“We’ll see. I don’t have a lot of room in my life for redemption arcs.”
The other side of his mouth joined the first. “I plan to prove you wrong.” He leaned forward and kissed me quickly. “Actually, I can’t wait to prove you wrong.”
When he pulled back, I instantly felt cold all over. I hopped down from the counter and headed straight for the door because how awkward was this? Time to go to bed. Stat.
“Ada,” Charlie called from across the kitchen just as I reached for the door.
My heart did an aggressive jig in my chest. “Yeah?”
“You forgot your keys.”
Face flushing the color of a ripe strawberry, I backtracked and bent over as quickly as humanly possible to grab the set of keys lounging beside the office door. I whispered curse words at them, then slammed through the exit and sprinted up the stairs to my apartment.
I was equal parts still turned on, curious, and so embarrassed I could die.
And for some reason, I knew,I just knew, Charlie had done this on purpose.
fifteen
I wokeup the following day disoriented. The late morning sun streamed through the tall windows and warmed my body. I’d gone to bed with the windows open last night, but it was really too warm to be comfortable with so much access to sunlight around the room. I’d kicked my sheets off at some point and lay there staring up at the ceiling prickly with sweat but comfortable.
Sunday morning was quiet in this part of Durham. This street was mostly nightlife. So if brunchers were out and about, they were over a street or two. The occasional car whizzed by outside. The sporadic bark of a pup on a walk. Birds chirped. The hum of my gigantic refrigerator. The wheeze of old pipes somewhere in the walls.
I stretched like a lazy cat and tried to reason my way back to sleep. I’d moved yesterday, and my body was sore. I deserved a rest day. I wasn’t meeting Adleigh for another two hours. I’d accidentally—or not so accidentally—made out with Charlie in the middle of the night last night.
My body contorted into the fetal position, and I buried my face in my pillow, letting out a frustrated scream. I could still feel him touching me, his hands sliding over my body, his lips working some deep, buried need to the surface.
Actually, I can’t wait to prove you wrong.
Had he really said that? Or had I dreamed the whole thing? I touched my lips, which were still swollen. I closed my eyes and saw his face, eyes darkened with desire, felt his hand palm my breast.
I screamed again. Well, whimpered was more accurate. But I lived alone now so no one was around to fact check me.
When I finally decided that I’d had enough of this freaked-out spiral, I checked my phone. Of course, Charlie’s name was already there with a text message waiting for me.
Charlie:Went to the ER after you left last night. Thanks for the concussion.
Oh shit.
Me:What?! I barely grazed you!
I waited a total of two seconds.
Me:Are you serious?
Another two seconds.
Me:Charlie, did you really go to the ER by yourself? I don’t believe you.
Another two seconds.
Me:God, I’m so sorry. I genuinely didn’t mean to hit you in the head.
Charlie:Headwound emoji. Followed by a smirky face emoji.No, I’m kidding. I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. Just wasn’t sure if you’d answer my texts this morning.
I stared at my phone in disbelief. How dare he? How dare he trick me like that? How dare he know me so fucking well? Now I wished I had given him a concussion.
Me:The audacity.
