Losing Princeton Charming

by Love, Frankie

  Then she laughs, slapping my butt as she ushers me out of her room.

  19

  Charlie

  Whoever called Spencer and left the text was smart enough to use a burner phone. A week later and we’re no closer to tracking the person down. But at least there hasn’t been any more calls or texts, and after the news I got today, it’s the last thing on my mind.

  “I got in,” I squeal, not caring that I sound like an adolescent girl.

  “What?” Daphne asks, taking her headphones off and putting her laptop to the side as I come bouncing into the room.

  “I got accepted to the master’s program with a full scholarship,” I say breathlessly, still unable to believe it.

  “Of course you did.” She takes the letter from my hands and scans it. “You’re Charlotte Hayes.”

  I don’t even let the small bite of jealousy I hear in her voice bother me. I’m on the phone to my dad, to Jill, and then to Spencer.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Spencer says. “We have to celebrate.”

  “Yeah.” The grin that pulls at my lips hurts my face, but I can’t stop smiling. This is what I’ve worked my ass off for.

  “Yates has been bugging me to do a double date with him and Georgia, he suggested Winberie’s tonight, but I can tell him we’ll do it another night.”

  “No, that’ll be fun. Maybe...” I hesitate, contemplating what I’m about to suggest. “What about inviting Ava and Prescott?”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “How long has it been since you talked to either of them? She’s your sister and he’s...”

  “The backstabbing asshole who’s screwing my sister.”

  I sigh. “Yeah, but he’s still your oldest friend, even if he is a douchebag. And I saw them together on campus yesterday, they looked...cute and happy.”

  Spencer groans. “You’re a way better person than I am, you know that?”

  “Pretty sure we established that a long time ago,” I tease.

  “Okay, fine, I’ll call them. And I’ll pick you up at eight. Do you want to invite Jill or Daphne?”

  I glance over at my roommate who’s gone back to sulking on her bed, Beats pulled back over her ears, glowering at whatever she’s reading on her laptop.

  “No. I think that’s enough drama with Ava and Prescott. Just promise me you won’t throw any punches.”

  He chuckles. “Not sure I can do that.”

  “Spencer.”

  “Fine. I’ll be civil. For you.”

  “Thank you. I—” Almost say those three words that haven’t been spoken out loud, but clamp my mouth over them. I love him. And I think he loves me. But it just hasn’t come up, and maybe it’s just me being stubborn, but I don’t want to be the first to say it. “I’ll see you at eight.”

  After I’ve hung up, I glance over at Daphne. “Hey, you all right?”

  She ignores me even though I know she can hear me. Her moods have been crazy these past couple of weeks. One second she seems fine, the next she’s in tears, and the next she’s laughing hysterically for no good reason.

  I’ve wondered if maybe she’s on something, but if she is I’ve never seen her take it.

  “Okay well, I’m going out tonight to celebrate.”

  She rips off her headphones. “Thanks for the invite. Have so much fun with your new besties.”

  “Look, I’m not trying to start anything. It’s not like you even like Spencer.”

  She sits up on her bed, crossing her arms. “How do you know?”

  “Because whenever he’s around, you get a little...territorial.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Whatever. I already have plans.”

  I frown. “You do?”

  “Yeah,” she says, moving from the bed and pulling open her wardrobe. “I have a study date.”

  “With who?”

  She whips around, her eyes haughtily on mine. “With Tatum.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “With my Tatum?” The moment I say it, I know it’s wrong. For a hundred different reasons. He isn’t mine. He wanted to be, and I told him no and I broke his heart more than once.

  “He isn’t your property, Charlotte.” She scoffs, and annoyance fills her eyes. Annoyance with me. “God, that’s kind of your issue, isn’t it? The world has to revolve around you.”

  I run a hand through my hair. “That’s not true. I never—”

  “What? Never took for granted the fact Tatum is your most loyal friend? Or never took for granted the fact that I am always here for you? For being such a sweetheart you can be kind of a bitch.”

