Charlotte (Marked Heart #2)

by M. Sembera

  ~

  Sitting on Silvia's bed with her, waiting for Auggie's call, Charlotte looked at her sister's matted hair and kind of missed seeing those tacky bows on her head.

  "You should take a shower and get dressed. He's not worth you looking like crap. You were too pretty for him anyway."

  With a surprised expression, Silvia asked, "You think I'm pretty?"

  Charlotte teased, "Well at the moment, no. But usually, yes, I do."

  Silvia frowned, saying, "I'm sorry for hating you."

  "Okay..."

  "I was really excited when I found out I was getting an older sister."

  Shocked, Charlotte questioned, "You were?"

  Nodding Silvia sat up a little straighter and shared, "I told all my friends. I couldn't wait. When you got here you just ignored me. You were so hateful all the time," stopping to shrug her shoulder she added, "Then you were all mom and dad talked about. What's wrong with Charlotte? Where's Charlotte? We need to help Charlotte. I guess I just hated you because I didn't get what I wanted or any attention once you were here."

  Charlotte felt a lump in her throat as she replied, "I'm really sorry."

  Silvia made a 'Whatever' face, saying, "I guess it could have been worse. Shannon's sister steals her jeans all the time and once she squeezes her fat butt into them they are ruined forever."

  And just like that snotty, shallow Silvia was back, and Charlotte couldn't help but laugh.

  Seeing Silvia stare at her like stretched out jeans were a serious matter and there was no reason to find it funny, Charlotte laughed even harder. Until, the screen of her cellphone lit up with a picture of Auggie.

  "Is that..." Silvia started to question before Charlotte glared at her.

  She quickly answered his call, "Hey."

  Auggie's voice was full of irritation as he griped, "You owe me."

  "Did he cry?" she asked confused as to why he was mad.

  Auggie snapped, "No. He peed his pants then threw up on my boots."

  Charlotte really didn't know how to respond so she turned to Silvia, sharing, "He peed is pants."

  A satisfied smile formed across Silvia's face as she leaned back against her headboard.

  Knowing her sister was listening even though she pretended not to, Charlotte told Auggie, "I appreciate your help."

  "Yea, you better," he griped before asking, "Are you coming over?"

  "It doesn't look that way," Charlotte answered.

  Auggie sighed into the phone, "Alright."

  "Umm... Thank you."

  His voice was softer now as he assured, "I get it. Family thing."

  "I owe you one."

  Back to his cranky voice, Auggie said, "No, you owe me two. One for each boot," before he hung up.

  Thinking of something nice to do for him, Charlotte noticed Silvia get out of bed.

  Walking to her bathroom, Silvia glanced back at Charlotte, saying, "I won't tell."

  Giving her sister a 'Thanks' smile, Charlotte looked down at her phone and resisted the urge to text Auggie.

  Walking back to her room, Charlotte knew she needed to regain control of herself. She had been acting on impulse since the moment Auggie kissed her. Everything she said and did were things that came from deep inside her instead of her normal calculated self. Always before, there was a purpose to what she said and did. Now, she was letting her feelings take over and guide her. But for every feel good moment there was one that made her question herself. That needed to be corrected.

  26

  Unsettled

  One long night at The Dog House, of suffering through an old pair of boots from the back of his closet led to Auggie waking up early on Sunday. He still couldn't believe that punk threw up on him.

  In all the fights he'd been in, that was a first. All he planned on doing was slapping him around a little until he cried but when he snapped off implying he was with Charlotte, Auggie lost it. Shawn didn't have to say her name. The second he said 'your girl', Charlotte flashed in his mind. She wasn't though. It was a right now thing. He knew it. She knew it. Auggie was letting things get out of hand by letting her get to him.

  The remarkable moments that kept taking place between the two of them was causing Auggie to think about more than just sex with her. No wonder she didn't come see him yesterday. He was probably scaring her off by giving her a key and a taking a nap with her. Auggie was starting to feel miserable, and although it was a little comforting to feel misery instead of confusion, he knew if his dad was here, Gus would know the right thing to say to him.

