Charlotte (Marked Heart #2)

by M. Sembera

  Her opposition faded into a welcoming expression as she looked into his eyes.

  "Hey, did you find the cups," Braden chimed from the doorway, causing Auggie to turn his head and scowl at his brother.

  Charlotte jerked her arm away from Auggie and grabbed the sleeve of cups, confirming, "Yep, got 'em," and turned to walk out.

  Auggie watched her leave the storage room when Braden stopped her, saying, "Sophia wanted me to make sure y'all were behaving yourselves."

  She gave him a crazy look as she snapped, "Excuse me?"

  "She doesn't want y'all causing a scene at her shower. We all know how you feel about each other," Braden shared with a wide smile.

  Charlotte flashed a sarcastic smile as she stated, "I'm bringing the princess her cups, now."

  Auggie wanted to smile but the fact that his brother interrupted them kept an unhappy expression on his face.

  Shaking his head at Braden, Auggie started to walk out of the storage room.

  "Seriously, you've got to like her at least a little."

  Glaring at his brother, Auggie snapped, "You need to shut up."

  "Come on man, she's gorgeous and she always smells nice. Not only that, she seems like she'd be a lot of fun to be with."

  Charlotte was all the things Braden was saying and so much more. He started wondering why he was still pretending to hate her when it was just Braden.

  Auggie started to confess when his brother added, "I mean Will thought so. Gah, can you believe our Will got with her in the first place."

  Suddenly, Auggie felt his mouth start to water like he was going to be sick.

  Grabbing Braden by the front of his suit jacket, he growled, "I said, shut your mouth," then let go with a little shove.

  As he walked out of the room, Auggie heard his brother gripe, "Damn, lighten up."

  All the things that brought Charlotte into his life seemed to assault him as he made his way back through the swinging doors.

  How could he have forgotten? Another wave of nausea hit him as he changed his course and headed straight for the men's room. Loosening his tie as he stepped in, his guilt was suffocating him. Charlotte wasn't his girl; she couldn't be. She was Will's first. Trying to catch his breath, he clinched his fists remembering all he was supposed to do was look out for her. What kinda of a man was he? He was a sorry excuse for a brother, a disloyal son of a bitch that was dishonoring Will with every move he made. And he was in desperate need of a drink.

  Pulling himself together, as best he could, Auggie headed behind the bar. He pulled a bottle of whisky from the top shelf before heading into the kitchen. He opened the cooler and grabbed a box of Guinness. Heading to the office in the back, where he planned to drink himself into oblivion, he caught sight of Charlotte. She was watching him with a concerned expression on her face. Everything he felt for her was still there, except now, his head was telling him what a low down dirty excuse for a brother he was for feeling that way. Auggie slammed the office door and locked it behind him, pulled his suit jacket off, rolled up his sleeves and took a long swig out of the whisky bottle.

  ~

  Sitting still as Liv and Penny continued on with their conversation, Charlotte didn't understand what had happened. Auggie appeared upset and when he came through with his arms full of alcohol, he glared at her like he couldn't stand the sight of her.

  "Hey, I think something's wrong," she whispered, leaning closer to Penny.

  Penny gave her a confused look, asking, "What?"

  "Your brother just walked through with a bunch of beer and a bottle of whisky."

  Liv put her two cents in, sharing, "I don't know that I've ever been to a gathering when Auggs didn't get mad or drunk or mad and drunk."

  Nodding at Liv, Penny said, "He probably got into it with Braden or something."

  With a heavy sigh, Charlotte glanced off to the side thinking there had to be more to it.

  Charlotte sat disappointed through the rest of the shower. Even when everyone, including Sarah, complimented the name plaque she made for Keylee's nursery wall, she couldn't bring herself to smile or even gloat at their surprise that it was a nice gift. She just sat there hoping Auggie would come out of the back. Wondering what was wrong and trying to convince herself that their special night was still going to happen.

  ~

  Charlotte sat down on her bed after riding back home with her family. Giving up on any ideas for the evening, she had just changed out of her dress when she received a text from Penny.

  P: I'm at the bar. Can you come over here? Auggie's DRUNK.

