13. Chapter 13
Charlotte
We pull up at my beach house and I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
I’m home.
I love this place so much. It’s my sanctuary, my safe place. And thanks to an inheritance from my grandma, it’s all mine.
The best way to describe my home is beach chic.
Think whitewashed walls with beachy accents and cool, calming colors—that’s what I have.
Jake carries me up the steps to the decking and smoothly opens my front door, all the while keeping a firm grip on me.
The muscles on his biceps bunch against the fabric of his T-shirt.
This is definitely going to take some getting used to. I’m an independent woman; I don’t like to rely on other people. It won’t be for long, though, so I’ll just have to suck it up for now.
Once he’s sure I’m comfortable on the couch, Jake goes back to the car to grab my wheelchair and what little belongings I have before flopping down next to me.
“You good? Need anything to eat or drink?” he checks with me, his gaze assessing me.
“Some water would be great, thank you.” I look up at him, begging for any minute detail to come back to me. But it doesn’t.
As he pads to the kitchen, I see him pull out his phone and call someone, who I soon realize is his mom—or Hannah, as I know her—and he discusses bringing Bella home.
I can’t wait to see my girl. I hope she hasn’t forgotten me.
He also asks her to grab a few groceries to keep us going for now as Alyssa has kindly cleared my fridge of all the expired food, but it’s left us with nothing.
While he’s busy in the kitchen, I take a moment to look around my living room for any clues, something that could lead me to a scrap of information.
There are photos lining my mantlepiece, some are of me and the girls and some are with Jake.
Those are the ones I need to look at in more detail when I’m back on my feet.
Jake comes back over to me with two bottles of water and some tortilla chips he must have found that are still edible.
“Are you comfortable enough? Warm enough? Do you need me to get you anything else?”
He’s clucking around me like a mother hen and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
He's very at home in my place, which makes me think he must spend a lot of time here.
“Do you come here often?” I ask, quickly realizing that sounds like a terrible pick-up line.
His eyebrows raise. “Yeah, I’m here a lot actually. We spend most of my spare time together.”
“Really?”
He nods. I find it so odd I had a man for a best friend, that we spent every moment together, and it was completely platonic. Maybe it wasn’t, but I can’t ask him. Not yet, at least.
“Do you want the TV on? I can put Harry Potter on for you; we can watch your favorite one together.”
"Wait, wait, wait: you like Harry Potter?”
He watches me with a smile on his face and then says something oddly familiar.
“Yeah, I’m a Gryffindor. Let me guess, you’re a Hufflepuff?”
I swear I've heard this before, but for the life of me, I don’t know where. Maybe it’s déjà vu, or is it something that’s happened?
“Actually, I’m a Slytherin. Crazy, I know, as I don’t have any of their traits, but I’m low-key in love with Draco Malfoy, and therefore the only option was to go green. Don’t judge me.”
He gasps and clutches his chest.
“Charlotte Bennett! How could you be a Slytherin?” Then he starts laughing and looks at me like he already knew this information and was just humoring me.
An hour later, I hear a knock at the door and little feet pitter-pattering on the terrace. My baby is here. Jake opens the door and is nearly knocked over by Bella in her excitement to get to me.
“Good to see you too, Bella,” he calls out as she jumps up onto the sofa and straight onto my lap, licking my face and snuggling into me. God, I've missed her. Jake takes the grocery bags at his mom’s feet and helps bring them in.
Hannah comes over to me and leans down to give me a hug. It’s comforting, motherly, and reminds me of how my own mom is no longer here. My eyes mist, and it’s not long before Hannah’s sitting next to me, pulling me further into her embrace as I let it all out.
“That’s it, sweetheart, let it all go. I’m here, we’re all here for you, and we will help you get through this. You don’t need to do this alone, lean on us,” she murmurs into my hair as she runs her fingers through it.
Jake hands me some tissues and offers to take Bella for a quick walk while I talk with Hannah.
“I know it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders right now, trust me, I’ve been there.
When Nate died, I had to go through this whole process, so I can help you deal with your parents’ estate and funerals, and cut through any jargon you may not understand or be able to take in right now. ”
The relief I feel at her words is better than any medication you could have prescribed me.
“You wouldn’t mind?”
She shakes her head and takes my hand. “Of course not, sweetheart, that’s what we’re here for.”
“Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me,” I say to her as I wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater.
“No problem at all. I’ll come by in a couple of days, let you get settled in first, and then we can make some calls. Maybe get Wren to come by as I’m guessing you would like the funerals to be held in Portland?”
I hadn’t even thought about that. Letting out a shaky exhale, I nod.
“You will always have a family here with us, no matter what happens, ok?”
I crumble into her arms, sobbing. I’m a wailing mess and I don’t know how I’m ever going to get through this.