  Walking into his house, Auggie stopped right inside. Charlotte was standing there, leaned up against the bar that divided his kitchen and living room, wearing the black heels he'd held for ransom, tiny black shorts and a plaid shirt that could have easily been one of his if it wasn't a few sizes smaller.

  "Good afternoon, Augustus," Charlotte greeted.

  "Afternoon," he replied.

  Unable to move, he needed to set his bag down and walk all the way into the house.

  A sly smile formed across Charlotte's face as she said, "It's good to see you too," making her way towards him.

  Auggie started to feel like he couldn't catch his breath as Charlotte brushed up against him before shutting the door behind him. She took the bag from him and set it down.

  The tension in his body made Auggie want to go down on his knees as he asked, "What's going on?"

  "I owe you, remember," she replied, walking back to his kitchen.

  With her back turned, Auggie squeezed his eyes closed while uttering a curse word under his breath before finding the will to move.

  Following her into his kitchen, Auggie gave himself a mental 'Be a man' pep talk.

  Charlotte stopped at the counter and turned to him, confirming, "I owe you two, right. One for each boot."

  Getting his breathing under control, he scowled at her, "That's what I said."

  Reaching behind her back, she revealed a bottle of whisky.

  Charlotte handed it to him, saying, "One."

  Auggie had a pretty good idea what two was by the way she was acting. The whole thing was incredibly sexy but there was something off about it. She was being hot as hell but at the same time, there was a coldness to her.

  Holding the bottle up, Auggie offered, "Let's have a drink then."

  Stepping to him, Charlotte assured, "Two, isn't a set of glasses."

  In his mind, Auggie busted the bottle open, took a long swig and bent her over the counter.

  In reality, he shared, "I have glasses."

  He could hear Charlotte let out a loud huff and smiled to himself imagining the face she was making at him behind his back.

  As he set two glasses down on the counter, Charlotte asked, "You don't want me to settle my debt?"

  Opening the bottle of whisky, Auggie filling the bottom of both glasses. He turned with one of the glasses in hand to offer her a drink and found her right in front of him. Resting her hands on his sides, she leaned into him.

  "I'm good with the whisky," Auggie replied before turning his head away from her as he took a sip.

  Her eyes narrowed in a hateful glare at him as she repeated, "You're good with the whisky."

  Taking another sip, he said, "Yea, it's good whisky."

  A disgusted expression appeared on Charlotte's face as she snapped, "You'd rather drink?"

  Finishing off what was left in the glass before setting it down, Auggie griped, "This Charlotte bull-crap doesn't do it for me."

  Shoving away from him, she questioned, "Oh, now I don't do it for you? And did you just call me crap?"

  Frustrated and tired of her little charade, Auggie pulled her to him, swung around and pressed her against the wall.

  Grabbing her hips he jerked her closer, "Yea sweetheart, you do it for me. Go ahead in there and take your pants off. I'm gonna need another drink first."

  As Auggie stepped away to pour another drink, Charlotte stood there against the wall staring at him. />
  He refilled his glass, tipped it in her direction and winked at her before drinking his whisky down. Charlotte looked at him like she hated him. Thinking 'How does that feel' he wanted her to know exactly how she had made him feel. Hoping she was just as confused and frustrated as he was, that would serve her right; he almost dropped his glass on the floor. She was unbuttoning her shorts.

  Sliding his glass across the counter, Auggie practically lunged at her. Pulling her hands away from her shorts and holding them up to her chest, he wrapped his arm tight around her.

  Pressing his forehead against the side of her head, he pleaded in her ear, "Stop this."

  Her voice was shaky as she offered, "If I do it for you, we should stop making this more than it is and have sex."

  Unable to be anything but honest with her, Auggie swore, "Charlotte does do it for me and has since the moment, I saw you being manhandled outside the bar that night. But Lotte, with her sexy peacock tattoo and soft beautiful lips, she does everything to me."

  Charlotte relaxed in his arms, mumbling, "This is crazy."

  Auggie pulled her around to face him, agreeing "It is."

  "You're turning me inside out."

