Free

Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Nick

By the time yoga ends, the midday heat is in full swing, wrapping around me like a hot, sticky blanket when I push outside the studio. I feel like I’ve just been through some kind of bizarre boot camp. Only, instead of barking orders, Charlie spent most of the class calmly instructing me to “breathe into it.” Sounded easy enough until I realized every pose was designed to make me question my life choices.

I’m still wiping sweat from my forehead, and it’s not just from the class… or the heat. Charlie in yoga pants, bending over, running her hands over my body to ‘check my alignment.’ The kindness with which she attended to the other newbie when she dropped out. The flash of “OH SHIT” when she recognized me, quickly replaced by gentle professionalism with only a tiny dash of awkward.

All proof of why Charlie Cooper is so freaking special.

If I had been paying attention when I slipped into class, I would have slipped right back out again. But I felt so bad about being late that I didn’t want to interrupt more than I already had. I saw the instructor was upside down, grabbed the first available space, and tried my best to imitate the people around me. If I had seen it was Charlie, I would have left.

Not just to save my pride—I do hate letting her see me fail—but also because of how I feel about her. Being with her used to be simple. And in a way it still is. Whenever we’re together, we fall back into familiar rhythms. But those rhythms complicate everything.

I told her we were friends because that’s what she needs. A friend.

But I still love her. I don’t think that will ever go away. And the way my body reacted to her proximity? Her touch? That was sweet agony.

And now here I am, staring at her as she walks ahead of me through the parking lot. The sun makes her skin glow, and her hair catches the light like it’s holding onto the last embers of a fire. She’s effortlessly stunning, and my brain does somersaults trying to keep up with my heart.

Charlie stops by her car, tossing me a grin over her shoulder. “Did we jump timelines?”

“Probably not,” I say, fighting a smile. “Reality being what it is and all.”

She crosses her arms and leans against the car.“I just never, ever expected to see Nick Hutton on a yoga mat. So, after this morning, I guess anything is possible, you know? Even jumping timelines.”

I grunt and roll my eyes, stretching out my sore back, ever aware of the scars crisscrossing down my torso and into my leg. I don’t know that I’ve ever worked my muscles like this. I’ll pay for it in the morning.

“You didn’t tell me yoga was actually some form of medieval torture.”

Charlie’s grin deepens, her eyes sparkling with amusement.“You did okay. For someone with zero flexibility.”

I narrow my eyes, fighting the urge to smile. “Okay? I think I deserve a medal.”

“For what? Collapsing out of tree pose like a giraffe on roller skates?”

I laugh despite myself, shaking my head. “It wasn’t that bad.”

Her brow arches.“It wasn’t good.”

I step closer, caught in her orbit, her teasing smile pulling me in. My heart stutters as I close the distance, but I keep my voice light, playful. “I’m just sayin,’ one of us stepped outside his comfort zone today and his so-called friend is making fun of him for it.”

Her expression softens, and for a moment, I think I see something deeper flicker across her face. “I don’t mean to make fun?—”

“Jokes, Charlie,” I say, holding up my hands. “I’m just messing around.”

“Honestly, though. You doin’ okay? That wasn’t too much for your, you know, your injuries?”

“If it was, I would have stopped.”

“Don’t lie, Nick. Not to me.”

“Fine,” I say. “I wouldn’t have stopped. But I swear I’m fine.”

“I guess I have no choice but to take your word on that one.” Charlie shrugs, that little smirk still on her lips, and suddenly I’m thinking about how long it’s been since I’ve seen her like this—relaxed, happy, teasing me like we’re just two people who don’t have years of complicated history behind us.

I should thank her for the class and say goodbye.

But I don’t want to.

I lean my arm on the roof of her car. “I think I earned a reward for surviving.”

“A reward, huh?” She narrows her eyes, suspicious.

“Yeah. A cup of coffee. You know, to help with my recovery after you folded me in half like some kind of human origami project.”

Charlie bites her bottom lip, her eyes dancing with amusement as she considers. I can see the moment she decides to say yes, but she doesn’t make it easy. “Coffee, huh?”

“There’s a coffee shop a few doors down. Walking distance.”

She turns over her shoulder, as if seeing the building might help her decide.

“Come on, Charlie. You practically tortured me in there. It’s the least you can do.”

“Tortured?” she scoffs, laughing as she pushes lightly at my shoulder. The touch is brief, but it’s enough to send a jolt through me. “You’re being awfully dramatic for someone who is always fine.”

