by Kelsie Rae
Lifting my hand, I cup his cheek. “Doesn’t matter if he had. I would’ve turned him down, remember? Besides, I was sort of busy losing my virginity to my best friend.”
With a quiet chuckle, he leans down and presses a quick kiss to my lips. “Damn straight. Speaking of which, should we go find a quiet place to explore?”
It doesn’t take a genius to know what he’s suggesting, and I shake my head before murmuring, “You’re insatiable.”
“With you, I am. Let’s go.”
He hurries me through the crowd of people in search of an empty room we can christen when a voice stops us.
“Hello, Levi.”
I turn to see an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair and a stern look.
“Hello, Mr. Morris. It’s good to see you. Charlie, this is my boss, Greg Morris. Mr. Morris, this is Charlie, my girlfriend.”
Swoon. My heart starts beating a mile a minute when the word girlfriend slips past his lips, and when those same lips stretch into a soft smile as soon as they form the word, I’m positive I’m going to die from happiness. Or a heart attack. But it would totally be worth it.
“It’s nice to meet you, Charlie. Thanks for all of your patience during his internship. I know the hours can be grueling.”
His acknowledgment of being a hard ass makes me smile, warming to him instantly. “He’s a big boy. He can handle it,” I tease, peeking up at Levi to find his gaze solely focused on me.
Chuckling, Greg replies, “Yes, he can. Thankfully, it won’t last much longer. We plan to make our decision by Wednesday next week. Would you mind if I steal your boyfriend away for a few minutes?”
Boyfriend. I almost squeal.
“Of course not.” Turning to Levi, I say, “I’ll be over by the glass cases. I’m going to go check out those wooden figurines. Come find me when you’re done.”
Levi brushes his lips against my cheek and murmurs, “Be right back,” before his grasp on my hip disappears, and I’m left with nothing but a crowd of strangers.
Weaving through the groups of men and women, I find a quiet corner near one of the glass cases I’d mentioned to Levi. With an inquisitive smile, I lightly touch the glass barrier with the tip of my finger. Curiously, I inspect a misshapen giraffe that must’ve been donated by one of Jelani’s students. It’s absolutely adorable.
“Hey, Charlie,” a smooth voice interrupts, making me jump.
Turning around, I see Conner a few inches behind me. “Oh. Hey.”
“I almost didn’t recognize you. You look gorgeous tonight.”
“Thanks.” The compliment doesn’t make me glow like when Levi said it. Instead, my stomach rolls with unease.
“Would you care to dance?” He motions to the dance floor bustling with couples as a low hum of music filters through the air.
Digging my teeth into my lower lip, I mutter, “I think we should talk, instead.”
Conner’s expression hardens right before my eyes, and he drops his offered hand back to his side.
“That doesn’t sound very promising,” he replies coldly.
“I’m sorry, Conner.”
Raising his hand, he cuts me off and lowers his voice. “I know what you’re going to say, but can we do this in private, by chance?”
“Oh. Umm…sure.” I look around to see a few sets of eyes watching us, and the guilt hits me all over again. He’s right. I should at least have the decency to break it off in private.
As we make our way through the crowd in search of a quiet place to chat, I feel the heat of his palm touch my bare back. Flinching in response, I glance over my shoulder. When our eyes connect, his jaw tightens before the heat from his palm disappears.
I’m so sorry, Conner.
“This way,” he mutters, pointing to a closed door.
When I open it, I see a Liza Minnelli statue and an Elvis painting hanging on the wall, along with a grand piano and other musical equipment scattered throughout the empty room.
The door closes with a quiet click behind me.
“So, is this where you break up with me?” Conner’s voice is low. There’s an underlying sadness laced with sarcasm that nearly breaks me.
“I’m sorry, Conner. I never meant—”
“It’s Levi, isn’t it.” It isn’t a question.
Swallowing thickly, I give him a single nod.
“Tell me, was it all a ruse?”
The question makes me pause, positive I’d heard him wrong.