  C: Who's there?

  P: Just me. I dropped mom off and came back because I forgot my hat.

  C: Okay.

  Shaking her head as she stood up, Charlotte thought 'If there's not something seriously wrong with him, there's gonna be'.

  Penny was waiting right inside of the back door when Charlotte arrived. She appeared frustrated as she waved Charlotte over to the locked office door.

  "I can't get him to come out. I don't even know what happened. Did y'all get in an argument?"

  Trying to think what could have happened, Charlotte replied, "No, everything was fine when I left the storage room."

  Penny shrugged, asking, "Do you think you can get him to come out?"

  "Yea, why don't you go. I'll text you and let you know how he is."

  Giving her a halfhearted smile, Penny said, "Thanks."

  Charlotte smiled back, waiting for Penny to walk out before knocking on the office door.

  She could hear mumbling coming from inside and decided to knock harder.

  "Augustus," she shouted at the door.

  A shuffling and then banging sound preceded the sound of the office door unlock. Turning the knob, she opened the door and saw him sitting on the floor.

  Frowning at him, she informed, "I guess you really would rather drink."

  Auggie's chest was heaving as he slurred, "I rather...wanted...you," with and incredibly sad expression on his face.

  Closing her eyes a moment, she took a breath before offering, "Come on, let's get you home."

  She reached down to help him, but he pushed her hand away using the chair against the wall to pull himself up.

  As soon as he was on his feet, Auggie practically hugged the doorframe next to her to remain upright.

  "You smell like the bad end of a bottle."

  "You smell sweet," he forced, reaching out for her.

  Rolling her eyes at him, Charlotte asked, "Do you think you can make it to my car?"

  Frantically shaking his head, he mumbled, "No...you're not...won't stay."

  Grabbing his face with her hand so she could look him in the eye, Charlotte stated, "Look at me."

  Auggie's eyes appeared sorrowful and anguished causing her to feel nothing but compassion for him.

  "If you make it to my car, I'll stay with you."

  Allowing him to go first, she watched as he stumbled to the back door, bracing himself against the wall the whole way. Charlotte looked back at all the beer bottles on the floor and the empty whisky bottle on the desk and wondered how he wasn't already in a coma.

  By some miracle of luck, Auggie made it into his house and then onto his bed all by himself. She helped him take his shoes off and since he couldn't seem to manage the buttons on his shirt, she did that too.

  Leaning over him, as he sat on the bed, Charlotte fussed, "Stop doing that and let me help you," when he kept trying to kiss her.

  "You...no...want...to?"

  Growing more frustrated with him, she griped, "No I don't."

  "Why no kiss...ess."

  Finally getting his shirt off of him, Charlotte snapped, "Because your drunk and I don't like sloppy."

  Shaking his head back and forth at her, Auggie leaned his head against her stomach slurring, "Not...that's why. I know...why."

  Rolling her eyes, she pushed him back on the bed, griping, "Glad you know."

  She moved to the head of the bed, to pull h
is sheets back while he mumbled, "Special. Not...this." As Charlotte thought, 'You're telling me', he continued babbling, "I'mma ya out...Nice an out. I shouldn't a...this isn't...nice."

  Scowling at him, she asked, "You want to take me out?"

  Nodding, he rolled over and found his pillow.

  Charlotte still had a feeling something else was wrong but she started to wonder if the whole making this special had put too much pressure on him.

  33

  Almost

  Everything hurt as Auggie rolled over in bed. He wouldn't have thought it was possible, but he was in more pain than when he had a concussion. He felt like he'd been run over. Even his hair hurt. The last thing he remembered was drinking in the back office of the bar. Auggie was wondering how he got in bed. Then, what took place before that slowly filtered into his mind, making him feel worse.

  Letting out a loud groan as he tried to get up, he froze hearing Charlotte say, "Hung over?"

  Whipping his head around to see her made his brain throb. As he laid his head back on his pillow to keep it from spinning, he tried to figure out why she was under the covers in his bed.

  She seemed to read his mind as she informed, "I promised you I would stay if you left the bar."

