“I didn’t write that.” I move the cursor to the next message and click.

  Adonis21

  wiekaid ejejej *eggplant emoji, pizza emoji, banana emoji, rainbow emoji*

  Amber44

  Hey Sexy, I like your eyes

  “Dude, were you drunk?” Trey asks.

  I click on the next.

  Adonis21

  *eggplant emoji, banana emoji, unicorn emoji*

  Jenny99

  I’m down for a good time. How about you?

  I stare at Trey’s laptop in disbelief. “I never wrote any of these.”

  “Did someone hack your account? Someone use your phone?”

  After a long pause, it hits me. Fuck. The other night when I was at my sister’s. I place the laptop on the couch next to me and rake my hands down my face. “My niece and nephew were playing with my phone the other night. They must have hit some buttons and sent those random ass messages.”

  “Damn. Chalk that up as another reason to never have kids.”

  I rest my elbows on my knees and look up at Trey. “What am I going to do? This is the one girl I actually care about. And now I’ve just fucked it all up.”

  “Yeah, she probably thinks you’re just like her ex.”

  My eyes bore into Trey. “Not helping.”

  Trey rubs his hands together and stands. “Alright, let’s win your girl back! Let ‘Operation Bennett’s a dumbass but loves Charlie’ commence.”

  Love… do I love Charlie? I can’t love Charlie. But she’s all I think about as soon as I wake up. Her dazzling smile and friendly eyes. The cute way she sticks her tongue out just a little when she’s concentrating really hard. How she separates her Skittles into colors and then eats them in groups, so she doesn’t taint the distinct flavor of each candy. I think I love this girl.

  I rise to my feet next to Trey and puff out my chest. “I love Charlie!”

  “Yeah, I know. That’s why I said it.” Trey rolls his eyes and digs for his phone in his pocket and exits the room, mumbling under his breath. “Doesn’t anyone ever listen to me? I’m more than just a pretty face…”

  “Hey where are you going?” I turn on my heel and chase after Trey. He waves his hand at me, halting my progress. All I hear is yeah, yeah, fucking idiot, okay, he loves her, okay, yeah. He spins around, phone still to his ear.

  “Who was that?” I spit out before Trey has the chance to hang up.

  “That was Olivia. Got some bad news, man. Charlie wants to saw off your nuts and dangle them from her rearview mirror like a pair of fuzzy dice.”

  My forehead crinkles. “Did she really say that?”

  “I was paraphrasing. But it doesn’t sound good.”

  “There must be something I can do. Anything. She can’t leave it like this. She has to talk to me,” I plead.

  Trey’s somber gaze drifts to mine. “I don’t know. This might be the end.”

  Thirty

  Guess I was wrong

  Charlie

  I didn’t know my feet could move so fast. As soon as I saw all those messages on Bennett’s phone, my heart dropped. I raced around his house, collected everything I could and left. My car was still at Porter’s, so I had to leave on foot. Waiting for Olivia was not an option. If Bennett arrived back, I couldn’t face him. Tears well in my eyes. How could this happen again? What did I do to deserve this? I must have been a real bitch in another life.

  The beeping of a car horn draws my attention and I turn around, shielding my eyes from the harsh sun to see Olivia’s silver Audi Q7. When the rumble of the tires as they hit the gravel on the shoulder, I step out of the way so she can pull up next to me. I throw open the door, toss my bag into the back, slide into the smooth leather seat, and slam the door behind me.

  I sulk in my seat as Olivia steps on the gas, understanding my need to get out of here. A few quiet minutes pass then Olivia breaks the silence.

  “You alright?”

  A lone tear falls down my cheek, followed by another, unable to hold them back any longer. “I really thought it was going to be different this time. That I actually found a good guy. Guess I was wrong.” I swipe away the moisture.

  “Aww honey. I’m sorry. We all thought he was a good guy.”

  I throw my hands up in the air. “How could I have fallen for him? Sure, he seemed so charming and acted like he cared for me, but then there were all those other girls.” I slump down in the seat as the tears start to fall again. “What’s wrong with me? Am I that unlovable?” My shoulders shake with each sob that pours out of me.

  Olivia throws the car into park as soon as she’s in her driveway and turns toward me. She reaches for my hands and looks me in the eyes. “Charlie, this is not your fault. Understand me? He’s the asshole.”

  I swipe at my tears.

  “Let’s get you inside. I’ll make us some food. You can shower and we’ll veg out, okay?”

  All I can do is nod as she grabs my bag from the back before we walk the path to the house.

  I follow Olivia into her sleek modern kitchen. She opens her white Café french door refrigerator, pulls out a water, and places the plastic bottle in front of me.

  Olivia tilts her head. “Are you wearing his shirt?”

  I look down. Dammit. I threw his shirt on while I was looking for mine and forgot I had it on.

  “His stupid shirt, with all its stupid holes.” I poke a finger through the torn fabric. “You know, he has an entire closet full of shirts like this. They’re all ratty and full of holes. He says he can’t get rid of them because they hold sentimental value. Who does that? It’s a shirt. Get over it.” I twist the cap off the water and take a drink.