  My jaw drops. In all this time we’ve lived together, Daphne has never gone off on me. We’ve never even fought, not really. “How long have you felt this way?”

  Daphne waves her hands in the air. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. You don’t seem to care what Tatum thinks anyway.”

  “You spoke to Tatum about me?”

  She shrugs, pushing around her hangers of designer clothing. “It came up once or twice. I mean, the poor guy has been coming around looking for you, but you’re never here.” She spins to face me. “But I am.”

  Heat rises to my cheeks. I haven’t made time to hang out with Tatum one on one for weeks. I’ve hardly seen Jill either. Between work and school and Spence, I’m spread pretty thin. It doesn’t make it right, though.

  “I’m really sorry Daphne. I wish I’d have known you felt like this. Between my mom and Spence, I’ve just kind of been MIA.”

  Daphne sighs. “I know, Charlotte.” She sets a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve had a shitty start to the year. I shouldn’t pile it on.”

  “No, it’s good to know where you’re coming from. And of course I want you and Tatum to be friends. You are both really generous, I can see why you’d get along.”

  Daphne flings her arms around me and gives me a hug. “Awww, I love you, Char.”

  We step apart and I tell her I’ve got to get ready for tonight, and she’s grabbing her books anyway, pushing them in her messenger bag and heading out the door.

  “I’ll tell Tatum you said hi, okay?” she says with a wave.

  I hate that there is a bubble of emotion in me, one I can’t quite place. It’s not that I’m jealous of Tatum and Daphne hanging out. I want my friends to be happy.

  I reach for my phone and send Tatum a quick text.

  Me: Maybe we can hang out next week?

  Tatum: Sounds great. Miss you C!! Jill, you and me Wednesday wings?

  I give him a thumbs up and drop my phone on my bed, feeling less unsettled about Tatum and me.

  Daphne may have stirred up some negative emotions, but right now, I’m not going to let any of them get in my way.

  I’ve been accepted to the master’s program, and tonight, it’s my turn to celebrate.

  * * *

  The restaurant is packed, but I’m not here with some random college guy. I’m here with Spencer Beckett. A hostess leads us past the crowded tables and ushers us to a back table that is sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant.

  Everyone else is already here, and Ava stands to give me a hug, and Georgia and I exchange hellos. It’s the first time Spencer and I have been out on a group date and it feels awkward - in a good way. Prescott is grinning as he claps Spencer on the back.

  I squeeze Spencer's hand as we sit. I know he must recognize the rough edges fading from his oldest friend’s face. Ava is a good match for him, even if it is unexpected.

  “I ordered bottles of red and white, wasn’t sure what you drink, Charlotte,” Yates says.

  “White, please,” I say. Settling into my chair and taking in the company. They are all so posh, so refined. When it’s just Spencer and me, I forget that we come from different worlds, but sitting here with Georgia and Ava, I’m reminded just how different I am from the Princeton Elite.

  “We should toast to Charlotte,” Prescott says, giving me a genuine smile and lifting his glass of red wine. “For getting into the master’s prog
ram.”

  My cheeks warm. “Oh, no, everyone here is so accomplished.” I know for a fact Georgia was also recently accepted into grad school. Yates is going to Harvard Law in the fall and Ava was recently granted a summer internship at a fashion house in London.

  “Then to all of us,” Prescott says, taking my cue. “To our futures.”

  We clink glasses and I’m glad the attention was taken off me. I’m proud of myself, but I know that in the big picture, my accomplishments haven’t added up to as much as some people at this table.

  “I heard you guys went skiing recently?” Georgia says, her finger running across her pearl necklace.

  “Yeah, it was pretty spectacular. It was Charlie’s first time, but you wouldn’t have guessed it.” Spencer places an arm over the back of my chair, and his eyes sparkle with something that looks like pride.

  “First time?” Ava’s jaw drops. “That’s crazy. I swear our parents forced us on the slopes when we were toddlers.” She shivers. “I always hated the cold. But Switzerland has the best chalets. You have to have Spencer take you there, and the chocolate is to die for.”

