Chapter 6
Tea and Teasing
After another exhausting match, Charlotte lingered behind at the pavilion to help pack up the equipment.
“Need a hand?” Alexander asked, appearing beside her with a grin and a thermos of tea.
“You’re here again?” Charlotte teased, brushing dust from her shirt.
“Of course,” he said, handing her a cup. “Someone has to make sure you survive cricket season without collapsing from exhaustion.”
Charlotte laughed, accepting the tea. The warmth of the cup seeped into her hands, as did the quiet comfort of Alexander’s presence.
They sat on the bench, sipping in companionable silence for a few moments. Then Alexander leaned back, smirking.
“You know,” he said, “you’re surprisingly fun to argue with. Even when you’re stubborn.”
Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “I could say the same about you. Annoying, teasing… but somehow charming.”
He laughed, leaning closer. “Charming? That’s a new one. I’ll take it.”
They spent the next hour talking about everything and nothing—school, cricket, silly childhood stories. Every glance, every laugh, and every accidental brush of hands sent tiny sparks through Charlotte.
“You’re impossible,” she murmured softly, a smile tugging at her lips.
“And you love it,” Alexander whispered back, his voice lower now, just for her.
Charlotte’s cheeks warmed, and she looked away, trying to hide her fluttering heart. Maybe cricket had brought them together, but these quiet moments—the teasing, the laughter, the unspoken tension—were what was making her fall for him.
And she knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning.