Page 30 of The Awful Truth

“I think it might.”

Charlotte shakes her head. “I’m not…in love with him. It’s just a thing, you know?”

He snort-laughs. “You’re screwing your boss? And your other boss’s husband?”

She covers her chest with one arm, clutching her left hand to her right bicep. “I don’t want to get into that. I’m…not happy about it.”

He scowls, tipping back and forth a little in his drunken state. “What do you mean? Not happy? Is he making you?”

Shaking her head, she says, “No, no. It’s nothing like that. I didn’t have to start and I can stop whenever. It’s just…wrong. I’m wrong. And I’m…drunk. I need to sleep.”

He nods, and she can see he’s considering his response carefully even though he’s inebriated. In his eyes, she can see he is quietly judging her, and her body fills with shame like a balloon being filled by a helium tank. Only instead of becoming buoyant, Charlotte feels like she could sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Finally, he speaks. “Do you want me to walk you to your room?”

“Better not. Just in case one of the old people is already awake.”

Oh God, why did she tell him? Why did she do any of that? It was all so awful. A young guy like him not able to get it up for her. She couldn’t help but feel like it was somehow her fault. How could it not be?

She opened her eyes just in time to see a small sailboat glide by in the distance. She wished it would turn around and pick her up. Take her away to somewhere else entirely. Her phone pinged and she slid it off the side table and saw a message from Ted.

Ted

You okay? I’ve been knocking, but you’re not answering.

She stared at his words, and suddenly that familiar rush of being cared for came back. That’s why she wanted him. He wouldn’t have stood there laughing while she scrambled to pick up her things. He would have immediately jumped to action because that was what a man would do. Not a boy. She quickly wrote back:

I’m out on the balcony. Be right there.

She got up, slid the patio door open, and rushed through the small air-conditioned room. When she opened the door, his eyebrows were furrowed and she wasn’t sure if he was mad or worried. She smiled up at him and moved aside so he could come in. “You don’t have to worry. I’m fine.”

He put his hands on her hips and stared at her. “You sure?”

“Yes, I drank too much and danced all night, but I’m good.”

“Should I feel jealous? I feel jealous.” Chuckling a little, he said, “It’s ridiculous, considering…”

Charlotte shook her head. “Pfft, no. Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“You sure? He’s a good-looking guy. A lot younger than me too.”

“If I wanted to be with a younger man, I would,” she answered, giving him a slow kiss on the lips. “But I want to be with you.”

“Mm, good answer,” he told her, pressing himself against her. “How about you be with me right now? Antonia’s upstairs by the pool.”

Her head pounded and the last thing on her mind was sex, even if it did feel good to be wanted. “I’m still a little hungover at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll be recovered by this evening.”

“Good, because I missed you like crazy last night.”

“I missed you too,” she said, which was sort of true. She really only missed him after things went sour with Oliver. “Promise you’ll sneak back here tonight?”

“Just try to keep me away,” he said, giving her a lingering kiss. He rested his forehead on hers. “Okay, I better go find Antonia so we can pretend to be the world’s happiest couple.”

She rolled her eyes at the thought. “Don’t you get sick of it all? Pretending day after day?”

He sighed. “I really do. Especially when I think about having a life with you. The whole thing. I’d do it all over with you—marriage, kids if you wanted. All of it. And I’d love every second of it.”

Charlotte felt warm and a little woozy at his words. They’d never discussed the future. Not like this. It was as if they both understood that it wasn’t in the cards. There was no way to make that work and keep his reputation intact. Besides, she didn’t actually want a future with him. Did she? No, not really. She should find someone her own age. But then again, maybe younger men weren’t all they were cracked up to be. And here he was sounding as if he would give up everything for her. “Wow, what brought this on?”