He leaned forward. “That depends. What do you have in mind as a way to thank me for my services?”
My fingers drummed along the table. “How about stitching you back up and pumping you full of antibiotics to ward off any deadly infections?”
Theo’s body rocked with his silent laughter. “How can a man say no to an offer like that?”
My feigned seriousness gave way to a smile. This was nice. Dinner. Theo. Conversation. Knowing without any doubt that a guy liked me, instead of constantly second-guessing his true feelings. A girl could get used to this.
“I’ve got to show you something.” Theo rose from his seat, holding out his hand for me to take.
I frowned at the flaky roll I’d been about to butter. “Can it wait until after dinner?”
“Sorry. Nope.” He took my hand, tugging at me until I gave in.
He snagged my champagne from the table and handed it to me before leading me off the covered balcony through the slider door. Heading toward the sitting area, I noticed several photo albums on the table in front of the couch. One of them was open.
After situating us in front of the couch, Theo crashed back into it, waiting for me to join him. Adjusting my dress once more, I took a seat on the edge of the sofa.
“There you are, making me lose my mind even back then.” Theo tapped one of the pictures in the photo album.
The photos had been taken that summer I’d beaten him in the Shore-to-Shore swim. I was positioned on the first place block, him the second, some other rich boy on the third place block.
“Wow. Look at us. All sun-kissed and innocent.” My head shook. Whoever thought bangs were a good idea for my face should have to face some kind of afterlife consequences.
“Speaking of innocence . . .” His arm bent behind me as he scooted closer, something igniting in his eyes. “I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about yours.”
My throat became parched. “How so?”
“How I think it’s about time we did something about it.” His hand lifted to my neck, feeling heavy against it, as he leaned in to kiss me. My eyes closed, but that only seemed to make me more tense. “How badly I want to dirty it up a little.” His tongue touched the seam of my lips, making me quiver. “Or a lot.”
Sweeping me closer, he grunted when my chest spilled against his. I kissed him back at first, but that familiar sensation of freezing up spread. My hands were stuck at his chest, almost as a buffer, as his mouth worked against mine, ignorant to my lack of enthusiasm.
It felt wrong.
Theo touching me.
Me touching Theo.
It should have made sense.
But it didn’t.
“Theo, no,” I gasped out when he pressed into me, his weight sinking me into the couch.
His tongue was everywhere inside my mouth, messy and frantic and not at all skillful. When his hand at my neck drifted lower, his fingers cresting past the neckline of my dress, I pushed at his chest.
“No,” I breathed, managing to free my mouth from his long enough. “It’s our first date, for Christ’s sake.”
Instead of pulling back, his hand slid a little deeper, squeezing the top of my breast. His dimples were full on thanks to his smile that suggested he still couldn’t decipher when I was being serious and when I was teasing.
“You said it felt like our sixth.” His mouth lowered to my neck, sucking hard at a patch of skin as he ground his lap against my leg, making sure I didn’t miss what he must have thought equated to a sixth date.
“Which doesn’t translate to ‘I’m ready to have sex with you.’” I flinched when he ground himself against me again. “What the hell?” This time, I didn’t hold back when I shoved him. “No!”
I had enough room to squeeze out from beneath him, whipping his hand out of my dress as I lunged off of the couch. It took a moment for Theo to realize I was no longer beneath him. I used his distraction to put a few more feet of space between us.
His back moved as he took a deep breath, his fists curling where they’d fallen on the couch cushions. “God, Charlotte, how much longer are you going to make me wait?” He raked his fingers through his hair when he leaned back, glaring at the empty spot on the couch I’d recently possessed. “If you’re worried about sending the message that you’re not easy, believe me, you’ve proved your point. Way beyond.”
“Actually, the point I was trying to make is that I don’t have any intention of ever sleeping with you,” I hollered, pulling madly at my dress as I rushed to retrieve my coat from the back of a chair. “Clear that up, Theo Hamilton.”
“Where are you going?” His voice was strained, coming through the filter of a clamped jaw.
I snorted as I stormed toward the door. “Getting the hell out of here.”
“Wait,” he called, rising from the couch. Letting out a sigh, he followed me. “I’ll drive you home.”
I lifted my hand, shooting him a warning look. “No, I’ll walk.”
“I can’t let you walk home at this hour by yourself.” His arm waved outside as he pulled his keys from the pocket of his pants. “What kind of guy would that make me?”
My eyebrow peaked as I grabbed my purse. “The kind who just made me say no three times as he was pulling at the neckline of my dress.”
I didn’t say anything else. I figured slamming the door said plenty.
I heard Theo call my name once, but he didn’t come after me. He didn’t call my name twice. I supposed now that he knew the amount of effort he’d have to put in, my name was only worth one call. Not that I cared. Theo had shown his true colors. He was just another guy looking to get laid by the closest girl he thought he had the best shot with.
Pathetic.
Both of us.
After charging through the front door, I broke into a jog down the driveway, fighting off the urge to scratch my heel down the hood of his car.
