Page 116 of Sex Positive
“But you’re good with ideas, with presenting things in a fun way even though I mostly ignored your presentation back in November. I’ll hire people for the other stuff.”
“But I—”
Theo tips his head back, groaning. “Cut the bullshit. Imposter syndrome is not a good look on you, Charlotte.”
Charlie huffs out a disbelieving laugh.
“This is a genuine offer,” he continues. “No strings. Complete free rein. I can send over a formal contract tomorrow. If youreallyneed more convincing, Idohave a PowerPoint presentation outlining the different pillars of the company and our philosophy.”
She smiles. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“Not everything.” He winks. “That’s why I need you.”
Charlie gazes across the park, experiencing a mixture of calm and apprehension. Somewhere in the crowd are Sy and her girlfriend. That morning, Sy presented her with an enormous congratulatory bouquet of flowers and shed a tear as she commented on how far Charlie’s come from when they first met.
This is what she wants. A chance to stop theshame. To ensure that no one grows up feeling like something is wrong with them. To open minds and eyes and hearts. To let people choose what to do with their bodies.
“Send over the contract,” she tells Theo. “IfI agree, I won’t start until after I know the pilot program is successful. If all this”—she gestures to the crowd, the stage, the thing shemade—“works.”
“Of course.” He looks at her askance. “I’m not sure I’ll admit this to him, but Wes was right.”
Her heart lurches at his name, but she keeps her face blank. “About what?”
“He was adamant that I listen to your proposal back in November. He insisted I take a chance on you because of how smart you are and how much he believed having Victoria on the podcast would not only helpmebut help your clinic.” He tips his head, considering. “He always says you are the most reliable and brilliant person he knows.”
And there it is. Her chest tightens as she thinks about how there’s been a gulf between them for the past few weeks.
They’ve been distant. She has almost been able to convince herself it’s because they’re both busy—all her free time has gone to the expo, his to studying for the LSAT.
But that would be a lie.
All around her, laughter and joy swells in the mid-afternoon sun. She can’t help thinking how in a moment of weakness, she sent him a good luck text this morning, and he never responded. She hopes it’s because he was concentrating and avoiding all distractions.
She’s not sure anymore.
She thought she’d made the right decision for the clinicandfor him. But for several weeks, they’ve been arguing about it, and even when they aren’t arguing, the disagreement lies between them, filling the silence.
Maybe her decision will always be an insurmountable wedge. She’s afraid he thinks that by refusing to let him sacrifice his chance at a life he wants, she’s refusing to allow him to take care of her. Like what he wants doesn’t matter.
But she doesn’t want him to take care of her. She only wants him.
“I doubt he thinks that anymore,” she says.
“Why’s that?” Theo asks.
“Because I didn’t respect his decision to ask his dad for help. But Gabriel was going to change everything about the clinic. And regardless, Wes deserves more than what his dad wants for him.”
“Why?”
“His biggest fear is turning into his father. I don’t want him to give up a chance to choose something different just because of me.” She looks Theo in the eye. “I love him.”
“Does he know that?”
Charlie opens her mouth to respond, then stops. The realization strikes her like a powerful wave. In all their time together, she’s never told him.
Theo studies her with uncharacteristic warmth. “Take it from someone who has dealt with the cruelty and manipulation tactics of Gabriel Quinn: Wes is a thousand times better than him. If he was willing to give up his chance to get out from under his father’s thumb, he must have felt it was worth it.” He squeezes her shoulder. “You’ve always made him deliriously happy.”
“If you say so,” she mutters.