“Dramatic?” I mock gasp, placing a hand on my chest like she’s offended me. “I fell on my ass in a room full of people and got right back up and kept going. If that doesn’t deserve a coffee, I don’t know what does.”

Charlie’s lips curl into a smile, and for a second, she just looks at me, her gaze softening in a way that makes my pulse quicken. Her eyes linger on mine. Her breath catches slightly. She straightens, arms still crossed, but the playful banter fades, replaced with something a little more serious.

“Okay,” she says, her voice quieter now, like she’s as surprised as I am that she said yes. “Coffee sounds good.”

The conversation flows easily as we walk—she teases me a little more about my failed yoga attempts, and I fire back with some lighthearted quips of my own. It feels natural. Comfortable. But underneath, there’s this charge in the air, like we’re both waiting for something to happen.

Something that was supposed to happen, but never did.

Part of me wonders if—no… hopes that —she feels it too.

The coffee shop is cozy, with mismatched furniture and the smell of fresh cookies hanging in the air. We place our order—black coffee for me and a double espresso for her—and sit at a table by the window, the bright Florida sun streaming in. I lean back in my chair, trying to keep things casual even though all I want is to reach across the table and pull her closer.

“I have to ask,” she says. “What in the world possessed you to take this class today. Did Garrett tell you I was teaching?”

I snort. If Garrett had known I was thinking of going, he would have done everything in his power to keep me home.

“Can’t a guy just decide to try something new?” I ask.

“Sure. I encourage it.” Charlie cocks her head and shoots me a knowing smile. “But, come on, this is you we’re talking about.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Her eyes shine in the light. Her hands flare. “You’re just… predictable.”

“Predictable?” I fake a wounded look, then reach for her espresso, intending to take a long, unpredictable drink. But she reaches for the cup at the same time. My hand brushes hers. Her breath hitches at the contact, and my heart thumps a little faster.

For a second, the banter fades, and the space between us crackles, the air charged with everything I’ve ever felt for the woman across from me. My fingers linger against hers a moment too long, and when I look up, Charlie’s eyes are locked on mine, dark and unreadable.

She pulls her hand back slowly, her smile softening. “Maybe you’re not that predictable.”

Our eyes lock. The moment thick with everything we’ve never talked about. The way she’s looking at me now, confused and maybe even a little scared…

Fuck.

I’m supposed to be keeping things light for her sake, staying away for her sake.

Time to lock it up, Hutton.

The door swings open and a group of high school kids tumbles through, breaking the moment.

Charlie blinks, like she’s trying to shake off whatever just happened. “You’re uh, you’re really doing okay?”

“I’m fine, Charlie,” I lie, my voice lower than it should be.

She nods, but her eyes linger on mine, like she’s trying to convince herself to believe me. Her fingers curl around her coffee cup, and I can see her wrestling with whatever she’s feeling, just like I am.

I lean back and force a grin. “So, as friends, we look out for each other, right?”

“That is what friends do.”

“Okay, well, as friends,” I say, emphasizing the word just a little too hard, “if I ever decide to show up for another yoga class, could I count on you to keep me from collapsing again? I have a reputation to uphold.”

Charlie’s lips twitch into a smile, but the humor doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Right. You got it, friend.”

We finish our coffee, the conversation lightening as we tease each other about old memories. But the heat between us hasn’t faded. It’s just hibernating. As we leave the café, the silence feels heavier than before, like we’re waiting for something to break.

At her car, Charlie plays with her fob, glancing at me with a nervous smile. “Thanks for the coffee, Nick. And for, you know, not dying in my first class at a new studio. Probably would make them question my employment.”

I chuckle, stepping a little closer, feeling the heat between us build again. “I got you, Charlie.”

She opens the car door but pauses, looking up at me.

There’s a moment. The wind in her hair. The light in her eyes. The way my hands ache to touch her.

I could close the distance.

I could pull her to me, kiss her the way I’ve wanted to for years.

But I don’t. I can’t. Not if I’m going to be the best version of myself for her.

Instead, I take a step back, offering her the space I know she needs. The space I need if I don’t want to ruin this friendship thing before it gets off the ground.

“See you around, Charlie,” I say, my voice softer than I intended.

“Yeah.” She gets in her car, but before closing the door, she looks up at me again, her eyes searching mine. “See you around, Nick.”

And then she’s gone, driving away while I stand there, replaying every second in my head.