Anger and adrenaline got me a couple of miles down the road, but I still had a long five miles to go in a floor-length dress and half-inch heels. Not to mention the temperature was going in the wrong direction for a girl who had a hefty jaunt to make along a frosty lake road without her typical three layers of clothing.
Arms crossed, hands stuffed into my armpits, my breath creating a thick fog around my face, I debated removing my shoes when I felt blisters forming on my heels. I fought the urge though, accepting blisters were easier to tend to than frostbite.
Another mile down the road, a pair of headlights appeared from the opposite direction. Hardly anyone was out here this time of year, and anyone who was zipping down this quiet road at ten at night was probably someone I didn’t want to come face-to-face with when I was alone and hobbling on a pair of cheap heels. When the car slowed, I decided to dodge off to the side of the road, hoping I could hide behind a tree or something.
The car’s tires skidded to a stop before I made it halfway to a tree. The sound of a window whirring down followed.
“Charlotte.”
My back stiffened when I heard his voice, that ache in my chest nearly bringing me to my knees. Composing my face, my head twisted over my shoulder.
God, it really was him. Face unreadable, he stared at me from the driver’s seat of his car.
My throat moved. “What are you doing here?”
He shoved open the car door before crawling out of his seat. “I forgot something. I came to pick it up.”
“Valmont is the other direction.”
“No shit,” he said as he stormed around the front of the car, ripping open the passenger door. “Get in.”
I tried not to let my hurt show, from his sharp words or his departure, but Edward had a way of making me feel see-through.
“No,” was my answer before I tried to walk with as much dignity as one could with the number of blisters forming on my feet.
“Charlotte, get in the fucking car.”
I shot him a dirty look over my shoulder, only walking faster. “No.”
I
heard an exasperated sigh, followed by the sound of a car door slamming. I didn’t dare peek over my shoulder to see what he was doing, not even when I heard the sound of crunching gravel, followed by the car’s engine going dead.
The sharp ring of his footsteps stabbed into the quiet air, getting louder with every step.
I lunged to the side when he caught up to me. “What are you doing?”
“Can I ask why you are out here alone, dressed up like you’re either heading toward or coming from a date?” His head barely tipped my direction. “Or why your mascara is smeared below your eyes?”
When I rubbed below my eyes, my hand came away with black streaks. I didn’t remember crying. “No, you can’t.”
“Does Theo Hamilton have anything to do with this?”
“You don’t get to ask me those questions.” My head shook as I stuffed my hands back into my armpits. “And what are you doing still following me?” I threw my head back in the direction of his fancy car, though too much dark and fog floated between to see it anymore.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he asked, his hot breath fogging the air around his face.
“It looks like you’re trying to be a hero, but in case you didn’t realize this about me, I don’t need a hero.”
He kept his focus straight in front of him. “I know that.”
“Then you can head back to your car and get back to your life. Any second now.”
He exhaled through his nose. “I’m not going to let you walk home alone this late. That’s not being a hero, that’s doing the right thing.”
A sharp laugh barked from my mouth. “Yes, because you’re so concerned with doing the right thing.” One more huff, to really sell the disbelief. “And spare me the chivalrous routine. The guy before you who insisted on escorting me back was the same one who hasn’t learned the finer points of the word no.”
Edward stopped moving with me.
I reminded myself that was a good thing.
He charged up beside me. From the corners of my eyes, I could make out the contours of his expression, and his veneer of composure had been removed.
“What did he do?” His voice was so low it could have been a growl.
“Oh, please. I told you to cut the chivalrous crap.” I picked up my pace, so angry I could no longer feel my blisters. Or the cold. So having Edward tag along wasn’t a total loss. “I put Theo in his place.”
“His place is about to be beneath the heel of my shoe,” Edward grunted.
“The heel of mine works fine, thank you.” I lifted one of my feet, flicking the three-inch spike. “Sharper. It’ll hurt more.”
He came close to smiling, but at the last moment, tucked it away. He slid off his suit jacket. “I know how you don’t brave the elements unless you have on five layers of insulation, so here’s number two at least.”
He didn’t wait for my acceptance. Falling behind me, he slipped my arms through his jacket, tucking the collar close to my neck. His jacket was still warm from him and carried his signature scent. I should have taken it off and handed it back pinched between my fingers, but I didn’t.
We walked in silence for a while, until I could just make out the lights of Valmont up ahead. I wasn’t sure who slackened their pace first, but we were both moving noticeably slower.
“So . . . you’re okay?” His voice punctured the quiet as we approached the gate. “You’re happy?”
“What do you think?” I said.
“Tonight?” His head turned toward me. “You don’t look so okay. Or happy.”
I shrugged out of his jacket. “Just go back to leaving me alone. It was easier that way.”
His breath fogged when he exhaled, his brows drawn. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, leaving the way I did. Especially after we almost—”
“Just go!” I shouted, throwing his jacket at him, missing its absence instantly. The cold charged in despite the protection of my own jacket.
“I’m going.” He backed away slowly, one foot at a time, folding his jacket over his arm instead of slipping it back on. His light eyes found mine after I slipped through the gate, putting a tangible boundary between us if I was incapable of any others. “But for the record, Theo Hamilton isn’t worth your tears.”
