Page 100 of Pictures in Blue
We haven’t spoken about Sharon since she left, or the words I said to her. I didn’t plan on telling her like that. I wanted to do something special, something spontaneous to convince her to stay with me. To tell her I love her. I wanted to set up something good enough to give her an idea of what her life would look like here. She’s supposed to leave in two days and we both have been avoiding the subject. That and talking about our agreement.
We gave it two weeks. What she doesn’t know is it has been the best two weeks of my life.
Don’t let her go, Hudson.
My mother’s words have been echoing in my head since the first Sunday brunch we went to. I know I’m headstrong and not the easiest person to get to open up, but Avery makes me better. She makes me want to be happy. Tochoosehappy. And I choose her. I just don’t know if she chooses me.
The familiar feeling of anxiety crawls across my skin like ants scurrying to fix a caved hole in their home, rushed and frantic. What if I put myself out there, pour my heart out, and she decides she doesn’t want to stay? What happens then?
I don’t think my heart could recover. But, I think I’d rather take that chance than not and wonder what would have happened if I did. She’s made no indication that she plans on sticking around the day after tomorrow. But that also gives me the rest of the evening and all night to find a way to convince her to stay.
My finger hovers over the FaceTime button but I realize she probably won’t answer my phone call let alone a stranger FaceTiming her phone, considering I swiped the number from Avery’s phone. I type up a quick text instead and hit send.
It’s Hudson. I need your help.
I place my phone face down on the counter and grab the coffee pot. Before I even have a chance to turn on the faucet to fill it, my phone is vibrating with a FaceTime call from her.
I answer and as soon as my face appears on the screen she wastes no time.
“What did you do, Luke Danes?” Charlotte asks. The phone must be propped up on something because I can see her sitting cross legged at a table, going through a stack of papers. Her red hair is held up by a clip and her black framed glasses rest on her nose.
“Luke? And why do you automatically assume I did something?”
“Why else would you be calling me?” She says, ignoring my first question.
“Sharon,” is all I say.
Charlotte drops the papers and grabs her phone. Her face fills the screen and she stares into me. “What? How did she…..shit.” She rubs her hands down her face and sighs.
“What?”
“James. Dammit. I kept telling Avery to delete her location app. Sharon came to the office the other day looking for Avery before I threw her out and I didn’t say anything, only that she’d be back in a few days, but James must have found out because she went to talk to him after me. What did she do?”
“She just came to my house demanding to speak to Avery, but Avery told her off and told her she didn’t want to see her again and she left.”
“She left?”
“Yeah.”
“Just like that?”
“Yeah. Avery let out a lot of things I think she’s been wanting to say for a long time. Sharon didn’t seem fazed, but I think she realized she was serious when she left.”
“Good. Avery deserves better.”
“She does,” I agree.
“So, why are you calling me then?”
“Because…..” I take a deep breath. “I asked Avery to stay.”
Charlotte’s features stay steady as if she expected this to happen. “Finally.”
“What?” The pot of water stalls in my hand and I set it gently on the counter before looking at Charlotte.
“Hudson, don’t act like I don’t know how you two feel about each other. Avery has been complaining about you since day one.”
“Complaining?”