“Was what a ruse?” I ask softly in an attempt to placate him. Tucking his hands into the front pockets of his slacks, his attention is glued to his recently shined shoes.
After a beat of silence, he presses, “Were you always with him? Was the agreement fake from the beginning? Just to get me to back out of the final position?” He tugs at the tie around his neck as though it’s strangling him. Laughing darkly, he mumbles, “Of course it was. I don’t know why I’m even bothering to ask.”
Stepping closer, I whisper, “What are you talking about, Conner?”
“Levi told me he’d set us up if I pulled my resume for the job. That was the deal. I just didn’t know it was going to be wasted on a taken woman.”
My heart is pounding in my chest as I try to register his words. “I’m sorry…what did Levi do?”
“You didn’t know?” Conner scoffs, his sadness being replaced with overwhelming sarcasm. “That’s even worse.”
“Conner, tell me.”
With a shake of his head, he releases a dry laugh like the situation is comical when all I want to do is curl into a ball.
“I told him I had a thing for you. And instead of telling me you were already taken, he used my attraction to get what he wanted. You can’t honestly tell me you weren’t in on it. Why would you say yes to a date with me when you were already dating Levi?”
“Levi and I weren’t dating.”
“Bullshit,” he spits. “Why else would you end up with him? Especially when he used you to get a job?”
My head is spinning. “What do you mean, he used me?”
“I just told you, Charlie.” He sighs as though he’s talking to a toddler. “He practically pimped you out to get ahead at Montague Enterprises. I can’t believe I fell for it.”
Stomach rolling, my mind tries to catch up. “H-he pimped me out?” I choke out.
“Yeah. And then reeled you in when he got what he wanted after I butchered my project in front of the head of the company. On purpose. For you.”
“What?” I shake my head, trying to make sense of the mess I had no idea I was part of. “Conner, why would you do that?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is Levi didn’t hold up his end of the deal. And he didn’t even have the decency to fill you in on it in the first place. Look, if you want to wind up with Levi, go for it. But you should know that he doesn’t care about you. All he cares about is winning. And it looks like he’s going to walk away the victor on both counts.”
A numbness spreads from my chest and out to my limbs. It mutes the feel of Conner’s grasp on my forearm, giving it a final squeeze before he quietly says, “Goodbye, Charlie. If you change your mind and decide you want a decent guy, let me know.”
Seconds later, I hear the same soft click of the door. Still, I flinch before collapsing onto the floor, pulling my knees into my chest, and wiping a stray tear that threatens to fall from my eyes.
I refuse to waste a single drop on an asshole like Levi McCoy.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Charlie
Resting my head on my knees, I squeeze my eyes shut and get lost in the quiet hum from the crowd outside the small room. Every once in a while, the sound is interrupted by my vibrating phone tucked away in my purse, but I ignore it and focus on the laughter, the clinking champagne glasses, and the soft jazz music playing in the main area. I don’t know how much time passes before the door squeaks softly. It’s quickly followed by a low gasp before a set of loafers pound against the g
round in rhythm to my erratic heart.
“Shit, Charlie. Are you okay? What’s wrong? Did someone hurt you? Is your dad okay?” Levi peppers me with questions before squatting down next to me. His deep voice does nothing to ease the ache inside of me.
“Charlie,” he tries again and raises my chin with his finger. “Talk to me. You disappeared. I couldn’t find you. You weren’t answering your phone. I’ve been freaking out.”
“I’m fine,” I whisper, my throat raw from withheld tears.
“Bullshit. What happened? Was it Conner? So help me, I will gut that mother—”
“It wasn’t Conner,” I choke out.
The relief on his face speaks a thousand words, and if I hadn’t heard the truth from a reliable source, I’m positive I would’ve missed it.
Brushing away a few strands of hair from the side of my forehead, he murmurs, “Then what was it?”
“Can I ask you something, Levi?”
“Anything.”
