“I should get up to bed.”
“Me too. I work tomorrow as well, but I don’t have to be in until the evening at least.”
Her eyes meet mine and our gazes linger. Everything inside of me wants to go to her, to pull her close and feel her heart beating up against my chest. But instead, I step aside and let her pass. She picks up her cat and her overnight bag, and heads toward the stairs.
Using my phone for light, I follow her upstairs and show her the guest room. Then I go back down, put out the fire, and look around the living room.
Charlie is here.
In my house.
In my bed.
Well, one of my beds. I’ve never wanted anything more, but she’s not just a physical temptation. I drag my ass into my own room, brush my teeth, and sink into bed. My hand falls to my waist, fingers brushing over my cock. I’m not going to hide in my room and jerk it like a teenager, but fuck, I’m getting turned on just thinking about Charlie in that white dress. The sleeves rested off her shoulders, and more than once while she was laughing and leaning forward to move her game piece along the board, one sleeve slipped down a little more.
The regret for letting her go eats me alive, churning my stomach and filling it with bile. Having her so close yet so far hurts more than I expected, and I need to figure out my next move to make her fall in love with me.
Though, really, I know there’s no one move that’ll sweep her off her feet. I hurt Charlie. Broke up with her when she thought I was going to offer her more. I told her I didn’t want to be with her when really I didn’t want to let her down. Back then, I saw it as merciful to let her go, thinking she’d move on to bigger and better things.
The only way to get her back is to prove to her that I really have changed. That this time, I will be not only the man she wants but the one she deserves. Rolling over, I tuck my pillow under my arm and close my eyes. It takes a while, but I eventually drift to sleep…until another weather alert goes off on my phone.
This time, I shoot up, squinting at the glowing screen as my eyes adjust. It’s a tornado warning. One touched down in Newport and the storm is far from over. I pull up the weather radar and let out a breath of relief. The storm can circle back around at any moment, I know, but for now, it looks like the worst is going to miss us.
Still, I get out of bed and walk down the hall to the guest room. I crack the door open, not wanting to knock and wake up Charlie in case she’s still sleeping.
“Hey,” I say quietly, seeing her sitting up and looking at her phone. “You got the alert too?”
She nods and looks up. Even in the dark, I can see the fear in her eyes.
“Are you still scared of tornadoes?” I ask, stepping into the room. I shut the door so the cat doesn’t get out.
“Terrified.”
“I think it’s going to miss us.”
She nods again, pulling her lips around her teeth. “Hopefully.”
“Want me to sit with you? We can go into the basement if that’ll make you feel better too.”
“If the sirens go off, I’ll go down. And yeah…I’d, uh, I’d like if you sat with me.”
Crossing the room, I sit on the opposite side of the bed. Charlie puts her phone down and leans back against the pillows.
“Do you think it’s pathetic I’m still scared of tornadoes?”
“No,” I tell her honestly. “They are scary. You can’t do anything to prevent them or stop them. All you can do is hide.”
“Exactly. And the energy gets me all jittery.” She holds up her hand. “I’m shaking.”
I take her hand in mine, lacing my fingers through hers. “It’s okay. Try to go back to sleep if you want. I’ll listen for the sirens.”
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Not really. I closed down the bar a few times last week. My sleep schedule is always fucked up.”
“That would mess with you, I guess.”
She swallows hard, looking over me and out the window. It’s pitch black out there, and the rain comes down in sheets. Thunder and lightning tear through the sky, and the windows rattle. Charlie squeezes my hand a little tighter.
“Bad storms tended to break up before they got into the city,” she says. “We had storms, of course, but no tornadoes.”
“We won’t have one tonight either.” I give her hand a squeeze and settle down next to her. She’s still shaking, and it’s killing me not to comfort her more. Pulling the blankets back up to her shoulders, she wiggles a little closer. I don’t know if it’s on purpose or if she’s trying to get comfortable.