  Sincere in expression, he replied, "I know the feeling."

  There was sadness in her eyes as she reminded, "I'm still leaving."

  Nodding, he assured, "I'm still going to want to see you every day until you do."

  Looking off to the side, she scowled before giving him a dirty look as she blurted, "Damn it! Now I still owe you one."

  Allowing her to slip out of his arms, Auggie thought for a moment.

  "Sex isn't an option anymore?" he questioned with a smile.

  The corner of Charlotte's mouth curled into a smile as she informed, "That was Charlotte's offer. Lotte wants to hold out on you for a while."

  "Does she?" he laughed.

  Nodding, she raised her eyebrows, stating, "Yep, that's the kind of person she is."

  "Well, I guess the only thing we can do now is get drunk."

  Smiling at him, Charlotte replied, "Then pour me a glass, bartender."

  Happy to have his girl back to normal, Auggie handed her the other glass of whisky.

  ~

  Auggie and Charlotte laid across his living room floor somewhere between drunk and sober. After texting Amila to tell her she had too much to drink and would be home in the morning, she showed Auggie pictures of her room and places she visited in Spain on her cell. She then assured him that he was her favorite sight to see in town and took what felt like five hundred pictures of them cheek to cheek as she swore all he had to do was smile and they'd be done. When he finally smiled, the way she wanted him to, she rewarded him with a long slow kiss.

  Charlotte's eyes fluttered closed before she blinked them back open while her head rested against his chest. Holding her hand, it amazed him how something so simple could make him feel so good. Even drunk, it felt good to be next to her. It was more than likely the alcohol causing him to feel the way he was; Auggie wanted people to know she was his. Not necessarily his family but strangers. How would other men know she was off limits if they didn't know she was taken?

  "Gotta be a way," Auggie mumbled, not realizing it was out loud until Charlotte asked, "To what?"

  "You can't be like this."

  "Drunk?" she laughed.

  Flexing his hand around hers, Auggie replied, "That either."

  Charlotte lifted her head, rolled onto her back.

  Propping himself up on his elbow, he leaned over her saying, "Kieran can mark you for me."

  "You sir, have had too much to drink," she laughed, running her hand under his beanie and into his hair.

  Shaking his head against her hand, he whispered, "With a little A, so everyone knows."

  "Knows what?" she breathed.

  Auggie softly kissed her after replying, "I'm the only one that gets to touch you here." He ran his finger down her arm to her wrist, adding, "Here." Continuing on, he brushed his fingertips under the waistband of her shorts grazing the skin on her hip saying, "And here."

  Charlotte let out a permissive sigh, allowing Auggie to gently touch every spot he wanted to mark as his own.

  27

  Stay

  A repeated tapping from the kitchen woke Charlotte. Stretching out her arms and legs on Auggie's couch, she wasn't entirely sure how she had ended up there. Remembering his living room floor being where she passed out, she looked up to see Auggie sitting down on the coffee table in front of her.

  Crossing her arms over her face, she questioned, "How did I get here?"

  "I woke up on the floor and put you there before I went to bed."

  Humor coated her tone as she replied, "Guess it's good you didn't take advantage of me."

  "I still may have," he replied in a slightly concerned tone.

  Sliding her arms down, Charlotte rubbed her eyes.

  Smiling at him, she assured, "Actually, you passed out just as I was about to take advantage of you."

  With a disappointed expression, Auggie replied, "That's depressing."

  Charlotte let out a laugh before saying, "I thought so too."

  Auggie flashed a quick smile at her before offering, "I made you some toast."

  Slowly sitting up, she nodded, "I need to brush my teeth."

  Hopping up, Auggie quickly made his way to the kitchen.

  An awful throbbing headache let charlotte know exactly how much she had drunk as she stood up. Looking around, she saw her purse on the kitchen table and headed in that direction.

  Auggie popped in front of her just before she reached the table, informing, "There's stuff for you in the hall bathroom."

