3. CHARLOTTE
3
CHARLOTTE
“ H ey,” I said to Maya when I arrived at the beach. “Sorry, I’m late.” I was the one who was supposed to run point on this campaign and now, on my first day, I was late.
Maya narrowed her eyes at me. “What happened?”
“Gabe is hungover after his party, so I took the bus instead of him dropping me and I missed the first bus.”
I hoped she would buy that. Maya studied me for a second before she smiled.
“It’s all good. I started setting up in your absence.”
“You’re a saint.”
“I know, right?” Maya smirked at me before she returned to her laptop screen, her eyes narrowed as she read.
Her short wispy hair was colored in pink and green stripes this time, and she wore a black punk-rock shirt and cargo pants.
She always did something crazy—that was what I loved about her. Maya was just herself. There was nothing pretentious about her, nothing you didn’t know about the moment you met her. She was loud and in your face, but she was also kind and caring and she was the best friend I could ever ask for.
Around us, a few other activists were already working, too. Maya had probably delegated some work.
My campaign was against yacht owners and manufacturers who caused harm to ocean life. It was so damn ironic that I’d just spent the night with one of—if not the —biggest yacht manufacturers in the country.
Why the hell did Alex Blackwood have to be so incredible? Because the night with him had been unforgettable. Not just the sex, which had been wow .
Everything—kind and caring and attentive… but it had all been an act, right? Or even if it hadn’t, he’d lied to me about who he was.
And then there was the fact he was Gabe’s best friend.
Yeah, that was one of the big reasons it would have been nice if Alex had told me who he really was. I would never have slept with him if I’d known. Sleeping with my brother’s best friend?
It was the most cliché thing out there.
I shook off the thoughts. He didn’t deserve to run around in my mind all day. I had to do something to get rid of him.
“Okay, what do we have so far?” I asked, forcing myself to focus on work. One of the steps I wanted to take to get this campaign rolling was awareness. People couldn’t rally behind me if they didn’t know that there was a problem to begin with, and I needed enough people to know about this problem so that we could really turn up the pressure.
“I’m doing articles on ocean life and how the manufacturing affects the sea creatures,” Maya said. “I told Sean over there to do an exposé on habitat disruptions, and Clara”—she pointed—“is taking care of fuel emissions.”
I thought about Alex, who’d asked me if I’d had an issue with his car’s fuel emissions. The truth was, I hadn’t at the time, but now I wished I’d had a different answer. How could I have let a handsome face distract me from what I was trying to do?
“That sounds really good,” I said.
“Yeah, I think this is a good first step.”
“As soon as we get enough pressure on the big fish, then we can get them to start thinking about what they’re doing.”
Maya laughed. “Did you just call them big fish ?”
“Yeah,” I said. “An oceanic metaphor.” I grinned.
“Very poetic.” Maya chuckled.
I see what you did there , Alex had said when I’d said there were bigger fish to fry.
“I’m going to schedule the cleanup for next week,” I said, forcing myself to focus on the calendar I’d pulled up. “Next Friday work for everyone?”
The group of people, all happily typing away at their laptops they’d brought along for the initiative, nodded, and I locked it in.
This was it—my campaign was finally underway, and I was going to make a difference. This plan had been a long time in the making.
The beach cleanup was supposed to be symbolic. If we all did our part, worked together, then we didn’t need to do anything crazy to make a difference.
If a hundred people each picked up one piece of paper, we would have gotten rid of a hundred pieces of paper. I wanted the world to know that getting involved with this initiative didn’t have to be hard work or a huge dedication, we all just had to do something small for the greater good.
When I’d gotten my scholarship to the University of Miami, this had been the endgame. I’d always wanted to make a difference. I’d studied a degree in social sciences, followed by a degree in marine biology for exactly this reason.
So that someone could make a change to what happened to the ocean life. People were so quick to invent wonderful things, but they didn’t think about the consequences.
My dad had been a great example of what not to do. He’d had the money to make a difference, but he’d wanted more instead of doing the right thing.
I wouldn’t be like that.
Do you want to talk about it?
A private message from Maya over our chat program popped up.
I blinked at her over my laptop screen. She focused on what she was doing, her face betraying nothing.
Talk about what?
She glanced up at me, her fingers still moving on the keyboard a little longer before she glanced back.
