“Where’s Hailey?” she asked when she noticed Hailey was missing.
“Here.” Hailey entered the room. “I was looking for the fireplace lighter. Found it in the kitchen.” She held up the long lighter. Charlie watched as she loaded several logs into the fire, along with a starter log, that had been provided by the homeowners, and lit it. The fire started off small. Hailey knelt in front of it, supplying it with helpful oxygen until it took hold. She set the lighter on the floor and returned to sit next to Charlie. “You looked cold.” She smiled a quick smile in Charlie’s direction and then returned her attention to Eva.
◆◆◆
“Should we try to see what channels we can get on this thing?” Charlie proposed, as she leaned down and stared at the tiny TV with old antennas.
“I bet we can get American Band Stand on it,” Hailey teased and tossed Charlie a hoodie that hit her in the back, causing Charlie to flinch.
“Hey,” Charlie exclaimed and turned to pick it up off the floor.
“You’re going to get cold by the window. You always do. You never listen to me. I’d offer you my bed, but you won’t take it.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You’re like a broken record. I read this study about prolonged exposure to cold and how it changes the actual structure of your brain,” Hailey began.
Charlie tossed the hoodie back onto Hailey’s bed and listened to her talk about the study. It had been a while since she’d brought one up, and it was oddly comforting. They talked for only a few more minutes before they each decided they needed to get some sleep after their long work days and their eventful evening of wedding planning. Charlie turned the light off for them, laid back down, and rolled on her side, facing the window.
◆◆◆
Charlie woke up shivering in the middle of the night. She hated that Hailey was right and would not admit it to her. She should have accepted the damn hoodie. She wondered if Hailey was asleep. She had her own sweatshirt in her drawer. She could get up, grab it, and climb back into bed. She heard her teeth chatter and hated the lack of insulation that, apparently, was a problem in this house during winter. Although, not many people have likely vacationed on this particular lake during this time of year. Her blanket lifted behind her and she felt the press of a warm body against her.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Hailey wrapped an arm around her stomach and drew her back into her. “I told you this would happen.”
“I’m okay. I just need a sweater,” Charlie protested but felt the warmth of Hailey’s body and knew she needed it.
“You’re too far gone, Charlie. Come on.” She used the hand on Charlie’s stomach to coax Charlie into rolling over. “You know you either need body heat or a hot shower. What’s it going to be?” Hailey asked. Charlie gulped and shivered again before rolling over to face Hailey. Hailey smiled at her, concerned, wrapped her arm around Charlie and pulled her closer. “Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“Because I’m stubborn,” Charlie admitted.
“You always have been,” Hailey agreed and ran her hand up and down Charlie’s back rapidly to try to increase circulation. “Put your feet on my feet.”
“No way, Hails.”
“Charlie, they’re freezing. Do it.”
“You’ll freeze.”
“No, I won’t. Of the two of us, you’re always the one that’s cold, and I’m the one that warms you up. I also protect you from the ghost dolls, that I know you’re still scared of, and I’m the one that left the hall light on, and the door open just a crack, so you wouldn’t be in the dark tonight.”
Charlie took in her green eyes.
“Which one am I? Besides the one that gets cold?”
“You’re the one that makes me coffee and buys my cereal. You’re the one that opens doors and helps me with my coat and-” she stopped herself, and Charlie wondered what was in her changed expression.
“And?”
Hailey considered something.
“The one that always lets me sleep on her couch because it’s super comfortable.”
Charlie just nodded. She’d stupidly hoped for something more and would kick her own ass, if she could, for even thinking that Hailey might say something a little deeper than she’s allowed to stay over on Charlie’s couch when she wants.
“Right.” Charlie pulled back slightly. “I think I’m going to take that shower.”
“It’s the middle of the night, Charlie.”
Charlie pulled back all the way and missed the heat from Hailey’s body instantly. She stood and hated herself for doing that because it was freezing in the room once she was out from under the blanket.
“It’s the only way I’ll warm up. You should go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you up.” Charlie walked off toward the bathroom.
She closed the door behind her and let out a long sigh before she walked to the shower and turned on the water. She waited until it was near scalding before stripping off her clothes and climbing inside. The heat of the water, combined with her near frozen form, made her feel like she was being pricked with a thousand needles. She wanted to climb out immediately, but she knew she needed this. Her body was too cold. She should have known better, but she’d been stubborn and would have to deal with the pain. She pressed both hands against the wall and faced the stream. She wished she could take a cold shower, because there were other parts of her body that were plenty hot and in need of cooling down. She felt that pleasant and common ache between her legs that came with her feelings for Hailey. She wished she could do something about it, like she’d done so many times before, but she wouldn’t dare do that in this shower, knowing Hannah and Alyssa were on one side of the wall and the object of her affection was on the other. So, instead, she just used the water to warm her body. Once she felt like every bit of the cold was gone, she turned off the water and wrapped herself with a towel. She dried off quickly and put her clothes back on.