  Scowling at her, he asked, "You slept in here?"

  Charlotte made a stupid face at him before fussing, "I don't know why you're looking at me like that. I wasn't the one that got drunk and was talking crazy before passing out."

  "What was I saying?"

  Letting out a sigh, she looked up, saying, "Oh, something about you trying on your mom's dresses when no one was home?"

  "What?" he blurted, sitting straight up causing a sharp pain to radiate through his head.

  The corner of her mouth curled into as smile as she admitted, "Okay, I made that up but that's what you get for ruining last night."

  With a heavy sigh, he shook his head asking, "So no crazy talk?"

  Shrugging she answered, "More like slurry mumbles and I think you tried to ask me out on a date."

  "I did?"

  "You kept saying this wasn't nice and something about out. I asked you if you were asking me out and you nodded then passed out."

  Auggie placed his hands over his eyes thinking.

  That could work. Maybe if he took her out, in public, it would ease his conscience. He could then prove to himself that there was nothing wrong with wanting her. Maybe then it wouldn't feel like he was keeping a dirty little secret. The truth was, even with the most hellacious hangover he'd ever had and feeling like low life scum for dishonoring his brother, he still wanted her. Charlotte could have easily left him at the bar; he deserved that. He ruined her special night and she still took him home and stayed with him. It was worth a try to keep her around just a little bit longer. Until she left.

  Trying to focus and not sound like the jackass that he was, Auggie turned to Charlotte.

  "I want to take you out."

  Looking at him like he was out of his mind, she snapped, "Are you still drunk?"

  "I know I screwed up yesterday. I can make it up to you, tonight," he swore, hoping that was the truth.

  With a suspicious expression, Charlotte said, "You have work."

  "Monday's are never busy. Old Lou can handle it, and Braden can help out if he gets in a bind."

  She sat there staring at him as if she was waiting for something.

  Realizing what she was waiting for, Auggie asked, "Will you go on a date with me?"

  With a soft smile, she replied, "Yes."

  "I'll pick you up at six."

  Shaking her head, she corrected, "I'll meet you here at six," before assuring, "That's really sweet that you want to pick me up. Maybe next time you can."

  Trying to think of a nice way to get her to leave, Auggie said, "Let me get up and try to get rid of this hangover. See you tonight."

  Charlotte gave him a well-deserved 'You're acting strange' look before saying, "Oh-kay."

  When she leaned towards his cheek to kiss him, he quickly slid away from her and out of bed.

  Closing the bathroom door behind himself, he heard her shout 'Bye' right before he turned the shower on. Auggie's head was pounding and his conscience was stinging as he stepped in, trying to wash both feelings away with a cool shower. When it was clear neither were subsiding, he stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, set an alarm on his phone and went back to bed.

  ~

  Looking through the clothes in her closet, Charlotte forgot to ask where they were going. She was still in shock that he asked her on a date. Maybe that was his problem. Reminding herself how much he'd had to drink the day before, she decided she was over thinking things.

  ~

  When Auggie's alarm went off, he drug himself out of bed. After taking more aspirin and another shower, he started to feel a little better. He wanted to take her someplace nice, she deserved nice after the way he acted yesterday. Standing in his kitchen, waiting for his bread to finish toasting, he decided to try pushing everything except tonight out of his mind and dwell on the way he felt about her. He needed to start completely over with her. Starting with the night he saw her standing in front of The Dog House. She was worth his effort.

  Forcing his last bite of toast down, it wasn't easy but he knew an empty stomach after drinking was always bad. Back to thinking of where to take her, Auggie called Jackson.

  "Were your ears burnin'?" Jackson answered his call laughing.

  Ignoring his question, Auggie knew Ren would be mad at him for bailing on Sophia's shower.

  "Do you still have the hook up at Mansurs?"

  "Do you need a reservation?"

  "If you can swing it, tonight at seven thirty."

  "Shouldn't be a problem, you know its tie and jacket, right?"

  Auggie replied, "Never mind then," knowing he couldn't wear his funeral suit and there was no time to get the one he wore yesterday cleaned before tonight.

