Page 78 of Ivy's Venom

"Amelia told me our father caught Charlotte with drugs," he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees, "and I couldn't believe it. That's not how I remember her."

"Okay." I nod for him to continue.

"Amelia knew it was something about pills but she was too young to retain all of the information." My heart accelerates with the word pills. "So, I figured you being her best friend, if she was doing it, then you must've done it with her."

"That's stupid." I sound calm but I am far from it.

"Then when I asked you and you said Oxy, I knew there was something there." He states, looking me in the eye.

Why the fuck did I answer him honestly?

"You see," he sits back again, his eyes intent on my face. "Our mother was in a pretty bad accident at work and she injured her back, she went through a few surgeries but some of the damage couldn't be repaired."

I nod.

"She was prescribed Oxycodone for the days the pain became unbearable."

I drop my chin to my chest and groan, I don't want to lie to him.

"Yes, Charlotte brought me that pill." I lift my head and look at him. "If you're asking me if she had a problem my truthful answer is that I have no idea. She was only here every other weekend."

"Okay." It's his turn to nod me on.

"I had a problem at that age, though, I was drinking and smoking a lot of marijuana. Charlotte would join me in drinking but not the weed, until a few months before she died, she brought me that pill. She said she wanted to try it with me. We did it and I hated it. After that, it was never brought up again."

"Did her behaviour start to change? Was she angrier?" His questions begin to stir feelings in me that I've tried to suppress.

"We fought more." I tell him. "She wanted... certain things."

"What things?"

I feel the first tear drop and hit my kilt, the wet patch spreading. "Charlotte claimed to be in love with me."

"Seriously?"

"Yes," I shake my head, "I didn't feel the same. We were fooling around and for me, it was just fun but for her, it was real."

"Charlotte was a lesbian?"

"Am I a lesbian, too?" I raise my brow and smile when he looks confused. "I don't know what she was, Neil. We didn't discuss that."

"Okay." He looks more confused than when we started and I feel sorry for him.

"I think I should go now." I stand from the bed.

"Okay." He says again and leads me out of his room.

As I walk by Charlotte's door, I run my hand along the wood, and tell her I miss her. No matter how things ended, she will always be my best friend.

We get to the front door and I pull on my boots, then my jacket.

"Thanks for having me." I tell him and reach for the door handle.

"Wait," his hand lands on my arm and he pulls me into his arms. His finger lifts my chin and he's staring down into my eyes, "can I kiss you?"

I nod and almost swoon, it'll never get old, him asking for permission.

His lips gently connect with mine and he tightens his hold on me, our bodies pressing closer. When my chest begins to squeeze, I pull back, and smile up at him. It's not that I don't want to kiss him, I do, I just can't let it go further, and the longer his mouth is on mine, the surer I am that it will.

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