just nervous. I mean I love my little shack, it suits me, it's uniquely me and there's nothing wrong with it... but compared to his house in Miami, damn, and I haven't even seen his Daytona house. The fact that he has two, and I've got my little loveable shac-
Cutting me off was the sound of a sharp knock on the door, causing me to shit my pants a bit.
Figuratively.
I take a breath and compose myself before heading to the door and yanking it open with a small smile.
"Hi" I say in a happy sigh.
"Hey" he replies with a bright smile, and my god did I miss that smile and that face. He's so god-like, yet...adorable at the same time and it just takes my heart and squeezes it. The long lashes framing his beautiful emeralds for eyes, his cute little nose, those kissable soft lips, his fucking dimples kill me and his smile makes me weak in the knees.
'Oh you're fucked'
That little voice is what spurred me back into the moment and I stumbled to find words.
"Um-uh come-come in" I say awkwardly stepping aside for him.
As I close the door behind him I shut my eyes and sigh quietly to myself.
Pull it together charlie.
I turn back to him and fall in beside him.
"It's um not much but it's home. I mean nothing compared to your place, it's honestly like the size of your kitchen, to be honest, and it's small, but I mean I'm only one person and the only one who really sleeps over is Sloane but even then she has her own place, and even her place is bigger than mine, but I mean it works I guess and rents not super high an-" I was cut off by the feeling of his hand on my shoulder till I came face to face with him.
"Charlotte relax. It's just you and me, not like we haven't hung out before alright. We're just here to have some fun, besides I really like you're, what did you call it...shack? It suits you really, and it's very homey and welcoming, I like it. A lot" he says solemnly, his jade irises burning into my brown ones seriously a small reassuring smile on his face. But what caught me off guard was the use of my real name. Normally I hate when people use my real name, makes me sound old, but the way he says it, the way it rolls off this tongue, it gave me the warm and fuzzies
"Right yeah, sorry, I just not many people have been in here" I tell him honestly looking down the ground. I feel his grip move to my chin, as he lifts my head to look at him.
"Well, I'm honoured to be one of them" He replies while lifting up his other hand. "And I brought wine," he says with a smile, before placing a quick peck on my cheek catching my completely off guard as he stalks off to the kitchen right after.
I bite my lip in a smile that I couldn't contain before shutting the door.
Tonights going to be a good night
"Also the cherry socks, adorable" He says taking the wine out of the bag, I furrow my brows and look down at my feet and low and behold im wearing white ankle socks with cherries all over them, and I feel my cheeks heat up to like a hundred degrees.
"You know you're quite shy, more than I would've expected. Anytime we're out or around people, you've got this very I'm confident and independent thing going on even around Dean and Sloane, but when you're in you're own space you're a whole different person" Harry observes, his chin resting on his hand, elbow propped up on the counter. I look up at him a little nervously.
"Is that a bad thing?" I ask wearily.
"No, not at all. I like it, a lot. I feel like I get to see a certain side of you, people don't." He says gently, and another smile creeps its way onto my face, him smiling too at my reaction. "So where do you keep your cups?"
"The cabinet above the toaster" I informed him. He gets to it and pulls out two wine glasses and walks back to the counter with the wine.
"The uh wine corky thingy is in the drawer next to the dishwasher" I inform him ahead of time. He looks at me with the rise of a brow before bursting out in a laugh.
"Wine corky thingy?"
"Wha- I don't know what it's called" I reply defensively with a laugh. "I'm not much of a wine person" I shrug.
"Clearly" He chuckles sticking the wine thing into the cork. "It's called a wine corker. I'll give you half a point though, you were close" He says while starting to lift the cork.
"Fine I'll take the half-" I cut off in a yelp as the loud sound of the cork popping echoed through the small space. He pours the wine gently and hands me my glass, whilst picking up his own, and raising it. I look at him confused but with a smile.
"A-are we toasting to something?" He shrugs his shoulders.
"I don't know are we?"
"I don't know you raised your glass I assumed you had something to toast too. I don't" I say exasperatedly. He pauses for a moment and looks away dramatically in thought and I couldn't help but laugh a bit.
"To you" He says after a moment, and my eyes pop.
"Me? Why me? What about me?"
"I don't know we're toasting to you and...your cherry socks" I stare at him incredulously a smile picking up on both our faces before our heads are thrown back in hearty, guttural laughs.
"Come on come on." He urges raising his glass again, a bright gorgeous smile on his face, dimples on display, eyes squinted in amusement, little crinkles in the corners and it occurs to me I've never seen him in a more relaxed and happy state. All laughing and smiling like this. Whenever we're out I get a small smile and chuckle or a smirk, but in this moment it's almost as if I'm seeing what saw from me a certain side of him people don't see all that often if at all. In some ways, I can understand why media is brutal and after a certain point, you go numb to it and just say fuck it.
So in this moment, I decide to indulge him. I smile widely.
"To me and my cherry socks" I repeat as we clink our glasses and take a sip.
"So-" he says looking around the space. "You gonna give me a tour" I smile and hop off the stool and start towards the living room.
~~~
Two things, one don't come for my medical thing there at the beginning, I have no fucking clue how Cardiomyopathy works but from my research that's how I pieced it together. Second, Wattpad is a pain in the ass sometimes.
I know this chap is a bit boring but at some point we need to see just Charlie's day to day life not to mention no everything can happen in like 10 chapters, gotta get that build up.
and lastly the next chap should be up a lot quicker seeing as it's the already half done because i cut this chapter cuz it was going well into 7000 words
Love you jellybeans
~ Mama S.❤️