The air shifts. He’s not breathing normally anymore. Then again, neither am I.
His voice is barely more than a growl. “What happened to them?”
“They built a life together,” I say simply. “Got married a year later. Bought a house somewhere outside Providence. Last I knew, they had a dog.”
He’s incredulous. “You still follow them?”
I’m quick to correct him, “No! I haven’t seen them since the day I demanded my half of the deposit back and moved here. But social media has a way of making ghosts try to friend you every few years.”
“Why did you bring me here? Why not to your old place with him?”
“Her former roommate told the bitch to pack her shit and move out.” I jerk my chin to my former apartment. “So, I moved in. This is where I lived while I dismantled my marriage and finished college.”
Anger, sympathy, regret chase each other across his face. “Rhoswen…”
I interrupt whatever he’s about to say. “I’m telling you this because when you told me about your past, you looked at me like you were waiting for the part where I’d decide you were too much.”
He doesn’t deny it.
“I may not have been through what you have, but I do understand what it means to have your heart broken, to haveyour sense of trust destroyed. I know betrayal. Not like ‘hold a knife and try to kill me’ betrayal. But I know what it feels like to have your entire understanding of the world change in an instant.To wonder if you will ever believe in anyone ever again.”
His bright eyes are filled with pain and soft with emotion—just for me. “You didn’t deserve that.”
“No,” I agree. “Then again, neither did you.” I reach for his hand and hold it to my cheek. “I hate you went through your pain alone.”
He murmurs, “I hate you went through what you did, but I’m not going to lie. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be standing here with me. And that? I’m grateful for.”
The summer air simmers between us. Somehow, I know, making myself vulnerable to Charlie was the right move. I can feel another thread binding our hearts together.
“Rhoswen,” he says quietly, “Do you know what the first thought that went through my mind was after you shared your story with me?”
“What?”
“One day, when I introduce you to my family, I’m going to be proud to have you on my arm.”
Tears well up in my eyes. “Charlie?—”
He rubs his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “We’re building something strong. Something honest. Something I’ve never had before and I want it with you, my little coo.”
A tear trickles out of the corner of my eye. He swipes it away. My breath shakes. “Is that a promise?” I ask softly.
“No.”
He pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes. “It’s a vow.”
And for the first time in a very long time, I believe a man when I hear that word used on this street.
CHAPTER TEN
PRESENT
Charlie clearshis throat before continuing the story. I know what’s coming even before he braces his hands on his thighs. The defeated posture speaks volumes. His head suddenly swivels toward me. When our eyes meet, I pucker my lips and blow him a kiss.
His tension ebbs, as he draws strength from the gesture. I don’t lose eye contact with him, even when I lift my hand from my lap and swipe away my tears. Charlie knows how I feel about the tragedy of his third marriage.
In my opinion, it’s the only one that counts. It’s the one he entered into with his full heart.
And it shattered his heart, making him into the man who stands before us all at this moment.
