Three months later…
THREE MONTHS LATER.
You’d think it’d go by quick with the holiday season swinging into gear. People had lined down the street to visit my shop as they picked up gifts and coffees to warm their day before continuing on with their Christmas shopping.
But time liked to keep us on our toes.
Three months felt like it took forever, yet flew by all at the same time. One day felt like a year, and then the next day felt like a second. I kept a calendar in my office so I could keep count of the days until it was time to make that final decision. I was sure it was the not knowing that made time feel all over the place. Charlie and I agreed to keep distance from each other, which included any form of communication, so we could really sort everything out to make sure we were making the right decision when three months were up.
Every day that went by, I found myself wondering why I agreed to it. Why didn’t I just tell him I didn’t need time to decide? The more the days passed by, the more I wondered if he had changed his mind. Time did that. It either heightened or dampened emotions. For me, it heightened. Seeing Charlie at the ball… hearing how he was willing to put everything aside for me, even after I told him I had moved on, told me everything I needed to hear.
He loved me. Purely and wholly, just like I had always imagined being loved. I wouldn’t let him go again. I would fight, just like all the best love stories I grew up reading and seeing played out in front of me.
“You sure this is what you want?” Cherry asked as she sat my suitcase next to me.
People from every walk of life passed by us in a blur as butterflies stormed my insides. I couldn’t help but think how weird it was that I was about to make one of the biggest decisions of my life, yet I was standing there as if it were just another ordinary day. It felt like something bigger, louder, should be taking place. Like a marching band should parade by and cheerleaders should egg me on as I made my way toward security.
“I’m sure,” I said after inhaling a large dose of courage. I lightheartedly shrugged with a lopsided smile. “I love him.”
Cherry smirked and touched my shoulder. “Yeah. I know.”
I reached for my suitcase handle and pulled it up. “I’ll call you as soon as I know what’s happening. You sure you can handle the shop? I can call in more help. I hired three new seasonal—”
She deadpanned me with a stare.
“Right,” I said with a nervous giggle. I glanced over my shoulder toward the growing line at security.
“Go on,” Cherry said, shoving me lightly. “Go get swooned off your feet so I can finally have my normal Charlotte back. This moping, nervous creature you’ve become has me on edge.”
I caught her off guard by pulling her into a tight hug. I was overcome with so many emotions. They swelled and crested inside of me, crashing over my heart like a wave all at once. All I could think about was how I felt on every first day of school. That newness that made fear and excitement feel like twins born from the same womb. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t know how we were going to make it work. All I knew was it had to.
“Everything is going to work out,” she said in my ear. “He loves you just as much. Don’t over think it.”
I squeezed her tighter, and then let go, turning and heading to the security line without another word. I didn’t think they could form past the lump lodged in my throat anyhow.
The line moved quickly enough. Before I knew it, I was in the air, heading toward a destiny I could only imagine. I thought about what I’d say when I saw him. Thought about his smile and his touch. My legs wouldn’t sit still. If they weren’t fidgeting, it was my fingers drumming against my lap.
Time played its game with me, propelling me forward yet making me feel as it was standing completely still. To keep my mind from heading down the path of questioning whether or not Charlie’s feelings had remained the same, I thought about seeing Hannah again and the small congratulation gift I brought her for her new engagement with Ed—a yellow onesie with a unicorn head on it. She’d probably say I was jinxing her into having a child. The thought made me giggle.
When the plane landed, I dumped the two empty bottles of rum I bought and the four packets of peanuts I chewed through, and then grabbed my bag, hands shaking. I told myself to remain calm, but my limbs seemed to have a mind of their own. All I could think about was how I would soon be standing in front of him. That even though I still had to get through the airport, to a cab, and then to my hotel… all the feelings and questions I had would be resolved because I’d be in front of him again.
Time did me a favor by making the trip to my hotel easy and quick. Once I found myself in my room, I headed straight for the mini fridge and downed another small bottle of rum.
You can do this, Charlotte.
I hated waiting. If I had my way, I’d rush over to his bar and declare my feelings that moment. But that wasn’t what we agreed upon. We were to meet in the alley at eight PM. It was funny how a number so small could feel so big.
The clock read 7:15. Forty-five minutes until my life changed forever. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my reflection on the black screen of the TV. What if he wanted me to move here? I’d asked myself a thousand times over the past three months, telling myself I would, but now that I was here, I wasn’t so sure.
Could I adjust to driving on the wrong side of the road? Or the weather being in a near constant state of rain?
But then I thought about what Hannah said about Ed and realized I could imagine being curled up in bed with Charlie while it rained outside. We would figure it out together, one way or another. Everything else was superficial.
I stood up with a newfound hope. Love was give and take. Love was heaven and hell.
Love was Charlie.
I SAW HIM OUT THE cab window before it even came to a stop.