He’d misread it all. My tears. My emotions. He believed it was all for some other guy.
Sniffing, I wound my arms around me. “Yeah, well, neither are you.”
His head tipped. “I know,” he said, then disappeared into the dark.
Chapter 15
Hours bled into days. Days became weeks. Edward was gone . . . yet he wasn’t. I found myself seeing his dark form lingering in the shadows, or I’d catch the scent of his cologne when I was wandering down a hall. I saw him when I was awake, and he was all I seemed to see when I closed my eyes at night.
For someone who’d left three weeks and four days ago, his presence was everywhere.
“How long’s it been since you’ve taken a food, drink, or bathroom break?” I asked when I entered the theater room where three grown men were focused on the video game on the big screen.
“I don’t know. What time is it?” James cursed as Frederick hooted.
“A little before eight,” I said, assessing the situation.
Frederick hadn’t bothered to change out of his pajamas yet, James had about a week’s worth of facial hair that was inching into beard territory, and Andrew’s eyes were so bloodshot, I feared permanent damage. I grabbed one of the endless remotes, pressing the pause button and hoping it worked.
The grunts of protests confirmed it.
“I was just about to kick Frederick’s ass!” James tossed his controller aside, temper-tantrum style, while the other two blinked kind of aimlessly at the screen.
I dished out supplies from the basket I was carrying. “And I’m going to kick all three of your asses if you don’t start acting your ages and showing some regard for taking care of yourselves.”
When James crossed his arms as I held out a bottle of water, I dropped it in his lap. Once I’d finished passing out waters, I chucked some string chesses and mini bags of pretzels at each of them. I had to clamp my hand over my mouth when I managed to whack Frederick in the nose with the string cheese.
“Thanks, Dr. Everly,” Andrew mumbled in a snarky tone.
“Here, have another cheese stick.” I pitched another one at Andrew, managing to tag his ear. “Doctor’s orders.”
I gave them a few minutes to sip their water and munch on their snacks in silence. As annoying as they were, and as much as I felt like a babysitter, I enjoyed having them here. Their incessant banter and penchant for mischief were a welcome reprieve from my pathetic existence.
“You’re coming to the sledding party tonight, right?” Frederick seemed to be returning to his human self quicker than the other two. But that was what eight hours of nonstop video games did to a person.
“There’s a sledding party tonight?”
Frederick blinked at me as though that should have been obvious. “It’s the first major snow of the season. Of course there’s a sledding party tonight.”
“It’s nearly eight o’clock.” I checked the time again, just to make sure. They weren’t the only ones who’d been prone to losing track of time lately.
“So? No party worth its weight in single malt scotch starts before nine p.m.”
I dropped into the empty theater chair beside James. “I’m responsible for this place. You guys can’t just throw a party. Not now that—”
Andrew lifted his hand. “We’re already eight steps ahead of you, doc. One, this party is being held outside, specifically on the killer hills to the west, and two, we got the stamp of approval from the good prince himself.”
I drew my legs up beneath me. “You talked to him?”
Andrew gave a thumbs-up, tossing what was left of the mini bag of pretzels into his mouth. “Just this morning when the snow started to fall.”
“Did he say anything?” A shadow
of a grimace crept across my face when I heard how obvious I was being, fishing for information. However, I had general dehydration and video-game overstimulation to thank for the three guys’ obliviousness.
“You know Edward. He isn’t exactly the verbose type.” Frederick paused as he lifted the bottle of water to his mouth. “Why? Anything in particular you’re curious about?”
From the corner of my eyes, I thought I made out James exchanging a look with Frederick.
“Just making sure he’s okay.” I took a pretzel from James’s bag when he held it out for me. “He left so abruptly.”
“Edward does that. He needs his space and quiet to think.” Andrew rose from his seat, stretching his long, skinny arms above his head. “That’s why he came here.”
My brows lifted. “And you guys followed him here to give him space and quiet?”
James huffed, jabbing his elbow into Frederick’s arm. “She makes a point.”
“He’ll be okay.” Frederick circled his controller in the air. “He’s just got a lot on his mind with the coronation supposed to take place this spring.”
James drilled his elbow into Frederick again. “Dude. Privileged information.”
Frederick didn’t appear fazed. “Please. Charlotte’s seen every one of us in our boxers, scratching our balls and asses, Edward included. If she wanted to cash in on royal trade secrets, she would have already.”
“Actually, I tried. The tabloids said I was going to have to pay them for the photos of you three scratching yourselves.”
James tipped his chin at me when I managed to keep a straight face. “Excellent delivery. Supreme smartassery. I give you ten gold stars.”
I bowed my head, playing along. “I didn’t know he was going to be ascending so soon. His father is still alive.”
“King Henry wants Edward to take over before he bites it. I think he’s hoping it’ll be a kind of mentorship program or something, you know, so Edward doesn’t run the kingdom into the ground when the big guy does finally bite it.”
Frederick rolled his eyes at James’s explanation, while Andrew moved on to sniffing his armpits. From the disgust that washed across his face, he was extra ripe.
Glass Castle Prince Page 15
