by Ana Ashley
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Hannah was so similar to Aleks I was pretty sure the two, if they met, would get on like a house on fire.
"I promise that I will only ever do what's best for Charlie. He's a great person, and I'm starting to see where he gets it from."
"Ooh, me?" Hannah clapped her hands together.
"Nope, your dad. I mean, look at him dying to get on the grill so he can make sure everyone has their food."
Hannah looked at me with a wide smile and bright green eyes, the same shade as Charlie's.
"We'll keep you. Now don't tell anyone, but I need another burger and another drink."
I laughed and told Hannah to join her fiancée and I'd get her some food and drink. I was looking forward to meeting Ellie and seeing what kind of woman it took to handle the bubbly firecracker that was Charlie's sister.
I didn't see Charlie and Rory anywhere near the drinks table. Not that I was expecting them to have their conversation where everyone would overhear.
Ellie was great, but I could only half pay attention to the conversation, so I stayed long enough to be polite before I excused myself to look for Charlie.
Charlie and Rory didn’t seem to be anywhere I looked in the garden, so I decided to go inside the hotel to check if they were in the bar and that’s when I heard a hushed conversation coming from the side of the building.
I approached carefully.
"Are you doing this to get back at me?" I overheard Rory's voice. He wasn't angry, but his tone was accusatory. I knew I shouldn't be listening but wanted to see how the conversation would play out and only intervene if necessary, so I leaned against the wall, trying to not get seen by Rory.
"What? No," Charlie said. "If you think I'd do that, then you don't know me at all."
"Then why is he here?"
"Because that's what people do, Rory. They bring their significant others to family weddings. It's called a plus one."
"You didn't have a plus one before," Rory said between gritted teeth.
"I do now, so…"
"And how about us?"
"Are you kidding me?" I heard the outrage in Charlie's voice and was proud that he was standing up for himself.
"We were together for almost three years, Charlie. Doesn't that mean anything?"
"That ended five years ago because you cheated on me repeatedly."
"You weren't around. I missed you and you weren't there."
Charlie let out a laugh. "And you thought the way to show me that you missed me was to sleep with other guys."
"I'm sorry, Charlie. I've changed. We've known each other for years. Can't you give us another chance?"
Charlie paused, and I felt my heart was on my hands. Whatever Charlie said next could change everything.
"Rory, even if I still had feelings for you, which I don't, we still wouldn't get back together because I'm not going to spend my life hiding. It wouldn't be fair on me or my family. Only you can decide when to come out, and I would never make you do that, but I am not the person for you."
"And he is?" Rory's voice was more agitated, so I got ready to intervene.
"I don't owe you any explanations about my relationship or anything else."
"And how about our kiss?"
I decided then that Charlie and Rory's conversation was over. I didn't care about anything that had happened between them before I met Charlie, but I also didn't want to hear it.
I stepped out from my hiding place and bumped into Charlie almost straight away. He tensed but then wrapped his arms around me.
"Hey, you okay? You were gone ages, so I came to find you," I said, looking around for Rory, but he was gone.
"Yes, I'm okay. He doesn't get it, but he thinks we're together, so he'll leave me alone."
"That's good."
I kissed Charlie, savoring the softness of his lips.
"Damn, you kiss so good," Charlie said against my lips.
"Ditto."
We both laughed.
"Shall we go back to your family? Your sister was going to tell me a story about crayons."
Charlie rested his head against my chest.
"It's not that funny."
"What isn't?"
"The crayon story."
"Well, now because you're saying that, I definitely need to hear it." I placed another kiss on Charlie's lips. "Because I'm pretty sure the truth will be somewhere between your version and Hannah's, but I bet hers is more entertaining."
Charlie groaned. "Fine. Just remember we didn't agree to this so you could witness my humiliation at the hands of my family."
Charlie's family was great. While I hadn't yet met Charlie's brother, the rest of the family had been nothing short of welcoming, considering up until twenty-four hours ago they hadn't even known about my existence.
Through their stories, I found out how cute Charlie had been as a kid and how his passion for drawing had started, Hannah's first hair dye experiment, and how great Connor had been at sports.
I'd listened and taken it all in. My experience of family gatherings was so different from Charlie's. No less loving, just different.
We were sitting on the grass with Charlie's back leaning against my front as he drew on his sketchpad. Every so often, I placed little butterfly kisses on the back of his neck and watched as the little hairs stood up. That was clearly a sensitive area for Charlie, something I made a mental note of.
From my privileged point of view, I was able to see Charlie at work. I looked around and saw no one had noticed that Charlie was drawing, or maybe they were just so used to it, they didn't pay attention to it anymore.
Charlie had kept his side of the conversation going without ever stopping what he was doing. Everyone talked, ate, and drank. Charlie drew. Ellie's hands were on Hannah's hair, Charlie's dad looked adoringly at his wife, and John massaged Gina's hands as she chatted away with Hannah.
I wondered what Charlie would draw if he was able to look back at us from a distance. Did we look good together? Because it sure felt good being there with Charlie among the family.
My cellphone buzzed in my pocket. I'd almost forgotten I had it with me because the signal had been so patchy in Chester Falls.
