She had a right to be angry. I’d gone back and forth on whether or not I should tell her, knowing all she would do was worry herself and everyone else into an early grave.
I hadn’t decided yet either way, but clearly, I’d waited too long.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was distracted by keeping up with everything and didn’t want to worry you.”
“She was in the next tower over!” she shrieked. “And she’s the fourth person to go missing in two months!”
She must have wrung those details out of Dad.
I didn’t have her on speaker, but she was loud enough that Charlie turned from where he stood at the window, binoculars dangling from his neck, and gave me a look that saidshe has a point.
“Don’t start,” I mouthed at him, gesturing with my hand for him to turn back around and mind his business.
He rolled his eyes and continued with the hourly smoke check.
“The search parties are still out looking for her. She may have gotten lost or injured—they could still find her alive.”
Truthfully, I didn’t believe that anymore, but it was a knee-jerk reaction to soothe Mom’s nerves.
“Just promise me you’re being careful.” She sounded tired.
“I promise,” I answered, staring at the back of Charlie’s head.
We chatted for a few more minutes before saying our goodbyes. “I’ve got to take these cookies over to the church before this afternoon, so I’ll let you go. I love you, Reese's Pieces.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
When I hung up, Charlie faced me again, his mouth kicked up at the corner. “She seems nice.”
“She is. Her worrying gets on my nerves, but I can’t complain, all things considered,” I said, joining him at the window.
“Does she…” he trailed off, blushing. “I mean, the way that cop acted, it seemed like he might’ve wanted to be more than your… friend.” He began nervously twisting the strap of the binoculars. “Are you and he, like, well, I mean, have you?—”
“Charlie?”
“Hmm?” His voice was about four octaves higher than normal.
“Are you asking if I’m gay?”
“Uh-huh.”
I bit my cheek to keep from smiling at the way his voice cracked. “Yes, I am.”
“Yes, you’re seeing the cop, or yes, you’re gay?”
“Yes, I’m gay. No, I’m not seeing Tate.”
He cleared his throat, outline flickering a bit. “Oh.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You good?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. So, does she—I mean, she said she was taking cookies to church. Does she know?”
My heart broke a little. The more I learned about Charlie, the more it felt like I’dalwaysknown him, but then I’d suddenly remember he grew up decades before me. Of course, there were still people nowadays who couldn’t come out to their family, but a lot had changed since he was alive.
“Yes, she does. My dad knew well before Mom, I think. But the summer I turned sixteen, my step-dad, Keith, caught me making out with the neighbor boy by the pool. So, you know, that sort of blew the door off that secret.”
His eyes widened. “What did he do?”