“Do you remember that night? When we caught that couple making out in the back of the theater, and I was pissed at you?” I scoff before angrily wiping a tear that dared to disobey me by spilling down my cheek. “What am I saying? Of course, you remember. You brought it up last night before you slept with me.”
“I remember, Charlie.” His hands look like clumsy butterflies flapping at his side helplessly as he fights with himself about whether he should reach for me or not. After a few seconds, he surrenders and runs his fingers through his dark hair. “What about it?”
“Do you remember why I was mad that night? Why I left?”
His chiseled jaw tightens. “You said you didn’t like me taking advantage of you. That I didn’t appreciate you. And you were right. I didn’t appreciate you the way you deserved.”
“You still don’t.”
“That’s not true, Charlie—”
“Did you know I loved you? Even back then? I was jealous that you brought a girl with us to the movie. That you were kissing her instead of me. I felt cheap. I felt…,” with a dry laugh, I wave my hand in the air. “Underappreciated. Just like you said.”
Eyes shining with remorse, he cups my cheek then brushes his thumb against my lower lip. And because I’m weak, I let him. “I’m sorry, baby. I was an ass. I was stupid. I was careless. I was––”
“Are,” I correct him.
“Excuse me?”
“You said you were an ass. You were stupid. You were careless. I was just correcting your statement.”
“Charlie—”
I shake my head, my tone more venomous with each passing second. “You are an ass. You are stupid. You are careless. And you’re also the biggest regret of my entire life.” It’s the last part that nearly guts me, and I’m grateful my ass is still firmly planted on the ground. There’s no way my legs could hold me right now. I pull my knees a little closer to my chest, wishing I could disappear.
Defeated, he drops his hand to his side, but his eyes still hold mine with just as much regret and confusion as moments before. “You don’t mean that, Charlie.”
“I mean it with every fiber of my being,” I seethe, though inside, I’m breaking. “The only reason you decided you even wanted me is because you finally saw that someone else might. You’ve never been very good at sharing, remember? Apparently, I fit the bill as well as the popcorn you refuse to let anyone touch.”
His face goes ghostly pale as his mouth opens to defend himself. I raise a shaking hand to stop him. By some miracle, his mouth snaps shut, and I’m able to continue. “You wanna know the best part, Levi? You even had the audacity to pimp me out to your best friend because, in the beginning, you saw me as less than that damn bowl of popcorn. You didn’t care if he touched me first. You thought, Hey! Why not loan out my best friend to my roommate for a solid cherry popping, then I’ll sweep in and save the day, riding off into the sunset with a girl on my arm and a job in the bag.”
His eyes darken, but he doesn’t bother to argue. He can’t. Not this time.
“I was really rooting for you to get that job offer, and because I love your mom, I’m going to still root for you. But I really hope it was worth it.”
My legs feel like Jell-O as I push myself to my feet. After smoothing down my dress with trembling fingers, I walk to the door then close it behind me.
Just like I do with our friendship.
I’m done being underappreciated.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Levi
The soft click of the door closing behind Charlie almost guts me. Dropping my chin down to my chest, I squeeze my eyes shut. Slowly, I take a few deep breaths in through my nose then out through my mouth in an attempt to center myself.
It’s a waste of time.
My blood is boiling in anger, swirling with guilt, and racing through my veins in an attempt to get me out of this room. To chase her. To make her understand.
But I know it won’t do me any good. She needs time to process the screwed up situation I put her in. If I have any hope of her forgiving me for this, then I have to give her space. Even if it kills me. As I rub my hand down my face with more force than necessary, I hear the soft squeak of hinges and turn to see the culprit. Conner’s face is stone cold. He closes the door behind him then slowly stalks closer. It’s as if he’d been waiting for Charlie to escape before confronting me. Like he planned this. My anger finally boils over, shoving every other emotion aside before replacing it with absolute rage.
“What the hell did you say to her?” I grit out. My fists clench at my sides.
“I told her the truth,” he replies just as coldly.
“You twisted the truth.”
He shrugs. “I told her my side of the story.”
“And raked me over the coals with it.”
