Page 19 of Her Nightshade

I refused to continue to think of what was happening between me and Charlie. All I knew was that I wanted to livein the moment. And right now, I wanted him—badly. No matter how many times I had him, the itch never seemed to be satisfied.

As I gulped down a glass of water in the kitchen, the memory of his body against mine sent a rush of heat through me, goosebumps prickling my skin at the thought of what he did to me. And of what I did to him.

I casually walked back into the bedroom, wanting to steal another glimpse of him before he woke up, but when I stepped through the doorway, I found him already awake, staring down at a phone in his hand.Myphone.

My heart dropped as I froze in place, the casual ease of the morning suddenly evaporating. He looked up at me with wide eyes as if he’d been caught.

“¿Qué estás haciendo? What are you doing?” I demanded, marching up to the bed and snatching my phone out of his hand.

He didn’t say anything at first, his lips parting like he was trying to come up with an excuse, but my attention shifted to the vibrating phone in my hand. Sloane’s name flashed across the screen.

I felt the tension grow between us, my heart racing. “Why are you going through my phone, Charlie?”

“It was going off. It woke me up. I thought it was mine,” he said, a sincerity in his eyes that made me believe him.

Tension immediately released from my shoulders as I sighed, glancing down at my phone before turning to walk out of the room. “Hola, baby,” I answered, my voice softening as I stepped into the hallway.

“Hey, I tried calling you yesterday,” Sloane’s voice came through with a mixture of concern and curiosity. “Are you okay? I haven’t heard much from you lately.”

I leaned against the wall, my eyes drifting back towards the bedroom where Charlie still sat. “Yeah, I’m good. Just…a little distracted.”

He instantly flashed his charming, dimpled smile at me as he listened in on the conversation. I had to look away, biting back the smile that crept onto my lips. It was infuriating how easily he could disarm me.

“Distracted, huh?” Sloane teased through the phone. “Any particular reason why?”

I sighed heavily as I walked further away from Charlie, needing privacy. “Charlie Ashford will not leave me alone,” I said quietly and playfully.

Sloane gasped on the other end. “No way, Mom,” she said with a laugh. “Tell me everything,” she demanded, and it was the only time I ever felt uncomfortable with how open we were with each other.

“I…I don’t know, baby. I’m not sure what this is yet. It’s intense.He’sintense,” I admitted, making my way towards the terrace, needing some air.

“I told you, Mom. He’s a little crazy,” she said, her voice still casual despite her words.

“What? You said he was sensitive…a hopeless romantic?” My heart started to race; was Charlie actually known for being “crazy?” And why did that surprise me? Didn’t I already know that?

Sloane let out a soft chuckle. “Well, yeah. He’s both. That’s why everyone says he’s a little crazy when he’s with someone.”

For some reason, the thought of him being with anyone else made my chest flutter with jealousy. I wasn’t a jealous person—at least, I never had been. But all of these new feelings Charlie was stirring up inside of me left me feeling like I was a whole different person.

And then it hit me—this feeling Charlie had for me, this intense obsession, wasn’t something he reserved only for me. It wasn’t unique. He’d been like this with others before, and I hated how much that upset me. The thought of not being theonly one who made him feel this way gnawed at me, sparking an ugly jealousy I never expected to feel.

“You there, Mom?” Sloane’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“Yeah. I have to go, baby. I’ll call you in a bit,” I said, my voice clipped and breathless from the jealousy biting at my chest.

I ended the call and stormed back into the room. Charlie looked up and smiled as I entered, but I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling of not being special, of just being another one of his obsessions.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his eyes widening as his smile faded.

I paused, staring at him, the words swirling in my mind. “Have you ever felt this way about someone else?” I blurted out, my heart racing. “Or am I just the latest in a long line of people you’ve been obsessed with?”

His face instantly fell, hurt flickering across his features before determination took over. “Ana, no. You’ve got it wrong,” he said, his voice rising as he got up and took a step towards me. “I’ve never been like this with anyone else. Not even close.”

I held my ground, arms crossed, my heart pounding. “You’veneverdone this before?” I asked with accusation.

“No,” he growled, his voice firm and unwavering. “Not like this. Not like I am with you.” His eyes locked onto mine, full of desperation. “What I feel for you—it’s not some fleeting obsession. This is fucking real, Ana. You’re different. I don’t just want you…Ineedyou. I’ve never needed anyone like this.”

I paused and I couldn’t look away. He was adamant, almost to the point of being frightening in his conviction. And I hated the relief that washed over me, my jealousy turning into something else—something darker, triumphant. It felt wrong to crave this kind of validation, yet I couldn’t deny how deeply Ineeded it. His obsession wasn’t scaring me anymore, and that fact alone began to frighten me.

---