My heart threatened to beat right out of my chest in his direction. I knew it wasn’t possible, but I felt like love was in the air. It was a hurricane sweeping through me. A rainbow at the end of a storm I followed to my pot of gold.
He looked up the minute the cab rolled up to the curb, and the intensity in his gaze took the breath I had in me. Every molecule in my body screamed to get out and run to him. To shout over the city noise that I was ready, but I somehow found enough composure to pay the cabbie and walk toward him like a normal person.
His eyes were big and bright. Face cleanly shaved and hair parted neatly to the side. I felt like my skin was on fire. Electric. Blood thundered through my veins as I stopped in front of him, dangling on the edge of excitement and fear.
“Hi,” I said, the words bursting from me.
His grin could reach the moon. “Hello, luv.”
We both stood there, our breaths blowing out in small wisps of smoke. Hands tucked deep in our pockets, like two high schoolers on a first date. It was its own kind of beauty. A moment I wanted to freeze in place.
“Did ye have a good flight?” he asked, leaning forward on his toes a little.
I smiled at him. “The two mini bottles of rum I downed ensured I did,” I admitted, reveling in the awkward dance of our words.
He looked down to the ground. Toed a pebble as a small crease formed between his eyebrows, like a question mark, and all I could think about was how beautiful he was. How remarkably deep. And he could be mine. Forever. I wanted to keep him.
“I love you, Charlie,” I blurted out, not wanting to waste any more time.
He looked up at that, his eyes wide and filled with pure joy. Joy made his face look young. Years shaved off in an instant by a three-word profession.
“I was hoping ye’d say that,” he said, reaching for me and pulling me against him. “I luv ye too, Charlotte,” he said before crushing his lips against mine.
It was a kiss to seal fate. A kiss meant for the stars. His lips parted, opening mine, exploring what we’d kept from each other for far too long. I was glad he held me tight, because m
y knees buckled as I sank against him, my body molding into his.
He was my happily ever after. My fairy tale come true.
When he pulled back, my eyes were closed, still lost in the dream of us. “God, yer beautiful,” he said, kissing my forehead, cheeks, and the tip of my nose.
I opened my eyes, grinning like a fool as a trickle of strength slowly returned to my legs. “Why did we wait so long?”
He chuckled, the sound light and airy as he scratched his head. “Ye know, I’ve been thinking the same damn thing from the moment I left the party.” He rubbed his thumb over my chin, turning my face up to his so he could plant a feather-soft kiss on my lips. “I’ll never let ye go again. I can promise ye that,” he said.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face against his shoulder. “What now?”
He held me close as a few people walked by us, heading in through the front door to the pub we were next to.
“Ye know… I saw on the telly this morning that a snowstorm like no other was headed this way. And it got me thinking about how much I bloody hate snow.”
I pulled back, searching his face as the sun began to rise inside me.
“And then I thought about that little beach house and the sun, and how it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It’s a hell of a lot better than snow. And the pub doesn’t really need me anymore. I drink more of the profit than I should. Ed was on board with the idea of me taking a semi-permanent leave—”
I threw myself into his arms, kissing every square inch of his face that I could as I told him without words how much I’d missed him. How much I loved him. How much it meant to me that he didn’t expect me to move. He wasn’t going to make me choose.
“Charlie!” I shouted, jumping up and down against him. “You’re really going to move to me? Really? This is the best day I think I’ve ever had!”
“Woman, yer making me dizzy with all that jumping,” he said, laughing.
I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around him as he spun me in a small circle, and then kissed him hard.
“Ye keep kissing me like that, luv, and I’ll have to take ye home instead of in this pub for dinner,” he warned, the throaty growl that followed his words stirring the heat inside me.
I kissed him again, teasing him, telling him I didn’t care about food.
He growled against my lips, set me down, and then hailed a cab.
I stopped him before we got in. Before our hearts collided and we lost ourselves fully and completely in one another once and for all. “Are you sure this is what you want, Charlie? Absolutely sure you’re ready to move with me?”
He didn’t hesitate. “England can have the pub. I’ve got all the intoxication I need right here,” he said, and then he pulled me into the cab, whisking me away to our forever.
“WHOEVER SAID YOU CAN’T HAVE the best of both worlds is a complete wanker…” I said, causing Cherry to spew the newest coffee concoction Charlotte had come up with halfway across the counter.
“Seriously?” Charlotte asked, mopping up the mess. “It’s like you wait to one-up each other at the worst damn moments.”
Cherry and I grinned at each other.
“I was just making a point, luv,” I said, holding my hands out to catch the coffee-soaked bar towel.
“So, do you like it? Is it too much?” Charlotte asked Cherry, ignoring me for a moment.
Cherry took another small sip, making a big production of tasting it before giving Charlotte her final approval. “I don’t like it… I love it! What did you name it again?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes as Cherry beamed a smile that took over most of her face.
