My fists curled as I lost the battle, a tear slipping out of the corner of my eye.
Charlie was the only one who saw. Which only made it worse.
“Cash,” she whispered, her foot rubbing down my shin like that was some kind of comfort. I yanked my leg back.
“I…I need to go.” I motioned for Liam and Theo to move.
“No.” Liam shook his head, jaw set. “I have strict instructions not to let you pass until we get all these feelings out in the open.” He gestured at everyone like we were in group therapy.
The same resolve was on all their faces like they’d made a secret pact not to let either of us leave the table until it was done.
Something inside me snapped. “You want my feelings out in the open?” I hissed, my glare swinging from person to person. “Well, here they are. She wrote me a freaking song about how she doesn’t ‘feel that way about me.’” I used air quotes. “And made me sing itto myself.Happy now?”
No one responded. But hey, they did offer me varying expressions of shock and chagrin. Which only proved I was a pathetic loser. Girls only wanted me for my name and what I could do for them. Or they didn’t want me at all.
It was more than I could take, the swell of pain burst through the emotional dam I’d kept plugged all week.
As another tear rolled onto my cheek, I narrowed my eyes on Charlie. “You know, for someone whodoesn’thave feelings for me, you sure do have a way of making sure I never get a second to breathe without you in it. Why didn’t you go live at your own house? Or anywhere but mine, for that matter? But no, you have to be everywhere I turn. Just give me some freaking space!”
The moment the words were out, I wished I could take them back. It was the opposite of what I actually wanted. I wanted her so in my space I didn’t know where she stopped and I began.
The group went uncomfortably silent.
Now her eyes were watering. “Y-you’re right. I’m so sorry. I’ll get out of your way, Cash.” The way she said it screamed that she was leaving. And not just this restaurant or my family’s house.
She was leaving for good.
She turned to Theo next to her. “I need you to let me by.”
“No, I’m not doing that,” he said stubbornly.
“I’m leaving,” she said again, this time deep and baleful.
“Charlie, no,” I said, voice wobbly.
One second, Theo’s key fob was lying on the table, the next it was in her hand. She sprang up, strutted over the table like it was a runway, and hit the ground running—ducking past James, using a waiter as cover.
The restaurant quieted, everyone looking at us. But I couldn’t care. As I watched her disappear behind a family, fear wrapped around my lungs like barbed wire.
“I can’t believe you said that,” Theo snapped.
“Really?” I asked. “You can’t stage a showdown and expect no one to bleed.”
“She loves you, man,” Bowen said. “She’s just covering it up for some reason.”
“Why do you think she chose to live atyourhouse?” James power-whispered.
“She wanted to be close toyou,” Liam said like it should’ve been obvious. From the expressions on everyone’s faces, I was the only one who hadn’t figured that out.
My head turned, gaze scrambling over the room, desperate to find her. I gestured for Liam and Griff tomove. Finally, they scrambled off the seat.
I jogged through the restaurant, gaze skittering from person to person, trying to find her, cussing myself the entire way. I hit the sidewalk outside, slowing only to turn right, then left. She wasn’t anywhere. At least that I could see. My stupid eyes weren’t helping, blurred from my tears.
Thankfully, I heard a woman say, “Are you Charlie Dupree?” somewhere on the far end of the parking lot.
Charlie didn’t answer. But I heard abeep-beepand saw the taillights of Theo’s black Toyota Tundra light up when she was still twenty feet away.
“Charlie!” I yelled. I shouldn’t have. It only made her break into a run. “Charlie!” I sprinted, my tennis shoes smacking against the pavement, clocking a time that would’ve had Blue claiming I got my speed from him. I caught her around the waist, slamming us both into the driver’s side door. “No! Don’t go.” I ripped the fob from her hand and tightened my arms around her like a vice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t. I didn’t.” I was crying—sobbing actually—into her hair. “Please don’t leave. I’ll be your friend. I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”
