16.
CHARLOTTE
I was nervous. It was different from the nervousness I was accustomed to when sitting down for exams. My hands were shaking. My heart was pumping so fast I felt like I couldn't catch a proper breath.
He was going to be here any minute, and I hadn't even finished styling half my head of hair. I released a puff of air in annoyance, as I stared at myself in the mirror.
Mason didn't give me much hint as to where the date was taking place.
In fact, he hadn't given me much hint as to when it was taking place either.
All I received was a short call where he proceeded to order me to 'Get dressed and be ready in 30'.
I don't even know if this was going to be the date he wanted to take me on or whether it was for work purposes.
I released the strand of hair from the curler. My phone rang from my bedroom and I rushed over to see whether it was from him or not. The relief I had from not seeing his name only lasted briefly as I stared at Ophelia's contact picture.
I hadn't told Ophelia what happened with Mr. Morrentti. Partly because we hadn't spoken much and partly because I was afraid of what she would say.
I gripped my phone as I contemplated answering the FaceTime. Thankfully, I didn't have to hesitate any longer as the call declined. I dropped the phone with a sigh and returned to the bathroom.
I had managed to make my hair look decent. My hands shook slightly as I brushed them through the curls to loosen them into waves. I made my way to the door and smiled at the sight of flowers.
My smile dimmed as my eyes trailed upwards and found Kyle's eyes.
"Hey?"
"Hey, sorry for stopping by unannounced. Um, these are for you." He stepped forward, reaching the small bouquet out for me to grab.
I reached out to take them from him as I shot him a confused look.
"Thank you?"
We stood there in an awkward silence as I waited for him to tell me what was going on. Inwardly, I was trying to figure out whether we had plans I forgot about or not.
"I've been meaning to ask you." He cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his neck.
I peered at his face and noticed a slight hue of pink spreading across the apples of his cheeks.
"Well, you're officially done school and I didn't want to take your concentration away from that.
For some time now, I've been meaning to ask if you'd like to go out sometime. "
"Kyle, you don't need to bring me flowers to ask me if I want to hang out." I laughed softly as I saw his face light up momentarily before falling.
"I do. Especially when I'd like to take you on a date." He stepped even closer, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
A few weeks ago, his request would have made my stomach flip.
From the moment we met, I knew I was attracted to him.
Kyle was charming and a gentleman if the flowers and countless times he drove me home were anything to go by.
Any woman would be lucky to be with him and if his request was any indication, I could be that woman. Yet, I felt nothing at his request.
We stood there, toe to toe, in the entrance of my hallway. His hand glided down the back of my arm towards my hand but stopped as a throat was cleared.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Kyle stepped back, gracing my eyes with the view of Mason Morrentti in all his glory.
His beige half zip paired perfectly with his black slacks that hugged his muscular legs perfectly.
His curls were pushed back, held in place by his sunglasses.
His tattooed hands gripped a small bouquet of peonies. Peonies were my favorite flowers.
The sight of him was enough for me to stumble, but the weight behind his glare was enough for anyone to fall completely down to their knees. His eyes held fury as he glanced between Kyle and I. They burned even brighter when he caught sight of the bouquet I was holding.
"Hi", I breathed out as I continued to admire him.
"I should go. Think about it. I'm always a text or phone call away." Kyle said lowly as he turned to face me. He bent and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. I kept my gaze focused on Mr. Morrentti as he clenched his jaw in anger. It looked as though it was taking everything within him to not react.
As Kyle stepped back, I nodded at him before he left. He walked past Mason, their shoulders colliding briefly despite the large corridor. Unfazed Mason kept his heated gaze on me as he didn't even budge from the shove Kyle attempted to give him.
I felt a small giggle coming on as I watched Kyle stumble backwards before stepping around the towering monument Mason is.
I stifled my laughter as Mason stormed over to me.
