Chapter 11 Charlie
charlie
“We forgive you for ditching us,” Sara said as she held up a towel in front of the window in the door so that I could change out of my graphic shirt.
“She’s giving us tea for next week, of course we do.” Jennie grabbed the outfit I’d laid out on my desk.
I never actually saved Austin’s number, even though we’d looked it up, so I couldn’t ask him if he was serious about actually going out tonight, but worst-case scenario, if he ghosted me, then I’d be ready for happy hour with my new friends.
I was already wearing a satin maxi skirt, but instead of one of my graphic tees over it, I put a simple white tank. It was easy and simple, but if we were going to look at a lake, I wanted something casual.
“So, is this a date?” Maura asked as she grabbed a Twizzlers from inside my desk and plopped herself in a chair.
“A d-date? I-I hadn’t thought of it like that.” My cheeks felt hot as I tried to make sense of what it really was.
Yesterday, when I saw Evie waiting for her brother, he looked .
. . different. His posture was tense. His brows were furrowed, and he was talking frantically into his phone.
I caught a few words—“marriage” and “health insurance”—but that was it.
Maybe he was married? No. There was no way he’d ask me to join him for something off my bucket list if he was married.
“She just moved out here. I doubt she wants a big commitment,” Sara chimed in.
Commitment? That was further than a date. I couldn’t commit to him. I was in this limbo portion of my life where I was waiting to be summoned by my mom.
“N-n-n—” My phone rang, and I picked it from my desk, my brother’s name illuminating on the screen. I sighed, grateful for an excuse to quickly end this conversation. “Sorry. Do you guys mind if I get this? It’s my brother.”
“Oh. Hot single brother.” Jennie quirked a brow and then walked over and gave me a quick hug.
Sara and Maura followed.
“Give us all the details when you can,” Sara added.
“Text the group chat so we know you didn’t somehow get murdered or kidnapped.”
I laughed as I answered the call. “I will.” The girls filed out of the room as I said, “Hey, Jacob.”
“What is this about getting murdered and kidnapped?” Jacob’s voice was frantic, and I could practically see him pacing around his office.
“Stop,” I laughed. “Those were my new teacher friends.”
“New friends? That’s exciting, Char.”
I shrugged as I looked in the small mirror I had behind my desk. “Yeah. They’re cool.”
“You adjusting well, then?”
I shook my head. “Why? Are you somehow hoping I’m not so that I’d call you and come home crying?”
“Hey.” Jacob’s voice got serious. “I’m being serious. I’m rooting for you. I’m not Mom.”
I sighed and sat in my chair. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Are you going out with your new friends on a Friday night?”
I smirked. “No. Another friend.”
“A date?” Whatever Jacob was doing, he’d gotten up because I could hear his boots against his office floor.
“Stop,” I groaned. “It’s casual. I made a bucket list—”
“A bucket list?”
I sighed, feeling the weight of it all. “Yeah. I figure it’s only a matter of time before Mom forces me to come back and threatens to cut me off from my inheritance or disowns me from the family if I don’t marry one of her choices.
So, I made a bucket list—things I want to do before she tries to marry me off or drag me back. ”
“Uh-huh,” Jacob grumbled, sounding completely unconvinced. “And what does that have to do with your not-a-date tonight?”
“It’s not a date.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s just an older brother of one of the kids from my school. We’re going to watch the sunset by a lake.”
“That definitely sounds like a date, Charlie,” Jacob said, his tone pointed.
“It’s not,” I laughed. “I promise.”
“What’s the guy’s name, then? I need to—”
“Absolutely not.” I shot out of the chair. “You’re not looking him up. I’m not telling you his name, and do not tell Mom.”
Jacob groaned. “Fine. You be safe, and if it becomes something serious, you promise you’ll tell me?”
“If it ever were to be serious”—it won’t be—“I’ll tell you his name.”
“Alright, Char. I’m looking . . .”
I was only half listening to my brother when I noticed a familiar glitter backpack at my door.
Evie was standing there, and as my eyes moved up, I saw Austin beside her, giving me a wave.
His long blonde curls hung loosely around his face, framing his piercing blue eyes that seemed to stand out even from a distance.
He was so tall, towering in the small hallway, and it was almost amusing how much space he seemed to take up.
His presence was commanding, but there was a softness to his expression that made it hard to look away.
The resemblance between him and Evie was uncanny.
Jacob kept talking on the other end, but Evie knocked on the door, gesturing for me to come out. I held up a finger, signaling for her to wait, and quickly grabbed my school bag.
“Hey, Jacob,” I said, cutting him off mid-sentence. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you later this week, okay?”
