“That’d be great, Carole, thanks. Can you also bring Alek his usual?” She peers over at me and away, then finishes softly, “and another Colombian Roast for him?”
“Boss?” I ask quietly when Carole walks away. “Did they finally promote you?”
“Something like that,” she mutters, grabbing a napkin and tearing it into tiny pieces.
Alek covers Charlie’s hand, quieting her anxious fidget. I swallow hard, forcing myself to look away from their joined hands.
Fuck.
Suck it up, buttercup. You made this bed. Now you lie in it.
Amelia’s voice echoes in my mind, making me sit up straighter. This is my penance, and I’ll pay it. Even if it feels like swallowing sandpaper and taking knives to the heart.
“No reason to keep it quiet, baby girl,”Alek tells her. “As soon as it’s finalized, everyone will know anyway.”
She stares him in the eyes for a few more seconds before she nods. Her shoulders tense as she turns toward me. “I bought Grinder’s,” she tells me.
My grin stretches until my cheeks hurt. “That’s incredible, butterfly.” Then cold floods my veins, and my heart pounds. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to call you that. It just slipped. I’m really sorry.” I rake my fingers through my hair and lean back, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.
Charlie’s palm smacks the table, making it rattle. Around us, hungry eyes wait for any scrap of drama to turn into gossip.
“Just stop,” Charlie says softly. “I hate it, but I know you didn’t mean to do it.” She shakes her head, her shimmering silver-lilac hair brushing her shoulders, and my fingers ache to touch it. “Just… try not to make it a habit, okay?”
Unsure what to say after that, because I don’t even know the meaning behind it and refuse to read into the words, I pull out my phone instead and hold it out to her. “Take it, Charlie,” I say softly.
Reluctantly, she reaches out to take it. “Okay. What am I looking for?”
“Honestly, whatever you want. I don’t have anything to hide.”
“That’s a surprise,” she utters under her breath.
I flinch at the jab. “Fair enough. Not anymore. I’ve got nothing left to hide.”
“Just tell me what I’m looking for, Keaton,” Charlie says quietly. “I’m assuming it’s got to do with the video Alek told me about?”
“Yeah, it’s there. As I explained to Alek, sending shit like that without the consent of the parties involved is considered revenge porn, which is against the law. Because I’m not the one in the video, it has to be one of you two who press charges against Rianna. I have a criminal case against her with a group of other guys, but another charge on top of that one has a better chance of seeing something done. Alek already said he didn’t care about him being in it, so the final decision is yours, Char. It’s your body that was recorded and distributed without your knowledge.”
I know this is the last thing Charlie wants to discuss, so I spit it out, flat and fast. I brace for anything but the fire blazing in her eyes. Crimson creeps up her neck and cheeks, and I can’t look away even as shame twists my gut for being the reason she’s in this mess.
“Oh, no. I am pressing charges against this bitch. Not once have I done a damn thing to her.” She glares at me. “As much as I want to lay all the blame at your feet, you can’t control someone else’s actions. Believe me, I know that better than anyone. If you’re being truthful, an—”
“I am,” I interrupt, the urge for her to believe me overwhelming.
“Maybe. But as I was saying before, you rudely interrupted me. If you’re being truthful and cut her out of your life after that night, then youreallycan’t control her. People like her thrive onbeing the center of attention. I’m going to give her what she’s looking for, just not in the way she wants it.”
“I’m sorry you’re dealing with this shit too, Char.”
“I appreciate the words, Keaton, but at the end of the day, that’s all they are. For a year, you chose to lie to me, and I think possibly, even to yourself. So, your words? They’re not really going to mean much for a while. Maybe they never will again.” She climbs to her feet, and Alek does the same, scooting from the booth so she can get out. She pauses, peering over at me. “And that sucks, you know. Because there was a time when your words were absolutely everything to me. Now, they’re just a bunch of letters combined together, creating words that slip past the deceitful lips of someone who was supposed to love me. Let’s go get this over with. We’ll meet you at the station.”
Sure. Just as soon as I figure out how to stitch myself back together after her truth cuts me to ribbons.
It’s only when I slide into my car that I realize Charlie still has my phone, and I don’t care. No panic, no sweaty palms. She was right all along.
I wasn’t just lying to her.
I was lying to myself, too.
Good thing I’ve got therapy soon. Lionel’s in for a challenge as I try to untangle where the truth stopped and the lies took over.
