How can I fly away from him when he is the one that clipped my wings?
Girl meets boy.
Boy and girl become childhood friends.
Girl and boy fall in love.
Boy cheats on girl in last year of college and breaks her heart.
It's the same tragic story that'...
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One Year Ago
It's not the ringing of the bell that informs me of Charlie's arrival. It's the way my hands grow clammy and my heart gallops like it's in a race and is determined to win. It's the way tiny zaps of electricity dance over my skin and my hair stand on end. But the biggest giveaway any time she walks into a room is the way something deep in my core tightens. It's like there is a part of me that recognizes the importance of who Charlie is.
Lifting my head from the article mom sent, I soak in everything about her as they make their way over to where I am. Even through the pain I've dealt her, Charlie still finds it in her to gift others with her warmth and make them feel seen. It's one of the very many things I love about her and I'm glad to see she didn't let me damage that part of her, too.
I stand as they get closer and wait until they're seated before passing their drinks to them.
The smiles I used to get from them are no longer present and it's just something else I've lost in this shitshow I've made of my life.
Charlie grabs her phone, fiddles with the screen, and then sets it on the table.
When I glance down and see the timer counting down. Peering back up at her, I'm startled by the blank expression she aims at me.
I'd expect it coming from Amelia, but it's not something I'm used to seeing on Char. Mom told me that my betrayal would change Charlie and I run my eyes over her, taking in every small detail. It only takes a few seconds to spot them. She's tried hard to hide it, but her eyes have a bruised look under them and they're full of pain. Her pale face appears thinner, her jawbones more pronounced, and I didn't miss the weight she's lost in just a few days, either. Those are just the outward appearances though, and I'm so fucking scared of the changes on the inside of her.
"Are you going to sit here and stare at me or are you going to get to the reason you asked to meet me? Your time is running out."
"I'm going to do both," I answer quietly, taking a sip of my coffee and leaning back in the seat. "I promised I would let you know when I got the results of my test." I drop my eyes to the spot that I'm picking at with my fingers because I'm unable to look her in the eye when I tell her. "I have Chlamydia."
Charlie's hand smacks the table, and my eyes jerk up to clash with hers. "You don't get to look away from me when you give them to me. Man the fuck up, Keaton, and look me in the eye when you tell me. It's the least of what you owe me."
I nod, straightening in my seat and pulling my shoulders tight. My fingers squeeze around my cup as I fight the need to look away. "I have Chlamydia."
This. This pain that fills her eyes is the reason I was fucking terrified to look into them when I told her. I'm a coward who can't handle knowing I've damaged something with such a beautiful soul.
"I'm sorry, Charlie," I whisper with burning cheeks.
"What are you sorry for, Keaton? Dating someone else while with me? Fucking someone else while with me? Catching a damn sexually transmitted disease? Which part are you sorry for?"