  I give her a small smile, not about to admit that I’ve never actually left North America.

  “Remember that trip we took to Whistler?” Georgia asks, looking around the table. “Was that winter break of sophomore year?”

  “Of college?” I ask.

  “No, high school,” Prescott says, refilling Ava’s glass. “I remember we didn’t have our driver’s licenses yet and we got so pissed that we couldn’t rent snowmobiles.”

  The table starts reminiscing about the long forgotten weekend, and I sip my wine, thinking about my own sophomore winter break. I was probably marathoning Harry Potter and making sugar cookies. Nothing like elaborate ski trips out of the country.

  “You’ve all been friends a long time then?” I ask after we’ve ordered.

  “Forever,” Yates says, setting his arm around Georgia. “It’s kind of amazing. All those trips and vacations as friends and now...”

  “Now we’re planning a trip to Europe - just the two of us,” Georgia says with a smile, snuggling closer to Yates, her smile infectious. “No friends, no family. Just us.”

  “That’s really romantic,” I say, admiring the two of them. “You have so much history.”

  They laugh and exchange a look, one that holds a silent conversation.

  “Sometimes though, it’s a bad thing,” Georgia admits. “I went through a lot of phases I’d maybe prefer my boyfriend to not remember.”

  “Like the summer you were obsessed with Twilight,” Prescott teases.

  “Hey, Ava has seen you at your worst too,” Georgia tosses back. “Remember when you bleached your hair?”

  “No one could forget Prescott’s frosted tips,” Ava laughs. “Though, I suppose he saw me when I was fangirling over One Direction.”

  “We’ve all been there,” I say with a smile. “Though was more of a Bieber girl myself.”

  Spencer’s jaw drops. “Really? You have impeccable taste in music and yet you had Bieber Fever?”

  I shrug. “What can I say, I had a thing for the heartthrob who looks like the boy next door.”

  The table laughs, and I ask Spencer, “So now you know I was a Belieber, what was your most embarrassing phase?”

  The table starts to discuss Spencer’s past with animation.

  Prescott tosses out, “Maybe the time he decided to wear Hawaiian shirts all summer?”

  “Oh my god, Winslow refused to go in public with him,” Georgia says. Then she cringes, glancing my way. “Sorry, is that awkward to say?”

  I shake my head laughing. “Not at all. But I bet there was something more embarrassing than his clothing.”

  Yates laughs. “No, Spencer tried on lots of looks before landing on this Princeton Charming thing. I still can’t block out the memory of his fedora and pinstripe suits.”

  Ava snorts. “And remember the goth phase? I remember once, he borrowed my black eyeliner.”

  Spencer laughs. “That was for a joke.”

  Yates chuckles. “No one was laughing bro.”

  By the time the waitress brings us dessert, everyone is relaxed and even Spencer and Prescott seem to be getting along.

  “So you’re headed to Europe this summer?” Spencer asks Yates and Georgia. “That’s going to be incredible.”

  “Yeah, France mostly.” Georgia lights up. “I’m a total history nerd,” she says in my direction. “And Yates and I are going to visit all the famous Napoleon landmarks.”

  “What about you guys?” Yates asks Spencer and Prescott. “Any D.C. internships in the works?”

  Prescott grins. “Actually, yeah. I’m headed there to work with Robert Claymount in June.”

  There are a few murmurs of approval and light discussion about the man’s politics before Yates directs his question back to Spencer, “And what about you?”

  Spencer’s brows furrow. “I haven’t decided. Lots of options still.”

  I sip my wine, surprised he is keeping his Ph.D. plans to himself still. I wonder if Ava knows or if his parents haven’t disclosed that yet.

  “Well, I’m glad I’m not dating a future politician,” Georgia laughs. “I can’t imagine always having to cross my t’s and dot my i’s.”

  Ava nods, looking at me. “Yeah, pressure much, right?”

