Chapter 78 Charleigh
Charleigh
Jackson’s on his way home, thank God in heaven. Charleigh sighs to herself, cradling her first cup of Folgers.
She doesn’t think her nerves will last another second without seeing him.
She called him again, late last night, waking him up, telling him all about the police and Nellie’s date with Luke. Leaving out the part, though, where she quite generously bribed Luke to ask her daughter out.
“So can you please come the fuck home now? My whole system is on overdrive, and my partner is MIA.”
“Yes! And I got what I needed here, so—”
“Ooooh, do tell! What’s the lucky guy’s name—”
“No, not that, but I have a lot to share, too. I’ll head home first thing.”
The sec she hung up with Jackson, the phone rang. She figured it was him again, but then Kathleen’s mousy voice squeaked across the line. “I just went and visited Monica and Blair, and, my God, this is getting stranger by the second!” She almost sounded excited, which grossed Charleigh out.
“Okay, what now?” Charleigh pinched the phone cord between her perfectly manicured nails.
“Well, the cops were there earlier and asked her to spell out the name of who she saw, who might’ve done this to her—”
Charleigh felt herself gulp, felt herself struggle to take a breath. With utter dread, she said, “Go on.”
“They had this sheet with letters printed on it, and anyway, she pointed to the letter j. Which is crazy, right?”
Crazy, why? Charleigh thought. Because she didn’t go to the letter n?
“I don’t know. I don’t know what that means” is all Charleigh could muster because her body was sagging with relief, a helium balloon with the air being let out of it.
“Well, that Jane girl was there, at the hospital visiting, and so they are thinking that’s maybe why Blair chose the letter—like she’s mixed up or something—because obviously she and Jane are friends, and Jane would never—”
“Nobody knows that! That Jane girl and her family are weird as hell. I’ve said it from the moment they hit town. So—”
“Well, nobody’s really thinking that, but it is weird, isn’t it? And poor Blair, that’s all she could manage. She passed back out right after.”
Charleigh was having a hard time focusing on Kathleen’s voice. It was as if the heavens had opened up and it was the day of rapture. “Huh? Yeah, whatever. Keep me posted.” She dropped the phone on the receiver, then blew out a sizable exhale, a breath she’d been holding ever since Blair’s accident.
Jane Swift.
So Nellie’s not the only one who wasn’t all that happy about Luke and Blair being in the woods together.
After Kathleen called, she waited up for Nellie to come home from her date, and by all accounts—not that Nellie spilled a word, but she looked cheery and springy on her feet when she waltzed through the front door—the date with Luke was a success.
“Seriously, you’re waiting up for me? Get a life.” Nellie huffed as she blew past her mother on her way up the stairs.
“Well, how was it?” Charleigh attempted.
“It was fine, Mom. Enough, I mean it. Leave me alone, okay!”
Her words were nasty, but there was a lightness to her voice; Charleigh heard Nellie humming to herself as she headed to her room.
Charleigh was so keyed up that even though it was the middle of the night and Alexander was dead asleep, snoring on his side of the bed, cradling a pillow—the sight of which always makes Charleigh’s heart surge, so tender, so innocent looking—she peeled back the covers, started kissing the back of his neck.
He groaned, rolled over on his back, still asleep, hair mussed.
They hadn’t had each other since—Charleigh’s brain ticked back to try to remember the last time, which is unusual for them—the morning before their party.
She hadn’t given it a second thought, but with this little update, she realized how hungry she’d been for him.
Her body, not her mind, which has been spinning.
She climbed on top of him, kissing the top of his waistband before rolling it down.
He stirred then, rubbing her head while she continued her mission.
But as she was just getting started, Alexander shifted, pulling her off him.
“What is it? It’s been a minute, and I—”
He sighed, slung his arm over his forehead, eyes aimed at the ceiling. Where he kept them. With his other hand, he began rubbing her back, though, slowly, softly. “Sorry, baby, I’m just too bushed. Early day tomorrow at the hunting lease.”
Charleigh bristled. Alexander had never turned her down. But she hadn’t exactly been focused on him lately or even paying attention to him at all. She’d been a mess and she knew it. She probably wouldn’t want to sleep with her either, right now. But still. “Fine.” She pouted.
At this, Alexander tugged her back onto his chest, started stroking her hair. “Rain check? And I promise I’ll make it up to you, make it worth it.”
Now Charleigh grips her coffee mug, sips. Feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders. Maybe, just maybe, Nellie’s not mixed up in Blair’s accident after all. And maybe it was just a freak thing. Maybe Jane’s not even involved.
And maybe, just maybe, Charleigh’s little plan to get Luke to fall for Nellie might have actually worked.