Gently grabbing my hips, he guided me backwards into my apartment before leading me to the kitchen with his hand on my lower back.
He dropped the bouquet of peonies onto the counter and proceeded to open several cabinets.
"What are you doing?" I asked quietly.
"Where's the trash?" He grumbled as he turned to face me with his hands on his hips.
"Right here." I led him to the cabinet near the sink and opened it for him. I assumed he probably had gum to throw out. What I was not expecting was for him to snatch the flowers Kyle had given me and throw them aggressively into the garbage.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" I stalked towards him, reaching into the garbage to pull the flowers out.
"Don't even think about it. If you pull those out, you're fired." He grabbed my arms gently and led me out of the kitchen as I gawked at him.
I pulled my hands out of his grasp, shocked at his behavior. Before I could even give him a taste of his own medicine, he pulled me forward by my waist before bringing me to the bathroom.
He bent slightly, gripping the back of my thighs before lifting me up completely. I let out a squeal as my hands wrapped around his neck, gripping the back of it as he set me down on the counter.
I watched as his eyes ran over the many things sprawled all over the counter. His lips perked up as he leaned over and grabbed the makeup wipes. He stood in between my legs, his glare piercing me to my spot every time I made a slight movement.
Using the wipe, he swiped it several times over my cheek, specifically the cheek Kyle kissed. My heart was racing from how close we were and my stomach became gooey every time he swiped my cheek, erasing the remnants of Kyle's touch on my skin.
His gaze was fixed solely on my cheek. Every few seconds though, we would make eye contact quickly before one of us looked away. His left hand cupped my jaw, his grip steady and soft on my neck and jaw as his other hand gently swiped.
"Are you done yet?" I whispered, internally wincing at how breathless I sounded.
"Did he touch you anywhere else?"
"Where?" His voice was rough.
Holding his gaze, I grabbed the hand that was cupping my face and pulled it slowly down my shoulder to the back of my arm.
I trailed our hands until where Kyle stopped touching me.
Our breaths were short and fast. The tension between us was alight as we looked at one another.
Breaking our stare, I looked at his lips momentarily before meeting his eyes once more with a shaky breath.
Our faces slowly approached one another.
His head bent slowly, making its way to the crook of my neck.
His hands trailed downwards until they rested on my waist, gripping softly.
He nose swept upwards until his lips reached my ear, leaving a tingly trail at the expense of his touch.
I arched my back, trying to get as close to him as possible as my hands intertwined at the back of his head.
"Who is he?"
"Who?" I exhaled softly, my eyes closed as I enjoyed the sensation of him pulling me closer to him as he nipped my ear softly.
"That man."
"Kyle." At his name, he stepped back leaving me a near panting mess at the lack of his touch. Come on Charlotte, get yourself together.
"I don't give a fuck what his name is. Who is he?" His arms were crossed tightly across his chest as he glared at me.
"I just told you!" I huffed as I raised my hands in exasperation. He was beyond ridiculous right now.
"To you. Who is he to you?"
"He's a...friend." How can I tell the truth without completely ruining everything?
"A friend? Do you expect me to believe that?"
"Yes?"
"So, friends bring each other flowers, now? I'm sorry I must have missed the memo."
"Well, you would need friends to have gotten the memo," I mumbled lowly.
"Don't act smart. It's not cute."
I stared at him, hard. He was ruining what could have been a perfectly great night. We hadn't even made it out the door and we were arguing. This was a bad decision.
"What did he want?"
"Why does it bother you so much? We aren't dating. I could do whatever I want as can you."
Hey everyone!
The weekly update is here. The poll resulted in a hybrid chapter but I ultimately ended up doing it in Charlotte's POV. However, I think next chapter will be a full POV of Mason.
I really had fun righting this chapter and I hope you guys love it. If you haven't already, don't forget to like the story. I love reading all your comments and reviews so feel free to write as many as you'd like!
Have a great weekend and see you next Thursday :)