But she isn’t mine. Not anymore.
I’ve known it since the pool house, but seeing them together now, their bond leaves no room for doubt.
Charlie’s finally piecing herself together without me, and I’d be an even bigger bastard if I tried to ruin that.
So even if it guts me every day, even if it steals pieces of my soul, I’ll let her live her life with him.
At least for now.
There’s still so much I need to fix before I’m worthy of her. Until I can love her right, I have no business interrupting my Charlie girl as she learns to fly.
I swipe away tears, staring at her smiling face in the photo. “Enjoy him while you can, my pretty butterfly. I’m coming for you someday,” I whisper.
I stand and set the photo gently on the counter, taking in the chaos around me.
There’s no way I’m getting my deposit back. The damage is only cosmetic, but it’s everywhere. I didn’t realize how far gone I was until now. The anger came fast and left me hollow.
This mess just shows how empty my life feels without her.
Watching Charlie and Alek gave me a taste of what she must have felt when she walked in on me and Rianna.
God, I’d give anything to rewind the last year and undo the damage I caused.
Thinking of Rianna and the video, a new feeling breaks through. Maybe this is what finally gets her locked up. Revenge porn is a crime, but I need proof that it’s her behind the messages.
I dig through the chaos, searching for my phone—the one I tossed in my rage.
“Come on. Come on. I know you’re around here,”I mutter anxiously. “Ah, fuck.”
My phone’s screen is a spiderweb of cracks, but it lights up when I press the button. The message app still works. Now let’s see if I can get her to slip up, too.
ME
Rianna? Are you the one who is sending me this video?
She doesn’t answer right away, and I brace myself for a twisted game of cat and mouse. But she’s not as clever as she thinks because her reply comes soon enough.
UNKNOWN
Ofc. I’m the only 1 that luvs u like that baby. Someone had to show u the truth so u can come back 2 me.
I almost block her, but common sense wins. Better to leave the line open for the police. She’ll probably incriminate herself if I wait. So I set the phone down and start cleaning up the mess I made.
By the time I’m done, I’m sweaty and exhausted. I hoped staying busy would help, but the video loops in my mind, following me into the shower and haunting my sleep.
After hours of tossing and turning, I sit up with a growl and grab my phone. Even through the cracked screen, I hit play again, torturing myself with what I can’t have.
For now, at least.
After the tenth viewing, I set the phone down and stare at the wall, letting my mind go blank and my body go numb.
Sometimes, like now, the self-loathing is too much. I’m drowning in it, desperate for air.
My phone rings, Charlie’s ringtone echoing through the room and jolting me out of my stupor.
I don’t even let it get past the second ring. "Charlie?"
"I hate you," she sobs.