Charlie kissed my cheek before I got up to take the call. He looked relaxed and happy. For a moment, I cursed my phone for taking me away from Charlie, but I'd looked at the caller ID and seen Aleks's name, so I knew I needed to take the call.
"Hey, Sestra," I said, using the nickname I dedicated for her only when I was away from home. I walked back into the building and went straight for the bar, which was empty due to the early hour, and sat on one of the stools.
"Kris, for the love of god, are you okay? I've been calling you for days, and your cellphone is always off." Aleks's voice was laced with worry.
"Yes, I'm okay. I couldn't stay with James because someone alerted the press. I'm staying somewhere safe, but the cell connection is very poor. I'm sorry I've made you worry. It wasn't my intention."
I heard Aleks exhale on the other end of the line.
"Are you sure it's safe? What if someone recognizes you?"
"I'm in the last place anyone would think of finding the prince of Lydovia, Sestra. Don't worry, the press won't know where I am."
"Kris, it's not just about the press. It's your safety too. Where's James?"
"He's with me, don't worry." I didn't feel good about lying, but I didn't want to worry my sister. "I have to go, Aleks. I'll do better to keep in touch."
"Wait…Kris, there was a reason I was trying to reach you. Papa isn't well. He's seen the royal physician and had some tests. I'm worried about his health."
"I'll come home," I said. The news of my father's poor health took me by surprise. The king had always been the strong head of the family, running the country with the energy and tenacity of someone half his age. Not that he was old, by any means, since he was only in his mid-sixties.
My stomach sank when I realized I'd miss Hannah's wedding an
d I'd be leaving Charlie on his own literally hours after being introduced to his family.
"No, that's not necessary. I just wanted you to know. You know how the king is. He's likely working into the night when we all think he's asleep. I’ll call you if something changes."
"Thanks, Sestra. Love you."
"Love you, too, Brat."
I stared at my phone after terminating the call.
"Difficult conversation?"
I looked up to see I wasn't alone in the bar anymore. A tall, slim woman was sitting a few stools away cradling a drink. How had I missed her coming in and getting served?
"Um, yeah."
"Let me know if you want to borrow a friendly ear. Sometimes it's easier to talk to strangers." Her tone was somewhere between friendly and flirty.
"I'm good. Thanks anyway."
She stretched out her hand. "Ceecee Bloomfield. Are you staying here?"
"Kris…um, just Kris. No, I'm here for an event."
Her face changed immediately. "Oh, the wedding," she said with a bitter tone to her voice. "Maybe see you around, just Kris." She got up and headed in the direction of the rooms.
I waited until Ceecee was out of sight and picked up my cellphone again. This time, I dialed James's number.
"Kris. I was just about to call you."
"You got told off by Her Royal Highness too?" I chuckled.
"I was, indeed. But I was still going to call you. The press has gone away. When shall I pick you up?"
"Oh, how did you manage that?"
"I had a famous friend pop by. They got some photos of her walking her dogs and decided there was nothing to see here and left."
"That's great. I need a favor. Two, actually."
"Go on."
"I need you to promise you'll keep this to yourself."
James took a deep sigh as though he already knew I was going to ask something he wasn't sure he should do.
"I met someone."
"Kris…"
"It's not what you're thinking, James. I really like him, but nothing is going to happen. I just need you to keep an eye on the Falls Hotel. I'm going to attend a small wedding here this weekend, so I need you around in case the press turns up."
"Okay, I'll head over there tonight. What's the other thing?"
"Can you do a check on someone called Ceecee Bloomfield?"
"Are you serious?" James asked.
"Yeah. Why, do you recognize the name?"
"Kris, Ceecee Bloomfield is THE fucking press."
12
Charlie
Since Kris had got up to answer his cellphone, I thought I'd check in on Connor. I wasn't surprised to hear his girlfriend, who Hannah and I named Wicked Witch, had wanted to stay at the hotel instead of at my parents' in Connor's old room.
I noticed Kris at the bar on the way up to the rooms. Once I'd seen Connor, we could head back to the Old Mill. I wondered if Kris would be up for a relaxing evening watching old movies. I didn't want to monopolize Kris's time, but there was a part of me that also wanted to be with Kris as long as possible. I mean, if we were going to pass as a couple, we'd need to spend some time together, right?
Connor looked like death warmed over when he answered the door.
"Con." I didn't even know what to say.
"Hey, Charlie, come in." Connor let me in and went to sit on the bed. It looked like he'd been sleeping when I'd knocked.
I sat on a nearby chair and took a good look at my older brother. He had bags under his eyes and looked too pale. Connor had almost always had a tan because of the amount of time he spent playing sports outdoors. This Connor looked paler than me. How was that possible?
"Are you ill?" I asked.
"What? No, I'm just tired."
Connor picked up his cellphone from the side table, looked at it with a frown, and put it back down.
"Is everything okay with you? Whatever it is, you can talk to me, Con."
Connor stared at me for a moment and then looked away.