  "You know what, I think I have one that would fit you," Jackson offered.

  "You sure?"

  "Yea, I'll run it over in a few."

  "Thanks."

  "No problem," Jackson said before hanging up.

  Auggie walked to his living room and sat down in his chair. He sent Charlotte a text to let her know where they were having dinner, figuring she would want to know and waited for Jackson. So far, so good.

  Jackson arrived around forty-five minutes later. Auggie had taken another nap in the meantime and was close to a full recovery. After letting Jackson in, Auggie took the dark grey suit, white shirt and tie he brought and hung it up in his room.

  Walking back into the living room, Auggie noticed the serious expression on Jackson's face.

  "Thanks. Appreciate the loan," Auggie said.

  "Anytime, keep it. Ren's been on me to get rid of the one's I don't wear anymore."

  Nodding, Auggie walked to his kitchen.

  Jackson rested his arms on top of Auggie's bar while leaning against it as he shared, "Ren is furious with you," before asking, "Didn't you and I have a talk about Charlotte? Didn't you say you'd be nice for the shower?"

  Scowling, Auggie griped, "I didn't do anything to her."

  That wasn't technically true but Auggie knew Jackson thought they had gotten into it at some point.

  "We all saw you go to the back after her. Then you got drunk and she was noticeably upset."

  Half-truthing his way through defending himself, Auggie griped, "I didn't do anything to her. Just like at y'alls house that day. We were just talking."

  Jackson stared at him for a moment before a wide smile spread across his face.

  The 'Happy I figured it out' look he had was quickly replaced by a 'What the hell are you thinking' one as he shared, "You sure like to make things hard on yourself."

  Shaking his head, Auggie replied, "You have no idea."

  Concern spread across Jackson's face as he asked, "Do you know what's going to happen when you take her out, here?"<
br />
  Auggie gave a heavy sigh as he answered, "It's gonna eat me alive and I'll lose her if I don't." As Jackson shook his head, not understanding, Auggie explained, "Everything was fine. Well, not fine but I liked what we had going on. Yesterday, Braden was...being Braden. He said something about Will getting with her."

  "And you think parading her on your arm through town is going to make it better?"

  Shrugging, Auggie said, "I gotta do something. All I keep thinking about is her being with Will."

  Jackson nodded, advising, "Then you should talk to her about it."

  Giving Jackson a stupid look, Auggie fussed, "I can't tell her that the idea of being with her makes me sick because she was with Will."

  "If you talk to her, she can tell you what was between them and what happened."

  Horrified at the thought of hearing Charlotte describe being with his brother, Auggie snapped, "I don't want to hear that come out of her mouth."

  Appearing frustrated, Jackson said, "You don't know what she's going to say."

  "You give terrible advice."

  Pushing off from the bar, Jackson assured, "It's only terrible because you won't take it. You need to quit being such a stubborn ass and talk to her," as he headed toward the door.

  "Hey, don't tell Ren, okay."

  When Jackson reached the front door, he turned back, saying, "Are you kidding? My house is already an emotional war zone and that is 'shoot the messenger' news. I accidentally called her grandma the other day and she didn't talk to me for two hours. No way I'm going to admit I have any part in this situation."

  As Jackson walked out of his house, Auggie sat down at his kitchen table. Stretching his arms out across the table, he rested his forehead against the cool surface. That could have gone better. It also could have gone a whole lot worse. Jackson didn't say he was wrong or call him a vile betrayer, even though he still felt like one. There was a tiny bit of relief in admitting they were together. This could actually work.

  ~

  Charlotte pulled into Auggie's driveway about five minutes to six. When he said that he was taking her to Mansurs, she was genuinely surprised. She wasn't sure where she thought they would go, but Mansurs was definitely never a thought. Stepping out of her car, she looked down before giving herself a once over in her reflection on the side of the car. It took a bit to figure it out, but she was happy with the strapless black dress she picked out. Especially because it worked perfect with the lace straps from the lingerie she wore underneath. No one would know they were two separate pieces and the lacy straps on her shoulders made the dress appear fancier than it was. Charlotte nodded at her reflection and headed to his door.