He nodded, a small smile curling his lips. “That did happen. But that wasn’t what I meant.”
“Oh?”
He put his glass down and stepped forward as a gasp fell from my lips. Charlie looked stunning. He was wearing what he usually wore; t-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, and it was exactly what he’d worn when we went to the police station this morning, but he looked different; something had shifted. His eyes glimmered with a lightness I’d missed. His cheeks were flushed, and he seemed full of energy. He looked like the old Charlie I’d known before I broke his heart and all this stuff with Jennifer reared its ugly head. He looked like he did in the lighthouse when we’d first gotten together.
Pain ripped through me when it dawned on me.Charlie had met someone.
I had to bite down hard on my lip to stop myself from crying, my heart aching in my chest.
“Well,” I whispered, hoping he wouldn’t hear the wobble in my voice as emotion clogged my throat. “I should get going.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. “You got somewhere to be at 11 pm, Princess?”
I shook my head, taking a couple of steps backward. “No, but this is your home and we’re not together anymore. If you’re okay, I should go.”
“Is that so?”
I nodded, continuing to walk away from him, hoping some distance would hide how I was crumbling.
“Stop,” he commanded, and I froze. “We need to talk.”
I squeezed my eyes closed, not wanting to hear him tell me he’d moved on.
“You don’t need to explain anything. It’s over. I know that. You’ve told me again and again. I get it.”
“Get what?”
I still couldn’t look at him. “I get it.”
“Okay.” He paused. “But I’m going to talk anyway. I need you to listen. Can you look at me?”
I opened one eye first, hoping it hurt less to look at him, but as soon as I did, my treacherous heart reminded me how much I loved him.
“There you are.” He smiled. “I wanted to start by saying thank you.”
I frowned.
“You stood up for me. In that bathroom with Jennifer. You fought for me.” He took a step toward me. “You kept me safe when I thought she was going to touch me again. You knew exactly what I needed and, despite everything that had happened between us, you gave me it without question. You protected me. You supported me while I fell apart. You never once made me feel like a victim or someone who should just accept what happened because I’m a man, like my dad did. You, Fern Richards, made me feel so supported that I was able to walk into that police station today.”
A tear rolled down my cheek because he didn’t need to thank me. I gave him what he deserved. I hated that he’d never had that from his dad.
“I did some stuff today. I met with a friend of Matt’s. He’s a reporter. I did an exclusive interview. There’s a lot I can’t talk about because there is a court case, but I told him what I could and it’s airing tomorrow with the promise of another interview once everything is over. I want to talk about what happened to me because it’s happening to other boys and men right now, and if I can help stop even one person going through what I did, then it’s worth it.”
My tears were falling freely now.
“And I called my mum.” He slipped off his jacket and threw it on the counter, pushing his hands into his jeans pockets. “Told her everything. She cried… a lot. But then I cheered up by telling her I’m getting married.”
I couldn’t hide the sob that tore from me, unable to hide my breaking heart. Turning, I ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time until I reached the bedroom. I hadn’t really unpacked, so it didn’t take me long to throw everything in my case, crying out in frustration when the zip wouldn’t close.
I felt his presence behind me before he spoke. “Do you want to explain what’s going on?”
Trying to hide my upset, I stood, turning to face him. “You’ve met someone. I should have known. You’re way too amazing to be on your own for long. I didn’t think to ask… all this time I’ve been making a tit of myself. I wish you’d just told me and I would have stopped chasing you like a desperate woman.” I let my eyes lock on his. “Really, though. I’m glad you’re happy.”
He chuckled. “I have met someone. She’s bossy and strong and she loves me fiercely. I realized today that she said one thing, and I used that to destroy what we had because I didn’t feel worthy of her time or affection.” He stepped closer, so I had tolook up at him and I hated how much I loved the feel of his body heat burning through me.
“She’s made me understand myself in a way I didn’t know was possible. She’s given me things I didn’t know I needed, and she’s trusted me to give her things too. I want a lifetime with her. I want to marry her.”
Something clicked next to me and my hands flew to my mouth as a small box appeared between us. “You wanna marry me?”