"There are a few things going on. Work wants me to lay off twenty people. I know it's a test. They have three people competing to manage the biggest project the company has ever landed, and we all have different tasks to do, but mine is the only one that directly affects people and their livelihood." Connor rubbed his eyes. "I can't find a way around it."
"What does your gut feeling tell you?" That was the question Connor always asked me whenever I had doubts about anything, from going to art school to staying in Boston despite the lack of job opportunities.
Connor laughed. "My gut tells me I don't want to work for a company that puts their profit ahead of the people that have been making that profit for over ten years."
We locked eyes and I smiled.
"It's easier said than done. I'm not like you, Charlie. You were always so brave, never afraid to be yourself and go for what you wanted."
I gawked at my brother. "Are you serious? You were mister popular all throughout school. Life couldn't have been easier for you."
"Not everything was as it looked."
I was going to ask what he meant, but Connor said the Wicked Witch—well, he didn't quite call her that—was arriving shortly, so he wanted to catch a shower before she got there. The conversation wasn't over as far as I was concerned.
Connor was struggling with something personal. Maybe his relationship had hit a rocky place, or maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, I wanted to be there for him like he'd been for me so many times in the past despite our differences.
Kris was talking to Aunt Gina when I got back out to the gardens, but as soon as he saw me, he strode over and picked me up, planting a kiss right smack on the lips.
"What was that for?" I asked, giggling.
"Do I need a reason to kiss my boyfriend?"
My heart skipped a beat. God, did I ever want that to be true, for us to be boyfriends for real and not just pretending. Were our kisses even pretend anymore? They certainly didn't feel that way.
"Do you want to get back to the apartments and have a movie night?" I asked.
"A movie night?"
"It's an evening when one or more people sit around in their pajamas watching movies and eating bad food until they can't keep their eyes open."
Kris pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, "I don't have any pajamas. I sleep naked."
My cock went from interested to full mast within seconds. Kris's breath on my ear, his voice, and especially what he'd said was enough to make me feel like I could either melt in a puddle at his feet or spontaneously combust.
"I…um… Kris, fuck, you're killing me here."
"Me?" Kris said in the sweetest, most innocent voice while batting his eyelashes.
I shook my head, hearing Hannah whistling at us from where she was sitting.
We took a cab back to the apartment, stopping at the store to buy snacks.
"I vote for your apartment since you have a bigger TV," I said before going into my apartment to prepare the popcorn and change into sweats and a T-shirt.
I knocked on Kris's door ten minutes later.
"It's open," I heard Kris shout from inside.
I turned the door handle and used my hip to prop the door open while I went in. I froze and nearly dropped the popcorn bowl. Kris was sitting on the bed under the covers and his chest was bare, which led me to believe he was fully naked. I mean, he did say he didn't have any pajamas. I'd thought he was joking at the time, maybe not after all.
I swallowed, my mouth feeling suddenly too dry. At the gym, I'd avoided looking at Kris, but there was nothing I could do now. I was staring right at the very defined muscles on Kris's body, at the dark hair of his chest that happily trailed down to…to…fuck.
"Why are you naked?" I squeaked.
Kris narrowed his eyes. "I'm not naked. I have boxer shorts on, look." He uncovered his lower half, and I instinctively closed my eyes.
"Oh, dear god, why do you do this to me? Did I do something to piss you off? I
mean, I know it was naughty pretending I had that doctor's appointment so I didn't have to cover that weekend shift two months ago, but come on," I rambled to no one.
"Charlie?"
I opened one eye. "Yes?"
"Does this make you uncomfortable?" Kris sounded worried.
"No…no. It's just you're so, well, have you looked at yourself in the mirror?"
Kris laughed.
I leaned back on the closed door, holding onto the popcorn bowl like it was a life raft.
"Are we doing this movie night thing?" Kris asked, one eyebrow quirked.
When I didn't move, Kris got up from the bed and came toward me. He took the popcorn bowl with one hand, locked the door behind me, and pulled me toward the bed.
My heart was beating off my chest. I wanted Kris so badly, but I was afraid that if I did, things wouldn't stop there, and it was getting harder and harder to resist temptation. No pun intended.
"Charlie, we don't have to do anything. It's a warm night so let's just get comfortable and watch a movie, okay?"
I nodded and let out a breath.
"God, Kris, do you have any idea how much I want you?"
Kris touched my cheek with the backs of his fingers and then ran his thumb over my lips.
"Yes. Yes, I do, because I feel the exact same way."
I wrapped my arms around Kris's shoulders, feeling the warmth of his skin. Our lips met like they had a few times before, but also in a new way. There was no rush to dominate, no pretense for anyone else. It was just me and Kris.
As our tongues played with each other, stealing a taste, I knew that whoever Kris was outside of Chester Falls, it didn't matter, much like it didn't matter that I was nothing more than a store manager with dreams of capturing the world around me on paper.
When we parted, I removed my clothes and took my place on the bed next to Kris.
"Which movie are we watching?" I asked.
"Cinema Paradiso. It's an Italian movie."
"I've never seen it. What is it about?"
"It's about many things. Friendship, love—mostly the kind of love that never goes away, even when people can't be together, it's still there under the surface just waiting for the right moment to come out again."