Page 96 of Love You, Mean It
I came to a stop, craning my head just enough to peek through the crack in the door.
Why was the door practically closed?
They had their backs to me as they sat close together. The woman turned her head slightly, and I saw her profile. Long dark hair and a big smile on her face as she looked at Charlie.
And damn it on everything, Charlie turned and smiled back at her.
“I feel really good about this, Charlie.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, and my heart sank.
And then I saw the flowers sitting on the table between them.
A big bouquet of pink roses.
My God. Was he courting this woman in broad daylight, all while pretending to be crazy about me?
“I do too. I’m so glad you came by so we could figure this shit out. We can move forward now.”
Fuck Charlie and the hot brunette who was swooning all over my man.
I should have expected this.
I whipped around in a fury, knocking into the ladder to the left of me. It made a loud scraping noise, but I didn’t care. I was already moving.
Why the hell had I even come here?
“Hey, Firefly.” Charlie’s voice came from behind me, and I whipped around to face him.
“‘Hey, Firefly’?” I shouted. “No. No, Charles!”
And I was moving again.
I needed to get out of here.
But of course I couldn’t make a graceful exit. I tripped over the drop cloth, and my arm overcorrected and I knocked a can of paint off the counter.
I saw the white liquid oozing as the lid sprang loose.
But I didn’t stop.
I heard Will shouting to me as I sprinted past him, asking if I was all right, but I beelined for the door.
I practically ran down the street because I couldn’t get back to my office quick enough.
I didn’t feel right.
My heart was racing. There was a lump in my throat.
I didn’t ever cry in public.
I’d lost it in front of Charlie.
Charlie, the man I was crazy about.
Charlie, the man who’d been so good to me.
But I’d been let down by the people who were supposed to care about me my entire life.
Every insecurity I’d ever had flooded my mind at once.
