Chapter 41
SAM
“Well. That was… a night,” Sam stated as she collapsed onto the couch. “Remind me to call your mom in the morning to apologize for the fuss... Again.”
After the police had finally shown up to take Paul, she and Charlie had lingered long enough to make their statements, say their goodbyes, and head home.
She’d have to go down to the station in the morning to wrap everything up officially, but after such an eventful evening, she’d been urged to go home and get some rest.
Her greatest fear had happened, and despite everything she probably should have felt at that moment, the overwhelming sense of guilt nearly drowned her.
She’d brought her trouble to the only people who had ever truly cared for her, and the thought of Paul turning that rage and aggression in their direction, even remotely, left a sour taste in her mouth.
She’d attempted to bumble out an apology before leaving, unsure exactly how to apologize for something like this, but no one would hear a word of it.
Richard insisted no one would even notice the chaos while Amy only took the time to berate Sam for even attempting to apologize.
She was far from the first to do so, as Angel had also fussed at her when she tried to apologize for ruining her night.
Peter and Tyler, on the other hand, had been too busy taking bets on who could take Charlie in a fight to even notice them leave.
She had never felt more grateful.
An awkward silence had settled into the space between her and Charlie, even after they’d gotten into the car and shut the doors. The entire car ride home was intensely quiet, and that bothered her almost as much as everything else had.
She hadn’t known what to say to him. Mostly because she didn’t know what he was thinking, what he was feeling. He’d been so eerily quiet ever since she’d managed to peel herself off of him earlier. It was so un-Charlie-like that it unnerved her more than anything else.
Fortunately, due to the circumstances, they’d been assured that Charlie wouldn’t be in any legal trouble for what had happened.
It had been an immense relief, but she wondered if he still worried about it.
She certainly was, especially if Paul tried to twist the truth.
However, with his record and the warrant, she doubted he’d get away with it even if he tried.
The whole drive she worried—wondering if Charlie was taking stock of just how worth it the whole thing had been. If she had been worth all that trouble. If he didn’t want to talk to her, she wasn’t going to push him to do so, and she had been too afraid at the time to ask.
It had, of course, taken her by surprise, seeing both Tyler and Peter struggling to hold him back from Paul—knowing that Charlie was protective and strong but not really realizing the full extent until she’d seen it in action.
But more than that, even with that strength, even with all of the advantages he had, there was still one reality of all of it.
Charlie could have been seriously hurt tonight.
Now in the safe confines of Charlie’s apartment, she glanced over her shoulder at him, watching as he shed his suit jacket with an uncomfortable-sounding grunt.
He casually tossed it onto the nearby barstool and began loosening his tie, all without looking in her direction.
The unease in the air was palpable, and she didn’t like it one bit.
Guilt ate at her as she caught a glimpse of his purpling knuckles.
Paul had taken the brunt of the fight, but there were traces of red and purple marks on Charlie that looked painful.
It was easier to think about the logistics right now.
It was less scary, less painful than what could have been.
Those bruises might start to swell and become worse if they didn’t get some ice on them soon.
She wordlessly walked over to the cabinet in search of a plastic zip bag, digging around until she found what she was looking for. If she couldn’t bring herself to say anything, at least she could make herself useful.
Charlie watched her curiously, the intense energy that had been radiating off of him ebbing when she scooped ice into the bags and walked over to him. There was no exchange of words, but Charlie lowered himself onto a barstool as she handed him two bags, one for each hand.
She couldn’t meet his eyes, worried that he might be angry over this whole ordeal.
She wouldn’t have blamed him—she was mad too.
The endless cycle of “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” had plagued her, reflecting on how she should have handled everything.
Even going back all the way to the first time she met Paul.
If she hadn’t agreed to go on that date with him, none of this would have happened.
She refused to let her mind wander to earlier, before Charlie had shown up.
She couldn’t bear to think about the angry purple bruises already marring her own wrist, the painful result of where Paul had grabbed her.
Nor did she want to acknowledge the soreness in her throat from his choking grip, knowing it also likely bore bruises by his hand. All were just painful reminders.
Paul’s eyes flashed in her mind. That gleam in them would likely haunt her for many years to come.
She shuddered but summoned a smile at Charlie when she was finally able to look at him. “Well, I’m gonna go get changed. After that, I’ll make some tea for us if you…”
Her words trailed off when Charlie dropped the bags of ice onto the counter and rose. It was slow and cautious, watching her just as intently as she was watching him. He slowly reached for her hand without a word, taking it and guiding her to the bedroom.
He settled on the edge of the bed and gave a gentle tug, drawing her into his lap so that she straddled him.
The slit in her dress eased the movement, though the fabric still hugged her tightly.
She didn’t care, even if it ripped in half.
If it meant being in his comforting embrace, nothing else mattered.
His arms came up to wrap around her waist as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. He stayed there for a few beats without a word, his grip tightening around her as if holding on for dear life.
“You’re okay,” he whispered. Not a question, a confirmation.
She nodded, feeling the warmth of his body envelop her in a way that only he could provide. In the only way she wanted.
“You’re not…” he started before she felt his fingers digging into her. “You’re not afraid of me now, are you?”
Sam softened as understanding dawned on her. She pulled away slowly, gathering his face in her hands and forcing him to meet her gaze. “No, baby, I’m not scared of you. I could never be afraid of you.”
The uncertainty in his eyes broke her heart. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I am. You could never scare me. Not like that. You saved me, Charlie.”
“You haven’t been able to look at me…”
She grimaced and let out an uncomfortable chuckle. “I’ve been worried that I ruined everyone’s evening.”
His eyebrows furrowed as he gave her another gentle squeeze. “How could you possibly think that? None of this was your fault.”
“It still feels like it is—like if I had handled this differently to start with, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Oh, baby,” he soothed, releasing one arm from her side long enough to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Plus, I was more worried about you than anything else.”
“Me?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes!” she cried out, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
He gave her a shy smile, a hint of humor in it. “I don’t think you needed to worry about that.”
“Well, I did. You could’ve been really hurt!” she said.
Charlie’s fingers came up to trace the line of her neck, the softness in his eyes turning stormy as he did. “So could you. These bruises are already more than I can bear.”
“It could’ve been worse.”
He shook his head slowly, releasing a controlled breath as he did. “Sam, I think it took a few off of my life when we realized you were missing. By the time we found you, and I saw his hands wrapped around your neck, I just…”
Charlie leaned forward to press his forehead against her chest, as if he couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence. She understood how he felt, as that was how she felt when she watched the two of them wrestle on the ground. Afraid of what would happen.
She grabbed his face and pulled it back so she could gaze into his beautiful blue eyes once more. “That’s why I can assure you that I’m not afraid of you, Charlie. You saved my life.”
“Something I hope I never have to do again.” He sighed, earning a wet giggle from her.
“You have been the best thing to ever come into my life, Sam. Even before us. The thought of losing you is too much for me to bear. So, promise you won’t scare me like that again, huh?
” He brought his hand from her waist to cup her face, running his thumb across her cheek softly.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” she murmured as he pulled her forward, kissing her.
“I love you,” Charlie whispered when their lips parted.
A tear finally fell down her cheek as another giggle bubbled out of her. “I love you too.”