Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 93453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“Did you enjoy dinner?” he asks, completely ignoring the fact that there is a huge elephant in the room. “Next time, we should try more than just the pasta.” He pulls me to him.
“Um,” I start softly, trying to catch my bearings, “we should.”
“It’s a nice night.” He looks outside. “Overall, I would say today was a great day.”
I don’t answer him. Instead, I listen to him breathing and close my eyes for a minute, or at least I think it’s for a minute before I feel like I’m being carried. My eyes open, and I look up at Charlie carrying me through the house. The light gets brighter right before it’s being shut off. “I’m sorry I woke you,” he murmurs, standing in what appears to be his bedroom. “I thought you would be more comfortable in the bedroom.” He walks over to the side of the bed and gingerly places me down in it.
My back rests on the rows of pillows. “I should go home.” I sit up in the bed as he puts one knee on the bed beside my hip.
The moonlight comes into his room and I wish the lights were on so I could see him as he stares down at me. “Stay.” His hand comes up to touch my face, rubbing my cheek with the softest touch, and if I wasn’t awake, I wouldn’t know it was happening.
“It’s better.”
“I want you to stay with me.” His voice is a whisper. “I won’t touch you. I just want to sleep with you in my arms.” I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing I should get up and get out of here. “Just stay with me.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Charlie
I wish I could kiss her. I wish I could just taste her one more time. “Please,” I whisper in a plea as she looks up at me. I move to the other side of her, laying my head down on the pillow, hoping she lies down next to me. I hold my breath with each passing second, my heart speeding up faster and faster. She slowly leans back against the pillows that never get used.
She is the first woman to be in my bed in eight years. The first woman I want in my bed. The thought makes my head spin at the same time settling the achiness I have been carrying around in my chest for the past eight years. She turns to face me. “Thank you, Charlie,” she says softly, putting both her hands pressed together under her cheek, “for the ride this morning.” I move closer to her, putting my hand on her hip and pulling her chest up against mine. “And for dinner.”
“Anytime.” My hand on her hip moves to her back as I slide a hand under the pillow, and her head falls forward onto my shoulder. I lean down and kiss her head. I can’t resist not being able to kiss her the way I want to kiss her, so I settle for this. I close my eyes and settle into my bed. For the first time in eight years, I fall asleep with a slight smile on my face.
I open my eyes when I feel something tickling my nose. My hand comes up to rub it, and I find it’s Autumn’s hair. I look around the room, seeing it’s still dark outside. The bedside table clock shows me it’s a little past 2:00 a.m. The last time I saw the clock it was a little bit after nine when I had pulled her into my arms. Now I am on my back, and she is draped over me, her leg hitched over my thigh in the middle of my leg. Her head is in the middle of my chest. I put my head back and close my eyes, taking in the heat from her body when she stirs in my arms. Her body gets lighter on me and I know that she’s moved away. She picks her head up, sleep all over her face as she looks up at me. “Did I wake you?” I ask softly, and she just shakes her head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever fallen asleep so fast.” She moves her hand thrown over my abs to under her chin. “I crashed out.”
“Must be all the adrenaline.” I lift the hand that was just scratching, my face to move her hair away from her cheek. “I want to kiss you so bad,” I say the words, and I want to kick myself. Her mouth opens in a gasp. “But I won’t kiss you.” I can feel her heart beating on my chest, mimicking my own. “I made your life hell for the last eight years. I blamed you for things I know weren’t your fault, but I knew I had to blame someone, and you were the easy target.” She looks away from me as she blinks faster. “I don’t think there will ever be anything I can do to forgive what I did.” I tighten my arm around her waist, making her crush onto me. “But every single day, I’m going to show you how sorry I am. Every single day, I’ll try to right my wrong.”