Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
brOOKS
TOO MUCH TRUTH
“ I ’ll go check on him.” Hunter groans as he stands and follows the path Charlie just cut through the bar. My eyes lock on to his retreating form.
“What do you think that was all about?” I ask the guys as Hunter stalks off after Charlie. I don’t know what caused Charlie to bolt from the table so fast.
“Is that the first time you’ve ever told anyone about your roommate?” Oliver asks, pushing his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose.
“Yeah, but I’m not ashamed of it, if that’s what you’re getting at.” Every single one of these guys is gay or bi. Growing up, it was a normal thing here, so I never thought twice about it.
But I didn’t really have time to explore that side of me.
The last I heard, Asher was living in South Carolina with his wife and two kids. Maybe it was him experimenting in college. I always chalked it up to that since I met Delia so soon after.
Everything with Delia was new and fun. I fell hard and fast for her. I couldn’t think about anything but her. Maybe that’s why we burned out the way we did.
At the beginning, it was all about her. Once we settled into life together, it got stagnant and stale. We fell into our own routines and didn’t appreciate one another like we should have.
“Is that the first time you told Charlie about that?” Theo asks.
“I mean, I thought he knew.”
Right?
Fuck. Maybe I never did tell him because of Delia.
“Damn it. I need to find him.”
“And if you want to fool around, you have my number.” Griffin winks at me.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not looking.”
Griffin gives me a slow perusal. “That’s a damn shame. I wouldn’t mind a one-night stand with you.”
“Griffin!” Oliver chides him. “You can’t say those things. That’s rude.”
“Nah,” I brush his comments off. “I’ve heard worse out of him.”
“See? I’m a peach.”
Oliver shakes his head at him as I stand and weave my way through the crowded bar. I saw both Charlie and Hunter flee through one of the back exit doors.
The door is cracked open, and I hear the tail end of their conversation.
“I’m sorry, Charlie. I didn’t know this would happen,” I hear Hunter say.
“That you’d break my heart because after all this time it turns out being in love with my best friend is never going to amount to anything because he just wasn’t into me ? ”
Oh, shit. I shouldn’t be hearing this, but I can’t stand here and continue to listen to this conversation between them. Pulling open the door, I interrupt the conversation.
“Uhh, guys?”
Charlie’s eyes snap to mine and go wide as saucers. “Brooks.”
“I’m just going to go back inside.” Hunter slides past me as the door clicks shut behind him.
“Are you okay?”
My head is spinning at what I just overheard.
“I’m fine.”
Charlie tries to brush past me to go inside, but I grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Tears, or maybe the cold, sting his eyes. Snow clings to his hair.
“No, you’re not.”
“Just let it go, Brooks.”
“We have to talk about this.”
Charlie shakes me off. “No, we don’t.”
“Charlie—”
He’s inside before I can argue with him.
Charlie’s been in love with me? Since when?
I scrub a hand down my face and watch the snow fall in the street lamps. My mind is spinning. How in the world did I not know this?
Memories of Charlie throughout the years flash through my mind. I moved to Moose Falls in third grade and ever since, Charlie has been in my life.
Walking to school together. Playing soccer together as kids. Telling him things I never told anyone.
I never once got the impression that he loved me, but was I just oblivious?
At least, until last week when I started feeling new things for him. Why in the hell is all of this coming to the surface now of all times?
A wind blows through, sending a biting cold through me .
Life has been nothing but change lately. Huge, gut-punching life changes.
Through it all, Charlie has been one of the few constants. He held my hand—figuratively—during the entire process. He was there for me.
Now discovering this?
I don’t go back inside for my coat. I know the short walk to Charlie’s from here will only take a couple of minutes. Right now, I can’t be around other people.
Because, for the second time in a month, my world has tilted on its axis.
Because of Charlie.
Snow crunches under my shoes as I walk the familiar path toward Charlie’s house.
I wasn’t supposed to hear that confession. It wasn’t meant for me. But I heard it. I don’t know how I can ever unhear it.
Fuck.
Large flakes soak through my sweater as the house comes into view. The living room light glows softly.
Comet is at the door as I step inside. “Hey, buddy.”
I let him run out to do his business and play in the snow. Watching him settles me. At least, as much as possible right now.
Fuck.
What the hell am I going to do?
I don’t know, but everything has changed.
I only hope Charlie and I can figure this out.
Because I’m not ready to lose him.