“Cherry Bomb… that’s right. How could I forget?” Cherry said, laughing as she shook her head.
I caught Charlotte’s attention and gave her a mock look of worry as I said, “Are you sure you want to leave right now? The pub’s not going anywhere and the weather’s still shite in England…”
Charlotte winked at me. “Good. It’ll give us a good excuse as to why we’ve burrowed under the covers like groundhogs waiting for spring.”
I came around the counter, swept her up in my arms, and spoke into the spot on her neck that drove her wild. “Only burrowing, eh? I could think of so many other things we could do, luv, but burrowing isn’t one of them.”
I waited for her to slap my shoulder and demand I put her down. She did neither of those things. Instead, a bawdy laugh rumbled against my chest as her hold on me tightened. “I think we should get a head start, in case the roads are slippery.”
Every part of me responded to that little innuendo. “Oh, they’ll be slippery all right. Lucky for you, I’m one hell of a driver.”
“Get the hell out of here, you two. You’re making me want to hump the counter with all the sexual tension you’re throwing off,” Cherry said, making shooing motions at us.
Charlotte laughed, deep and long, before pointing at the door. “Take me home, Charlie.”
There would never be a time in my life where Charlotte didn’t surprise me in one way or another. I looked forward to every moment with her with a longing I couldn’t even begin to explain. All I knew was she completed me in ways I never knew to be possible. She fired my blood and made me burn, only for me to be reborn like a Phoenix from the ashes.
After fighting not to give up what we loved from our old lives and not really seeing how to make it work—it all fell perfectly into place, making us wonder what the hell we’d been so bent about before.
I’d called New York home for a better part of the year, thanks to my work Visa. And for three months out of the rest of the year, I’d teach Charlotte how to pull a pint, give out bad advice, and say bawdy English tell-offs.
It really was the best of both worlds.
And no matter what happened from that moment on, our love would be the greatest event of our lives.
THE END.
DID YOU ENJOY WHEN TWO HEARTS COLLIDE?
When you approach the end of this story, we ask that share your thoughts concerning this novel.
If you enjoyed this book, please take a few seconds to review, rate, and/or share on any social media platform that you’ve finished and loved it. Just a couple seconds and a few words make all the difference to the work authors put into their writing and promoting.
It is for you that we write, and it is to you that we are indebted.
♥ SONYA LOVEDAY & CANDACE KNOEBEL
ALSO, STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH ALL OUR RELEASES BY VISITING OUR WEBSITES!
CANDACE KNOEBEL
FACEBOOK
WEBSITE
TWITTER
SONYA LOVEDAY:
FACEBOOK
WEBSITE
TWITTER
Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames—book one in a young adult fantasy trilogy. She discovered in 2009 through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. And an outlet for all the voices residing in her head.
Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013. In January of 2014, the last book in the trilogy, From the Embers, was released, thusly completing the trilogy. She now works on the Night Watchmen Series, while guzzling Red Bulls and pretending to be a ninja on Heelys.
BOOKS BY CANDACE KNOEBEL
THE NIGHT WATCHMEN SERIES:
THE GRAMM CURSE (NIGHT WATCHMEN, #0.5)
EVERLASTING (NIGHT WATCHMEN, #1)
EVERNIGHT (NIGHT WATCHMEN, #2)
EVERLOST (NIGHT WATCHMEN, #3)
EVERDEEP (NIGHT WATCHMEN, #4)
EVERMORE (NIGHT WATCHMEN, #5)
THE BORN IN FLAMES TRILOGY:
BORN IN FLAMES (BOOK 1)
EMBRACING THE FLAMES (BOOK 2)
FROM THE EMBERS (BOOK 3)
Sonya Loveday is a full time author. Mother of two teenagers. Wife to an amazing man fo
r 18 years. Dog lover. Cat lover. COFFEE addict. Night Owl. She's a sucker for a good book. Loves the quiet life. Has the bestest best friend in the whole world. Her imagination never shuts off which makes it hard to sleep. The worst cook.
Seriously.
To see what's coming up for releases be sure to follow me on my author page at http://www.facebook.com/sonyalovedayauthor
Books By Sonya Loveday
THE SIX SERIES:
THE SUMMER I FELL (BOOK 1)
END NOTE (BOOK 2)
RELEVANCE (BOOK 2.5)
IF EVER I FALL (BOOK 3)
THE VOWS WE MAKE (BOOK 4)
THE CASTED SERIES:
CASTED (BOOK 1)
SPELLED (BOOK 2)
THE CASTED SERIES BOXED SET
Books Co-Written By Sonya Loveday
GAME OF HEARTS NOVELS:
LOVE ALWAYS (BOOK 1)
RUNAWAY HEART (BOOK 2)
WHEN TWO HEARTS COLLIDE (BOOK 3)
Table of Contents
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
When Two Hearts Collide (Game of Hearts Novels Book 3) Page 18