◆◆◆
Hailey stared at the ceiling above her bed. It was one of those waffle ceilings. And with the light on in the hallway, she was able to make out patterns and pictures in it. She saw a face, and a dog, and maybe a kite. She was doing this to try to keep her mind off of what just happened. She’d done that with Charlie before. Charlie was the cold one. She always had been. Hailey had warmed her up like that before. But this time, there was something different about it. She closed her eyes and formed her mouth into the shape of an ‘O’ and let out a focused deep breath. She was turned on. She was turned on by her best friend in the world; by Charlie. She’d felt Charlie’s body pressed against her own and saw this look in her eyes that just made her forget what she was about to say in that moment.
“Hey.” Charlie entered the room and immediately grabbed at the hoodie that was still on Hailey’s bed.
“Feel better?” Hailey managed.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine with this. Sorry. Get some sleep.”
Charlie slid the sweater over her head, and Hailey averted her eyes, because when Charlie raised her arms, she revealed a small amount of skin between her shirt and her sweats. What the hell was happening? Charlie closed the door all the way, leaving only the light from under the door, which Hailey thought was a little strange, given Charlie’s need for more light than that.
“You can leave it open.”
“It’s fine.” Charlie slid under her blanket. “Night, Hails.”
“Night.”
Hailey did not fall asleep. It appeared that Charlie did; but Hailey remained awake for at least the next hour, trying to figure out what had just happened. She finally rolled on her other side, facing away from Charlie, and stared at her phone. She’d exchanged a few texts with Emma since she’d gotten to the lake house. She smiled at Emma’s use of emoticons like a thirteen-year-old and tried to focus more on the girl she was dating than the best friend she could not have these thoughts about.
When Hailey woke up, Charlie was already gone from the room. She made her way to the bathroom to perform h
er morning routine and then proceeded downstairs. Ember was in the kitchen, sitting at the table and scribbling something in a notebook. Charlie was pouring a cup of coffee at the old-style machine.
“Morning,” she offered them both.
“Hey.” Ember didn’t look up. “Sorry, in the middle of a thing.”
“She’s geniusing right now,” Charlie offered. “Here.” She passed the coffee cup to Hailey.
“I’m okay.” Hailey tried to hand it back to her.
“I’m the coffeemaker, remember?” Charlie winked at her.
Hailey smiled and nodded, “Thanks.”
“Morning.” Eva walked into the room and approached Ember. She kissed the top of her head and left her hand on Ember’s back. “Babe, are you good?”
“Just, like, ten minutes.”
“She’ll be another hour,” Eva said to Charlie and Hailey.
Hailey wondered when exactly it happened that Eva knew more about their best friend than they did.
“Ten minutes,” Ember repeated as she scribbled.
“Okay, babe.” Eva rolled her eyes and leaned back down. “I love you.”
“Love you too,” Ember muttered and went back to work.
“We should probably leave her alone. She’ll be done faster that way,” Eva said.
“Hannah and Alyssa said they want to go for a hike. They found a trail and want to bundle up and take it,” Charlie announced.
“Babe, do you want to go for a hike when you’re done?” Eva asked Ember.
“Sure,” Ember replied and finally looked up at all of them. “Oh, hey guys,” she said like she finally just realized they were all there.
Hailey and Charlie laughed.
“I don’t think I’d survive. I get cold in the bedroom, so I’d probably die of hypothermia out there,” Charlie shared.
“Hails?” Eva questioned.
Hailey considered leaving the house to get a few hours away from Charlie to try to sort out her thoughts, but she knew she wouldn’t really get the chance with the rest of them around. She’d have to focus on the other four of them and participate in the conversation instead. Charlie had turned back to the coffee pot to pour herself a cup.
“I think I’ll stay back too,” she said after a moment.
Charlie stopped moving for a moment, and Hailey thought she’d made a mistake. Charlie had asked her for space. She’d been determined to give it to her, but last night she’d woken up to the sound of her best friend shivering to try to keep warm, and she knew how to fix her. This morning, she should have just said she’d go on a damn hike, to give Charlie some time alone, but she’d said no because she wanted to spend time with her. She hoped Charlie would reveal what was actually going on.
“Eight minutes,” Ember said.
Hailey noticed she’d returned to her notebook and to her scribbling complex math equations no one else in this house would ever understand.
“I’m going to go sit by the fire,” Charlie said and carried her coffee to the living room.
Hailey stood there watching Eva massage Ember’s hunched over shoulders before leaving them alone to go back upstairs. She showered, dressed, and dried her hair, and then returned downstairs to find that the others had already gone. She was determined again. She would leave Charlie alone the entire time the rest of them would be gone. She headed into the kitchen and grabbed a banana before heading into the dining room. She scrolled through some emails on her phone for a while and then put her headphones in to listen to some music. That got her through about fifteen minutes. She thought about calling or texting Emma but didn’t know what to say. She didn’t have any updates to provide, and it was somewhat early for the weekend. Emma might still be asleep. She didn’t want to wake her up for no good reason. She went back up the stairs and found an old collection of The Babysitter’s Club books in the closet she’d shoved the creepy dolls in. She loved those books as a kid and picked the one on the top to start reading.
◆◆◆
“You are avoiding me,” Charlie stated as she leaned in the doorway.
Hailey closed the book and looked at her.