  “Why don’t you go take a shower. Help yourself to some fresh clothes in my closet.”

  I nod my head and make my way to the staircase. Once I reach the bathroom, I turn the rain shower head on and steam fills the room. I shed my clothes and let the water wash away all my feelings. When I finish, I step out and wrap a towel around me. Wiping the fog off the mirror, I stare back at a girl with red, puffy, and vacant eyes. I deserve better than this. I deserve someone better than this. And I know what I need to do.

  The car comes to a stop at the departure terminal doors. I open the door and round the car to the back. The sound of traffic, car horns, and people talking echoes between the buildings. A shiver blast through me as a gust of wind passes through like a wind tunnel. Tugging my coat tighter around me, I meet Parisa at the trunk of her. After she opens it, I heave my suitcase out, setting it on the ground. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “Anytime. I can’t believe you might be leaving us. I don’t want to say goodbye.”

  “It’s only a preliminary trip. I’ll be back in a few days. They want me to check out the new office and make sure it will be a good fit. But I think a fresh start is exactly what I need. Something must be in the air here because I keep getting burned.”

  She gives me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Charlie. No one saw this coming. You guys were perfect for each other.”

  Tears prick my eyes. I’ve spent too many hours crying over this man. I don’t need to start again now. “He had us all fooled.” I exhale a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going to get going.”

  Parisa reaches her arm around me and gives me a big hug. “Safe travels. Keep us updated about the job.”

  I give her a tight smile and nod before I turn and stride through the double glass sliding doors. I meander through the people as I approach the ticket counter. A middle-aged woman in a sensible blue and white pant suit greets me with a friendly smile. While she checks my travel documents, I lift my suitcase onto the scale.

  She hands back by ID and boarding pass. “Have a great trip to Aspen.”

  Thirty-One

  You think or you know

  Bennett

  As I walk into The Blue Stone Group Monday morning, Olivia and Parisa are at the front desk. Instantly, I see the vacant spot next to Olivia. On instinct, my feet rush to the desk. “Where’s Charlie?” I ask, panic in my voice.

  They share a quick glance before Olivia speaks. “She’s in Colorado.”

  My heart drops to my stomach while disbelief floods my face. “She took the job? She didn’t even say anything to me.” I run my hands through my hair. “I’ve been trying to call her all weekend. I left who the fuck knows how many voicemails. I sat outside her apartment for hours, in the cold, until someone threatened to call the cops. I just want her to know it’s not what she thinks.” My eyes dart between the two women, a pleading look on my face. They must believe me. Someone must believe me.

  Parisa reaches over and rests her hand on my forearm. “She just needs some time. In her head you’re just like her ex—”

  “But I’m not.”

  Parisa finishes. “But in her mind, you are. She’ll be in Colorado for a few days, then she’ll be back. Just give her that time.”

  My shoulders slump and I nod. Turning on my heel, I make my way to the elevator to go to my office. Two days. I’ll give her two days, then I’m demanding that she listens to what I have to say because there is no way I am letting her go without a fight.

  Piles of paperwork are scattered all over my desk. I’ve spent the last few hours buried in work so I could stay out of my head. The ringing from my cell phone pulls my attention. Liana’s name flashes on the screen and I answer.

  “Hey,”

  “Hey, baby bro. What are you and Charlie doing tonight? Mark just got a new flat top griddle and needs some taste testers, so burgers tonight. Six p.m.”

  “Uh, well, Charlie and I aren’t together at this moment. Plus, she’s in Colorado, possibly taking a new job.”

  “Wait!” A high pitch screech sounds on the other end. “What do you mean, you’re not together? And a job offer? What did you do?”

  “Why do you think this is my fault?” Silence fills the air. “Wait, don’t answer that. I’ll be over and fill you in on everything.”

  “Yeah, you better! I like Charlie. Don’t screw this up for me.”

  “I’ll do what I can just for you.” I mumble sarcastically, pressing end on the call, mentally preparing myself for the earful I’m about to get from Liana.

  Before I can even raise my hand to knock, Liana throws the door open with a questioning look on her face. “Tell me everything.”

  “Oh, so nice to see you. I’m doing shitty, by the way. Thanks for asking.”

  “Haha. I’ll get you a beer. You can drown your sorrows in that.”

  We climb the stairs of the split-level house and I make myself at home, pulling out a stool and taking a seat at the kitchen island. Warm light shines down from the hanging pennants above us. Liana snags a beer from the fridge, twists off the top, and pushes it towards me.

  She rests her elbows on the countertop and leans in. “Alright. Tell me what happened.”

  I reach down and take a swig of my beer before I hash all this out with my sister and have her tell me how much of a fucking idiot I am and that I better not fuck this up. I spend the next twenty minutes telling her my side of the story. That everything is just a big misunderstanding and I’m not like Charlie’s asshole ex.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this.” Liana plucks my phone out of my hands and taps away at the screen. “Here, this should fix getting any more random messages because of my kids.” She hands my phone back to me.

  “What did you do?” I stare down at my phone.

  “There’s an app Mark and I use since the kids always want to play games on our phones. It blocks certain apps and requires a passcode to access them. That way they can only play their games.”