“Be good, Char.”
“Always.”
I hung up and made my way to the door, shutting off the light as I left.
“Austin says you’re coming with us in our car?” Evie asked as I closed the door behind me.
“I guess so?” I looked up at Austin, who was beaming.
I wondered if he knew how safe he felt. I didn’t know the guy, but he radiated warmth.
“We can get your car from the school lot on the way back? If you don’t mind dropping Evie off first?”
“Yeah. No problem.”
Austin nodded, then looked down at his sister. “Alright, bud, show us the way out.”
Evie happily skipped ahead of us, her glittery backpack shining in the light.
“I’m glad you came, Ms. Honey.”
I chuckled. “I’m glad I get to cross two things off the bucket list.”
As we walked side by side, Austin’s fingers moved slightly, like he was adjusting his grip on nothing.
I kept catching little glimpses, my eyes drawn to the subtle motion.
At one point, I swore he almost reached for my hand.
But that was in my head. I was searching for something that wasn’t there because this definitely wasn’t a date. No, this was a casual, friendly outing.
We made our way to his car, a large SUV that fit the image of him—big, sturdy, and taking up space. He held the door open for me, his eyes catching mine for a second, and I felt a warmth that I quickly brushed off. He then helped Evie into her booster.
“When will I be able to see this infamous list?” He closed the door, and I got into the passenger side.
Never. He’s never going to see it. He couldn’t know the last item on my bucket list.
I laughed it off, and he started the car and headed down the road in the direction of the lake.
“Never have I ever eaten ice cream,” I admitted.
We’d spent the short drive playing what I learned was Evie’s favorite game.
“Never?” Evie shrieked from the back seat. “How do you live?”
“No, really,” Austin’s eyes were on the road, but he was laughing. “Never?”
“Nope,” I confessed. “Okay, that’s a lie. I tried it once, but I hated it, so I never ate it again.”
“Wow. That sucks.”
“Evie,” Austin reprimanded.
“It does stink, but I like sorbet, so that’s something.”
“We’re here,” Evie shouted from the back as Austin pulled up to a brick house in the middle of the street.
“This is where you live?” I asked, taking in the cozy, well-kept home.
“Yeah,” Evie said proudly as she unclicked her seat belt. “My mom and dad live here.”
Austin turned to me, looking almost embarrassed. “I’ve got to walk her in. Would you mind wait—”
Before he could finish, a short, curly-haired blonde woman came rushing down the steps, waving her hands frantically in the air. “Austin. I’ve come up with a solution.”
“Oh, fuck,” Austin groaned, his face scrunching in frustration. He quickly turned to me, his expression almost pleading. “I’m really sorry about this. She usually never comes out.”
Panic crept into my chest. This wasn’t a date; we were friends.
I forced a smile, pushing down the rising wave of panic.
It’s okay. I’ve met my friends’ family members before. It’s no big deal.
“Absolutely no problem. Really. No big deal. It’s fine.” I waved and got out of the passenger side.
I tried to keep my voice light, like I wasn’t secretly freaking out inside.
This is casual. Just two people hanging out, and sometimes, that means running into their mom. It’s fine. Nothing weird about it.
I repeated it over and over in my head. Yet despite all my internal convincing, the knot tightened in my stomach.
“I know how you can keep your health insurance. See, I was talking to Kit at the café, and she said the same thing happened to her and that she got married and—”
“Mom . . .”
The lady stopped talking frantically as I ran a hand down my skirt. Austin’s mom looked up and finally noticed I was standing behind Austin by the car. Her eyes went wide.
“Oh,” she whispered, then turned to the house. “Ledger,” she shouted.
“Stop. He doesn’t need to . . . fuck.”
I looked past them, and an extremely tall man came walking out the front door. I could only imagine what the neighbors thought. This was not a conversation my family would be having outside.
“What is it?” the very tall man boomed as Evie skirted past him and waved to me.
“Bye, Ms. Astor.”
I smiled politely and waved.
“Oh. You’re a teacher?”
“Mom,” Austin repeated.
The tall man was now standing next to Austin’s mom.
He looked at Austin, then at me. “Hi. My name is Ledger. I’m Evie’s dad and Austin’s . . .”
“Stepdad,” Austin finished for him.
Austin’s mom looked between both of them and shoved her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock.
“Mom,” Austin repeated yet again, but this time his tone was softer. “This is Charlie. She’s a teacher at Evie’s school.”
I stuck my hand out. “Hi, Mrs. Cole. It’s so nice to meet you.” I then turned to Ledger and shook his hand. “You too, Mr. Cole.”