  “Right,” I say, glancing over at Spencer’s chiseled jaw, wondering just what my boyfriend is thinking.

  * * *

  Back at his place, Spencer and I quickly undress. “I’ve wanted to get you out of this dress for hours,” he says, pulling it over my head. “I wanted to congratulate you properly.”

  “And I need to be naked for that?” I ask teasingly.

  “Yes.” Spencer lifts me up from the floor, making me yelp. “On your back, knees spread.”

  I nibble at his ear. “I like the sound of that.”

  He tosses me playfully on his bed. “Then you’re really gonna like the sound of this.” He dips his head between my legs, his tongue gliding over me. I suck in a deep breath, my body already pulsing with heat.

  “Oh God,” I moan as Spencer runs a hand over my belly, holding my breast. His other hand massages my inner thigh as his tongue works my clit. “Oh,” I moan, sinking into the mattress.

  “You taste so good,” he says, and I close my eyes, savoring the sensation of his mouth against my skin.

  “Oh Spence,” I whimper, needing more - wanting everything. “Come here,” I plead. “I want you closer.”

  “Closer than your pussy?” he asks with a smile as he leans over me.

  “Yeah,” I say as I take hold of his thickness. Loving the way he pulses in my hand, his need for me as obvious as mine for him. “I want this to last forever.”

  He looks down at me, and I know he realizes I’m talking about more than sex. I’m talking about us.

  His hand cups my cheek and he kisses me slowly. So slowly that we both melt into the bed, our bodies wrapped around one another, our hearts beating in a steady rhythm. Not too fast, not too slow. When it’s just us, it’s just right.

  “I want it to last forever, too,” he tells me as he eases his cock inside me. Spencer and I lock eyes as we move together, our skin hot and breath shallow.

  I gasp as he fills me up, my body still getting used to a man being inside of me. His eyes shine as I whimper the deeper he goes, and I know he loves the fact that he is my first.

  My only.

  And God, how I love it too.

  20

  Spencer

  Just admit that you love her. The thought beats through me wildly, almost having a life of its own. Like if I don’t say the words, I might explode.

  Our breaths are still ragged and rough, our bodies still covered in sweat. I close my eyes, breathing her in, feeling her in every cell of my body. Shit, I’m only twenty-three, I shouldn’t be having the thoughts I am.

  Of a future.

  A family
.

  A life with her and me and maybe one day children of our own.

  I want it all.

  Her palm rests on my cheek and when I open my eyes, she’s watching me. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “You’ll think it’s corny.”

  She chuckles. “That’s one of the things I love about you.” She catches her bottom lip between her teeth, and I know she realizes the implication of the words.

  “So what are the other things?” I ask, dragging my thumb over her bottom lip until she releases it. “That you love about me.”

  Her tongue darts out, and I see the teasing in her eyes. “Well, you’re a pretty good kisser.”

  I cock a brow. “Only pretty good?”

  She shrugs. “I just think we need to practice more.”

  “Can’t get enough, huh?”

  “Of you? Never.”

  My chest squeezes and I cup her jaw. “I love you, Charlotte Hayes.”

  Her mouth opens as she sucks in a small breath. “Spence—”

  “Want to know why?” I ask.

  Her eyes are wide, filled with so much emotion, and she gives a small nod.

  “I love you because when you smile the whole room lights up.” I press two kisses to her lips. “I love you because when you look at me, I feel like a better man.” Shifting slightly, I kiss her eyelids. “I love you because you challenge me, and make me believe in the good in people, in the good in myself.” I lower myself and kiss her neck, then meet her intense gaze. “I love you because you’re Charlie Hayes, and there's no one in this world like you.”

  Her bottom lip quivers, but she smiles, and there it is - light.

  I tangle my fingers in her hair. “I want forever with you. I know we’ve had a lot of shit thrown at us, and I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I know we can conquer anything together. You and me against the world. What do you say?”

  “I love you, too.” A tear slips over her cheek and I kiss it away. “I’ve wanted to say it for a long time.”