  “Well, shit. This would have been useful about a week ago.”

  Liana gives me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I didn’t even think about it. But why didn’t you delete the app?”

  “I thought I did.” My tone a little louder than normal.

  “Well, I can’t fault her for being mad. I would probably want to junk punch you, too.”

  “That’s all you got? That’s your wise words of wisdom?”

  Liana releases a soft chuckle. “Someone hurt her once before, and she thinks you did the same thing, so of course her defenses are going to be up. She’ll have to talk to you, but she’ll need time to digest everything, sort out her own feelings.”

  “I think I love her.”

  Liana’s eyes look like they’re going to bulge out of their sockets. “Those are some big words coming from you. But also, you think, or you know?”

  I take another long pull of my beer, contemplating her question. It’s one that’s been sitting at the forefront of my mind ever since Trey planted the seed. “I know.” A smile tugs at my lips as I say the words. “She’s the first girl to ever throw my world off its axis. And now I’ve managed to fuck it up.” My head drops to my phone screen as my fingers fidget with the case.

  “I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She loves you, too. She’s just hurting right now.”

  “But now she might take this job out of state, and then what? Do I just let her go? Pretend none of it was real? Quit my job and follow her?”

  She reaches over and places her hand on mine. “Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.”

  But what if I don’t make the right one, and I lose her forever?

  Thirty-Two

  I just need a little more time

  Charlie

  Colorado was amazing. The views were gorgeous with the Rocky Mountains nestled along the horizon. I don’t think I could ever grow tired of it. The driver dropped me off in front of a modern building with sleek lines that houses the new branch of the company. The building isn’t as large as the one in Harbor Highlands and the team is much smaller. As I walked through the double glass doors, my potential new boss, Mr. Hendricks, greeted me and whisked me off to show me around, including my own office. I’ve never had an office before. He had lunch catered in and we discussed my duties and the potential for growth. All of it was a lot to take in, but I know this is an opportunity of a lifetime. One I don’t think I can pass up.

  But now I’m back in Minnesota and have some tough decisions to make. I drop my bag into the drawer at my desk and before I can even sit, Olivia’s perched next to me, anticipation spread across her face. “So how did it go?”

  “It went… great.”

  She scoots her chair closer. “That doesn’t sound very convincing.”

  My eyes fall to the ground, collecting my thoughts before glancing back up at Olivia. “The job is amazing. The location is gorgeous. But I would be leaving you and Parisa.”

  “And what about Bennett?”

  “That’s a whole other issue I haven’t even thought about.” The lie sours my mouth. Every time I tried to not think about him, I thought about him. And it didn’t help that while I was in Colorado I found a cute family-owned woodworking shop. Everything inside reminded me of Bennett, including a similar truss table that he built.

  “Have you talked to him?”

  “No. He’s left me numerous voicemails, but I couldn’t bear to listen. Every time I heard his voice, all the hurt would come rushing back to me like a tidal wave. Everything that Jared did came rushing back and it hurt. I just don’t know what to say. It was so hard to see all those women leaving messages for him on that stupid app.”

  “I know but I think he really cares about you. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for all of this. Trey says he’s pretty sure Bennett loves you. When guys confess their feelings to other guys, that must mean they’re true.”

  “Wait. When did you talk to Trey? And since when did you guys become close friends?”

  “Oh, uh. Not the point.” She reaches for my hand. “This is about you. Talk to Bennett. Hear him out.”

  My eyes wander to the second floor and then back to Olivia. “Has he come in yet?”

  “I saw his car in the parking garage but never saw him come in. He must of came in early?” Olivia gives me a one shoulder shrug and swivels her chair to face her computer. My eyes dart to the second floor again and linger for a few seconds before turning my chair around to start my own work.

  Throughout the morning I try to keep myself busy, but every time the elevator dings, my eye shift to see if it’s Bennett. But each time I’m disappointed when it isn’t. The afternoon light shines in through the skylight, catching my bottle of water and causing a prism of colors to shine across my desk. My eyes follow the light, while thoughts of everything except work flood my mind.

  “Hi, Charlie.” A familiar voice catches me off guard.

  I look up and clutch my chest. “Hi, Liana. You startled me. Let me page Bennett for you.” I reach for the phone, but she stops me.

  “Actually, I’m here to see you. I was hoping we could talk. Do you have a lunch break?”

  My eyebrows shoot up. Then I check the time. “Oh, yeah. Give me a few minutes.”

  Olivia gives me a quizzical look as she watches the entire interaction. I mouth that I’m going to lunch with Liana. As we exit the building, a cool nip in the air causes me to tug my over-sized cardigan closed. The fall breeze cooling my heated face. I tell Liana about a little bistro a short walk around the corner.

  When we arrive, we’re escorted to our seats with views overlooking the harbor, and the waiter passes us our menus. I browse the items on the menu, not really reading the words but needing anything to distract myself from the inevitable.

  “So, how are you doing?” Liana asks.

  I peer over my menu before placing it on the wrought iron tabletop. “I’m good. How are you? Mark and the kids?”

  “Good. Everyone is good. To cut to the chase, I’m sure you know I’m not here for small talk.”

 

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