You’re never late. You knew Gabe would be indisposed. What happened last night?
I groaned inwardly. Maya and I had been friends since college—when I’d said I was coming here to start my campaign, she’d packed up her life with me.
I’d been worried about her settling into a new community from scratch when she’d lived in Miami her whole life, but making new friends came to her as easily as breathing and she already knew more of the town and of the people than I ever would.
It also meant after how close we’d been for how long, she knew me inside and out.
I just didn’t plan my morning right. I got caught up. Even I make mistakes, you know.
I grinned at Maya over my screen, and she rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth turning up into a smile.
My phone rang next to me, and I jumped. Gabe’s name flashed on the caller ID.
Shit.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. I walked out of the room, heading through large double doors that led to a communal garden at the center where we hired the working space.
“You’re up earlier than I thought you’d be,” I said, forcing a smile. “How are you feeling?”
“I think I’ve already died and these are the final contractions.”
I laughed. “You do this every year and then you always complain.” I was relieved he didn’t ask me about last night. I hadn’t returned his messages after I’d fled the scene at Alex’s place this morning.
“It’s all part of growing up,” Gabe grumbled. “You’re still young. You’ll get to a point where you just don’t recover the way you should.”
I laughed. “I’m only five years younger than you.”
“That’s like two decades in drinking age.” Gabe snorted. “But now that I’ve humored you avoiding the topic long enough, do you want to tell me why you skipped out on my party?”
My stomach twisted. I’d hoped he wouldn’t ask. The conversation had been so lighthearted.
“I just wasn’t feeling it,” I admitted. That wasn’t a lie.
“It was my birthday, though.”
“Not your actual birthday,” I pointed out. “I spent the day with you, remember?”
“Yeah, I know.” Gabe sighed. “I wanted you to meet some of my friends.”
I thought about the guys who acted like they were still part of a frat house and shuddered. Those weren’t exactly the kind of people I wanted to meet. Alex flashed in my mind.
He was someone I’d been more than happy to meet.
My stomach twisted again.
I should never have done what I’d done. If he’d been honest with me about who he was, maybe that would never have happened.
Do you hate that it did?
I squashed the small voice at the back of my mind.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We can go out again sometime, and you can introduce me.”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll all remember more of it then, anyway.”
I laughed.
“What did you end up doing?” Gabe asked.
Alex.
“I just had a quiet night in.” I felt like shit for lying outright, but I couldn’t tell my brother I’d slept with his best friend. “I’m starting the campaign today, so I didn’t want something too crazy.” The lie rolled off my tongue way too easily. At least the part about the campaign was true.
“Oh, right! I nearly forgot. You’re going to do great, sis. You always do.”
I smiled, uncertainty creeping in. “I don’t know. I worry they won’t listen. I mean… who am I? And then Victoria Morgan would have invested all that money for nothing, and—”
“You’re Charlotte fucking Reynolds,” Gabe said, interrupting my spiral. “You’ve always been incredible, and when you decide to do something, shit happens. You’re going to be just fine.”
“Thanks, Gabe. It means a lot.”
“You have everything you need in who you are and an awesome sponsor now, too. I’m rooting for you.”
“You always have.”
“What are big brothers for? But I’m going to try sleep off this hangover so I don’t cause more shit than I’m worth when I get around to work later. Pick you up after five?”
“I’ll take the bus,” I said. “Thanks.”
Gabe didn’t try to argue before we ended the call, and I walked back into the center, taking my place behind my laptop.
What was that?
Gabe was just checking in.
Which is why you were all tied up in knots about talking to him?
I hesitated, not sure what to say. I didn’t want to talk to her about what had happened with Alex. Not over text, and not right now when there were so many people around who would hear her squeal when she read the info once I sent it.
I skipped out on his party, and he was upset. But we’re fine now. It’s not a big deal. Really. Don’t worry about it.
That sounds like you. He can’t be upset, those parties were never your thing.
Relief flooded me that she bought it, and I hadn’t even lied. I wanted to keep being dishonest to a minimum if I could help it. This was already too much to juggle.
Thanks. Do you even think this campaign will work?
Of course! Everyone loves you. It’s the innocent, sunshine face you have.
I looked over my screen at her again, and she fluttered her eyelashes.
I laughed as I turned back to my laptop, my fingers quickly finding their rhythm on the keyboard again.