I can feel the temperature in the room rise, or maybe it’s just me.
“Calm down, Charlotte. Samantha and I are no longer married, and Adriana set me up with Brooke for tonight only.”
This feeling of jealously is an emotion I’m no longer accustomed to. I have no right questioning his personal relationships like he has no right questioning mine.
“Why do you ask?” A smirk widens across his face. “Are you jealous?”
Some nerve. Thankfully, the band stops playing, and the crowd ceases dancing to applaud them. Releasing my hand from his grip, I take the opportunity to say goodbye. “Thank you for the dance, Lex.”
Walking away, I leave him alone on the dance floor, spotting Rocky and Nikki standing by our table. I need my friends to drag me kicking and screaming into the present. These flashbacks are getting the better of me, and I know it’s a vicious cycle to fall into.
“Some dance partner you got there, Charlie.” Rocky snickers.
“Who Ale… I mean Lex?”
“Uh, yeah, Lex Edwards. Billionaire CEO. Mr. Playboy. You might be his first brunette.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Charlie, he’s always in the social section, you know… who he’s dating, what he’s wearing.”
“Hold up. You read the social section?” I question, trying to hold in my laughter.
“Yes, but if it makes you feel any better, he’s not seeing anyone now.”
Surprisingly, it does make me feel better, but I quickly swallow the feeling. Why do I even care?
“Can I have my girl back?” Julian’s arms wrap around my waist. He rests his head on my shoulder, holding onto me tight, kissing the side of my neck. I wrap my arm behind his head, welcoming his touch with a loving smile.
But inside, the wall I built up many years ago has begun to crack.
And across the room Lex’s eyes find mine, his gaze stripping me bare. His lips are pulled back, baring his teeth with a vehement expression.
With every ounce of strength I have within me, I turn away, moving my body so I’m face to face with Julian.
This is the man I’m going to marry.
This is the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with.
I tilt my head, moving my lips toward Julian as I desperately kiss him whole. As we both pull away, I gaze into his caring eyes and remind myself of who I love.
But my heart falls silent, the silence screaming of my weakness.
And just like that, Lex’s voice lingers in my ear, tearing down the wall of its last pillar of strength.
CHARLIE
“Gorgeous, when do I get to make you my wife?”
Julian breaks my thoughts, and unknowingly, I need the reality check more than ever. We haven’t spoken about the actual wedding planning, given he only proposed days ago, but deep down inside I question whether he senses my hesitation and is trying to steer me back in the right direction.
“That depends. Are you going to whisk me away to your bat cave now?”
He grins, pulling me closer toward his body. “For you, anything.”
Lost in this moment, filled with promises of a new life together, I smile as I hold onto him. I need, more than anything, to feel wanted, to feel loved. My eyes meet with Lex’s across the room. He’s never broke from my gaze. The guilt is rushing through me, torn in ways I never imagined would happen again.
But this time, the tables have turned and I have someone to call my own. I’m not the person looking in from the outside, racking my brain as to what went on behind closed doors.