  Charlotte's head hurt too bad to question him as she changed direction, making her way to the bathroom. Stepping in, she closed the bathroom door before seeing a small bag sitting on the counter next to the sink. Peeking inside, she found a toothbrush, toothpaste, a little cup and a washcloth inside. Closing her eyes, she let out a happy sigh before using the items in the bag.

  Back at the kitchen table, Charlotte saw Auggie sitting in one of the chairs. A plate of dry toast, a cup of tea and two aspirin set in front of the empty chair next to him.

  Taking her seat, she asked, "Did you leave while I was asleep?"

  Nodding, Auggie answered, "After my mom's, I stopped at the store."

  Charlotte nodded back, questioning, "What time is it?"

  "A little after three."

  Thinking, 'Great' as she lifted a piece of toast to take a bite, she remembered texting Amila she would be home in the morning.

  "You okay?"

  "Yea, I just know I'm going to get griped out when I get back."

  "Stay here then."

  Dropping her toast onto her plate, Charlotte turned her head and stared at him in surprise.

  "I got you some other stuff too. In case you wanted to stay."

  "Umm... stay?"

  The expression on Auggie's face showed he realized how what he said sounded as he clarified, "The night."

  Charlotte quickly blurted, "Oh."

  "Yea," he confirmed with a confused expression before sharing, "I'll be right back."

  As he walked out of the kitchen Charlotte took her aspirin, mentally scolding, 'Get a handle on yourself'. When Auggie stepped back to the table, he set a large shopping bag down on the chair he had sat in.

  Charlotte immediately apologized, saying, "I didn't mean to make that weird. My head is killing me and..."

  Stopping her, he laughed, "Finish your toast so I can see if you approve of what I got."

  With a loud sigh, Charlotte cautioned, "I'm done unless you'd like me to throw up on you too."

  "Let me take that then," he said, grabbing her plate.

  Charlotte waited for him to come back before looking to see what he had bought her.

  Auggie pulled a few solid colored t-shirts and pairs of cotton shorts out of the bag before showing her his personal favorite. It was a faded black tee t
hat had Auggie written on a dog house on the front and Caffrey across the back.

  "Penny had 'em made for us awhile back, I wore it a few times," he shared.

  Charlotte tried to control her smile from getting too wide as she replied, "I like that one a lot."

  A proud smile followed as Auggie offered, "If you wanna take a shower, there's underwear in there too."

  Stopping him as he started to place her clothes back into the bag she asked, "You bought me panties?"

  Giving her a stupid look, he replied, "You know I did."

  She had completely forgotten about daring him to buy them as she blurted, "Show me."

  Scowling, he asked, "Where are mine?"

  "I didn't get you any," she laughed before informing, "I just wanted to see if you would."

  Narrowing his eyes, Auggie fussed, "Are you serious?"

  She nodded, admitting, "I was messing with you."

  "You're wrong for that."

  Continuing to laugh, Charlotte said, "Awe... don't be mad."

  Raising an eyebrow, he assured, "I'm not but I will get even."

  Giving him an eye roll, she urged, "Show me."

  Auggie reached down into the bag before tossing a package of plain white panties in front of her.

  Charlotte made a disgusted face, questioning, "What are those?"

  "Panties," he replied.

  Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him, asking, "Exactly what is it about me that screams granny panties?"

  "They're not," he argued, grabbing the package and looking it over.

  "It's not gonna say that on the package," she laughed before saying, "I'm going to take a shower, so I don't go home smelling like I was drinking all night."

  As she stood, Auggie pulled her to him, asking, "Can I come?"

  "No," she answered giving him an absurd look.

  "Please," he tried with a wide smile.

  Shaking her head at him, Charlotte grabbed her purse and bag of clothes before heading back to the bathroom.

  ~

  Sitting in his chair, Auggie couldn't shake the anxious feeling that had come over him. The knowledge that Charlotte was naked in his hallway bathroom was going to give him a panic attack. The longer he waited for her to come out, the worse it got. He started imagining all kinds of things. What if she slipped and fell? She could have gotten sick and needed him. Did she see the towels? She could be standing there shivering with no way to dry off. Finally, unable to stand it any longer he decided to make sure she was okay.