Page 54 of Reckless Chances
Alison cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her cheeks with her hands. “I’m soaked.” Charlie stood and helped Alison from the puddle. She wiped at the ass of her jeans as if her hands could somehow miraculously dry them. “You’re wrong, Charlie.” She teared up again and seemed to be examining the granules of gravel on her palms. “I deserve that.” She brushed her hands together and pointed to the hotel. “Charlie cheated on his fiancée with me.”
“What?” Charlie took a step backward. “I thought that she cheated on him.”
Alison laughed, and then stopped, and then started laughing again. “Is that what he’s telling people?” She shook her head and picked up her overnight bag. “No, Charlie. He cheated on Emma with her best friend – me.”
“That’s not...” Charlie couldn’t finish his sentence. It was his turn to lean against the car. “You’re telling me Emma didn’t cheat on Adam and steal all of his money?”
The laughter returned, this time it was a little maniacal. “No. It was the other way around,” she said between the laughs. “Adam cheated on her. Adam left her with nothing.”
“But I thought—”
“Listen, Charlie. Don’t listen to what anyone says. I was there.” She played with the ring on her finger. “He was so pissed that she kept the ring. I used to think that was petty, but I get it now.”
Charlie took a deep breath. Why had he listened to his brother? Everything had been perfect with Emma and he had hurt her – for no reason. “I have to go,” Charlie said, his voice devoid of emotion. Contempt had replaced the empathy he’d felt for Alison. He opened the door and gestured for her to get in.
“Thank you, Charlie, but I’m fine now.”
“Are you sure?” As much as Charlie didn’t want to have anything to do with the woman, he felt obligated to take care of her.
“Yes. I’m going to go tell Adam to go fuck himself, change into some dry clothes, and maybe sleep with a helicopter pilot.” She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and waved as she walked away. “Thanks.”
Charlie watched Alison walk away, but his mind was elsewhere. Emma wasn’t a terrible person; she was the same person he’d fallen in love with the moment he saw her. He drove the rental car as fast as it would go, the tires smoking as he navigated the hairpin switchbacks all the way back into town.
His heart was pounding as he pulled up in front of the little house on Aspen St. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Emma. He was ready for her to tell him to go to hell, but there was no way he was going to let another second go by without apologizing to her. The thumping in his chest stopped when he looked at Emma’s house and saw one of Charlotte’s real estate signs on the lawn, the words ‘for lease’ staring him in the face.
“Oh no.” He fumbled to find the door handle, sprinting alongside the white picket fence to the front door hoping it wasn’t too late.
He took a deep breath and paused before knocking on the red door. He exhaled when he heard footsteps and saw her pull the lace curtain aside.
“Emma, I...” he spoke as soon as the door opened, but his voice faded away when he realized he wasn’t looking at Emma.
Jenni crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at Charlie. “Emma’s not here. She’s gone.”