“You avoided me first,” she said.
“That’s fair.” Charlie nodded.
“I was trying to give you space, like you wanted.”
“I know. It’s weird here, though, with just the two of us; I’m down there, and you’re up here.” She approached Hailey’s bed. “What are you reading?”
Hailey smiled and held up the book.
“There were a bunch of them in the closet. I thought I’d time travel back to my youth.”
Charlie made her way over to the side of Hailey’s bed and took the book from her to review.
“I was more of a Hardy Boys fan myself,” she revealed.
“You didn’t read The Babysitter’s Club?” Hailey was almost offended by Charlie’s gross oversight.
“No, I pretty much steered clear of those and Nancy Drew. I read Goosebumps and the Hardy Boys mostly. Is that a problem? Is our friendship over now?” she joked.
“I’ll make an exception for you.” Hailey mock-glared at her. “Do you want one to read? The rest are in the closet.”
“I’m okay.” Charlie shook her head no.
“You don’t want to go in the closet, do you? You’re afraid of those stupid dolls,” she suggested.
“They’re dolls, Hails. I am not afraid of them.”
“Yes, you are.” Hailey sat up and hung her legs over the side of the bed and in front of Charlie.
“I am a grown woman. I am not afraid of dolls that look like they were based on the real-life people that used to live here, probably died, their spirits moved inside the dolls, and they don’t want people in their family home. They spent last night murmuring to one another, trying to plot our deaths.”
Hailey laughed loudly and tossed the book aside.
“You are scared of the dolls,” she exclaimed and reached out to tug mockingly on Charlie’s t-shirt, pulling her just a step closer to her as she stared up at her.
“They’re really creepy, Hails,” Charlie said.
Hailey thought she sounded adorable. She stopped mocking and smiling and stared up at Charlie’s face. Her expression was soft, and her eyes were warm. She lowered her eyes to Charlie’s near-full lips and watched Charlie lick them with her tongue. She took in her strong jawline and her throat, and continued moving her glance down to Charlie’s breasts, that were slightly larger than her own. She could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra, thanks to the chill in the room, and she lowered her eyes even more to Charlie’s hands at her sides, which she took in her own without even thinking about it and linked their fingers together. Her eyes moved back up to Charlie’s now surprised expression and saw a visible gulp in the woman’s throat. She doesn’t want this. Charlie was freaking out, because this was different than other touches they’ve shared, and she doesn’t want this. Did Hailey want this?
“I’ll protect you,” she finally said, referring to the dolls in the closet.
“You will?” Charlie asked.
If as if she was really concerned Hailey wouldn’t protect her. It wasn’t just about the dolls, though, Hailey surmised.
“Charlie…” Hailey started and stood, keeping their hands linked as she did.
“Hey, we’re back!”
Someone’s voice came from downstairs, but Hailey wasn’t sure which woman it belonged to. She pulled her hands away from Charlie’s and watched Charlie step away entirely, before she turned and left the room without a word.
CHAPTER 11
Charlie needed to leave that room. Hailey didn’t get it. She just didn’t understand what she did to Charlie, and she couldn’t be around her right now. She made her way downstairs and found her phone on the coffee table in the living room. She knew there were few places she could go to find privacy in a house with six women in it, so she went out to Ember’s car with the keys and warmed it up, while finding the contact she was looking for.
&
nbsp; “Hey, I didn’t expect to hear from you today,” Lena greeted her.
“I know. I just had a free minute, so I thought I’d see how it went, wrapping things up in Evanston.”
“Oh, it was fine. I got back last night. I’ll have to go back again for the grand opening, but it should be okay for now, and the pitch is going to be approved, by the way.”
“It is?” Charlie asked.
“Should I tell you that? I don’t know what the protocol is here. We’re kind of seeing each other, but you work for the firm, and it’s my company’s decision.”
“I honestly don’t know. I won’t say anything to my boss, though. I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble.” Charlie smiled.
“Oh, well, thank you.” Lena laughed. “So, how are things there? How goes the planning?”
“Well, they have colors chosen, and cake flavors have been determined.”
“Oh yeah, which ones?” Lena asked.
“They’re going to do red velvet for a layer and vanilla with some kind of filling, but that has yet to be determined. They’ll go cake tasting in Iowa, where the event will take place, to finalize it; but Ember is a sucker for red velvet. Eva said her family is pretty basic taste wise, so she suggested just plain white.”
“Sounds good.”
“Yeah, so what are you up to today?”
Lena took a moment.
“I called Mara last night on my way home.”
“Oh.”
Well, that answered Charlie’s question she’d been avoiding asking.
“I wasn’t going to call her, but I don’t know.”
“It’s okay,” Charlie told her. “It’s weird, but it’s okay. I get it.”
“We’re going for coffee in a couple of hours.”
“See? I already feel better. She just gets coffee. And I got an actual dinner date,” Charlie deflected.
Lena laughed an awkward laugh.
“Should I not have told you? I’m new at this too. Even when I dated guys, I never dated two at once.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s strange for me, because I like you, but I want you to pursue this, if you like her too.”
Just Tell Her Page 11
