Chapter 25
CHARLIE
Charlie opened his eyes groggily, blinking the sleep out of them as best as he could as he heard the birds chirping just outside. Light had trickled in through the curtain directly onto his face, tickling him awake.
The first thing he saw upon fully registering the living world once more was Sam.
She was completely out of it, peacefully curled up into him, as if she’d been there all night long. Her long arms were slung around him, as if he were a giant teddy bear she were desperately clinging to.
He hadn’t blamed her for not wanting to sleep alone last night. When she’d made the suggestion, he’d felt relieved. He wanted nothing more than just to hold her—ensuring that she was safe there in his arms.
Despite himself, he chuckled and tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear.
She must’ve migrated from where she’d fallen asleep before. She’d been adamant that she didn’t want to take up his entire bed since they were sharing. Sleep, however, seemed to have other ideas for her. She’d migrated across the border and clung to him like her life depended on it.
There was something endearing about it that settled deep in Charlie’s chest. She was such a fiercely independent creature, to a fault sometimes, that seeing her like this was a wholly new experience.
It felt precious, sacred almost.
He rubbed an errant thumb across her cheek, following the line of freckles across it and reveling in the softness greeting him.
Even in sleep, she was stunning. Her long eyelashes fanned across her cheeks, just barely kissing the top of her freckle line.
Her all-too-tempting lips were slightly parted, showing off their soft fullness.
An absolutely picture of beauty that he couldn’t believe was right in front of him—curled into him like an alley cat having found the perfect ray of sunshine.
It would be so easy to give in to what he really wanted, to sink back into the bed and hold her until the world collapsed around them. It was so tempting that he felt the itch of it down into his core.
Feeling her warm, supple body pressed against his, he had to suppress a moan at just how much his body yearned for her. Remembering the way her lips, hands, body had felt on his…
The lingering desire from it simmered in his veins, coming back with vengeance. Upon adjusting his position to try and untangle her limbs from him, he discovered a new problem that had, quite literally, risen.
He forced himself to scoot to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs out and placing his feet on firm ground. Something, anything, to ground himself in reality.
There were too many things up in the air for him to lose himself to that.
Sam shifted in her sleep, flopping onto her stomach and coming closer to the edge of the bed, where he sat. The long strands of her hair fanned out, the light of the morning sun causing it to shine like fire flaming around her.
A perfect metaphor if there was one about what she was to him right now.
Fire.
This experiment of theirs was destined to burn them both if he wasn’t careful.
He knew that, but there was a part of him that didn’t want to care.
Let them go up in flames together. He’d welcome it.
All he wanted was to burn with her—scorch them both until they were completely ruined for anyone else.
“Charlie…” she exhaled on a sigh, scrunching her nose a bit before a blissful smile carved through the freckles.
Blood roared in Charlie’s ears. This woman was definitely going to be the death of him. He was dying to know what she was dreaming about, what caused her to say his name so contentedly like that.
The need to touch her was too great, too undeniable that he found himself reaching out to rub her back. The expanse of it was uncovered from the tank top she’d thrown on right before bed, and his finger lazily traced the lines between the freckles dotting her back and shoulders.
An idea occurred to him, one that he couldn't deny.
He could say it once, just to get it out of his system. The words that desperately clawed to be released but he could never say if he didn’t want to lose her forever.
He traced the letters along her skin slowly, deliberately. Writing out the one thing he shouldn’t, in the only way he could, while savoring the feeling of touching her like this. It felt intimate, almost magical.
When he finished, he rubbed her back once more and finally tore himself away.
He made his way into the kitchen and set about getting coffee ready, trying his best to remain quiet so he didn’t disturb Sam in the process. She deserved some extra sleep today.
The pot whirred to life as he sat on one of the bar stools while it brewed—barely making contact with the seat when his phone began to ring. It was still too early to get any work calls, so Charlie pulled it from where he’d tucked it into his pocket.
Charlie raised an eyebrow at the caller ID before answering. “Didn’t expect to hear from you anytime soon, or at all actually.”
“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Tyler said on the other end, his voice sounding much more awake than Charlie’s.
Charlie tried to remember how long ago that last conversation had been, but his sleep-soaked mind couldn’t remember.
The only thing he could remember was Tyler angrily hanging up on him after refusing to take over catering responsibilities.
“No, I’m waiting for my coffee to finish brewing. What can I do for you?”
Tyler scoffed. “You don’t have to sound so formal.”
Charlie shrugged, though he knew Tyler couldn’t see. “Well, considering we haven’t spoken since our last call, I didn’t know what else to say. You were pretty pissed at me.”
A dramatic sigh rang through. “Peter told me about Sam’s situation. I just wanted to know if there’s anything either of you need.”
Charlie’s jaw clenched. “Well, you can start by telling Peter that he needs to stop telling other people things that aren’t his business to begin with.”
“Come on, man. You know he’s just worried about both of you,” Tyler argued.
“I wish everyone would worry a little less. I’ve got it covered,” Charlie snapped a little more curtly than he intended.
Another sigh. “Charlie, I didn’t call to fight. You and Sam have your own thing going on, the fucking dynamic duo, but you often forget that Peter and I do actually give a shit about both of you.”
Charlie scoffed. “Rich coming from you since you threw a temper tantrum because you signed up for more than you were capable of and then got angry at me for not taking some of it off your plate.”
There was a pause on the other end, and for a moment, Charlie wondered if Tyler had hung up the phone again. “You’re right. That’s on me.”
Charlie blanched in his seat. He hadn’t expected that at all. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that? I don’t think I heard—”
“You heard me just fine, jackass. Don’t push it,” Tyler snapped. “I just don’t want you to go ape shit like you did when we were at the sentencing. I think it’s the only time I’ve ever seen you that angry, and I’d rather you not end up six feet under over it.”
Unable to help himself, Charlie jibbed, “You sound almost like you care.”
“You fucking—” Tyler started before letting out another long sigh on the other end of the phone, the sound distant, as if he held the phone far away.
“I’m just worried, alright? Peter and I both are.
Regardless of how much you fucking annoy me—which you do, by the way—you’re still my little brother.
I’m not trying to be all buddy-buddy with you.
You have your life, and I have mine, so I’m totally fine seeing you a few times a year for holidays because you’re such a pain in my ass.
.. But I can’t lose another fucking sibling, man. ”
It was so easy, especially this time of year, for Charlie to forget that he wasn’t the only one who lost Erica. She was his twin, so the pain had always felt double, especially with the additional guilt he carried. But she was also Peter and Tyler’s little sister too.
A pang of guilt rippled in Charlie’s gut. “Tyler…”
“Don’t get all mushy on me now. Just be fucking careful, alright?
I’ve already talked to Mom and Dad about it and—shut up before you interrupt me,” Tyler replied quickly before Charlie could protest, his voice tighter than it was before.
“—and they’re gonna hire extra security to keep an eye out for this guy while y’all are at the event. ”
Coming from Tyler, that meant more than Charlie could say. “Thanks, Tyler.”
Tyler cleared his throat. “Yeah, yeah, sure. Tell Sam I say hi and I hope she’s doing good. She’s the only one between the two of you worth a damn, anyway.”
The call dropped immediately after, forcing a laugh out of Charlie. Not because his emotionally-lacking brother showed actual human empathy but because he definitely wasn’t wrong on that account.