Scoffing, he says, “You pimped out your best friend to get a job, Levi. Learn to take some freaking responsibility for once in your life.”
Storming toward him, my arm already cocked, I swing back and nail him in the face. Conner loses his balance and stumbles back. His eyes are wide open in shock as he glares at me while clutching his already-swelling cheekbone.
“What the fuck, Levi?”
I shake my hand out at my side, a deep throb breaking out across my knuckles. The feeling reminds me of when I was younger and used to get in fights as a kid. Sometimes it was because of stupid shit that didn’t even matter. And sometimes it was because I was trying to protect Charlie from assholes. Assholes like the guy in front of me.
“Want to know something, Conner? I remember the day Charlie told me that you’d moved when we were younger. She was relieved that you weren’t going to be around anymore, especially after the shit you put her through. I remember being bummed I didn’t get to put you in your place before you disappeared.” Shaking my head, I laugh dryly before calling him out on his lies. “You told her I pimped her out? That’s bullshit, man. You approached me, remember? You offered to drop out of the competition for the final position if I could set you both up. This is on you—”
“Bullshit,” he spews before puffing his chest out and stepping closer, practically begging me to deck him in the face a second time. “You need to grow a pair and admit you screwed up with Charlie more than I ever could. We both know I’m not that dipshit little kid anymore. I liked her, man. We both know that even if you won’t admit it out loud. You knew I wanted her, and you practically stole her out from under me. Don’t blame me for this shitstorm. You got yourself there all on your own.”
“The only part that’s on me is the fact that I agreed to your stupid idea in the first place. You wanna talk about taking responsibility for your actions, man? Maybe start by admitting to yourself that you were never cut out for Montague Enterprises in the first place—”
“And maybe you should admit that you would’ve never gotten in without my dad’s connections. Be out of my apartment within the week. I don’t want to see your face ever again. Understand me?”
“That won’t be
a problem.”
By the time I reach the door and enter the main area, I’m numb.
And I welcome the feeling with open arms.
I just need to get through tonight and hope that Charlie forgives me and gives us another chance.
Chapter Thirty
Charlie
A few days after my epic meltdown, I leave Get Baked with one destination in mind––Forever Grey. I need a good run. I need to clear my head. I need to get my ex-best friend out of it so I can think clearly. Think logically. Think. Period. Because right now, I’m running on pure emotion, and it sucks. I feel gutted. I feel betrayed. I feel sick.
I feel the overwhelming need for a break. And so I’m going to get it the only way I know how. By sweating it out. If only I’d brought my baseball bat.
I told my fairy godmothers the details with swollen eyes the morning after the grand opening. It sucked to rehash the details, but it was nice to know they had my back. In fact, I may or may not have had to restrain Sophie for a few minutes to calm her down. She might be pregnant, but she’s feisty as hell.
It’s been four days. Four grueling days. Indie asked if I wanted to take a few days off. I told her, no, thank you. I don’t think I could deal with this much time inside my head without anything to distract me. That being said, I need this run more than my next breath. I already texted Suzette and asked if she could get Bonnie ready. And because she’s a champ, she said yes.
As I swing open the door, I find her waiting for me with Bonnie’s leash in her hand.
“Thanks.” Reaching forward, I grasp the nylon cord.
With a sympathetic smile, Suzette pulls me into a side hug before I can escape unscathed. “You doin’ okay?”
I release a sigh and shrug one shoulder. “I guess we’ll find out. I’m gonna go.”
Suzette nods and waves goodbye as I head out the door just as quickly as I’d entered it.
Once outside, I head up the street in a full-on sprint, feeling a little sorry that Bonnie has to be stuck with me and my complicated mess of emotions. As we round the corner toward Get Baked, and subsequently Central Park, I dig my heels into the pavement beneath my feet. Six inches in front of me is Alexandra, Levi’s kinda, sorta boss. Or at least one of them, anyway. Her hand was outstretched to grasp the door handle of Get Baked, but she twisted in my direction when I nearly barreled over her.