Charlotte's Scars

Chapter 28 - Christian

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Christian

Nothing felt more right than having Charlie wrapped tightly in my arms. This past week was torturous, and although I should've waited for her to call me, I couldn't. Being away from her was like missing a part of myself and I didn't feel whole again until I saw her.

Ignoring our spectators, her head nuzzled deeper into my chest and I was reluctant to loosen my hold. There were a hundred questions I wanted to ask her, like what happened to her hair, but even more things I wanted to say, like why Cecilia answered my phone but I couldn't seem to form a proper sentence.

And admittedly, I felt too content to ruin the moment with words.

When I felt wetness dampening my shirt, I realized that Charlie was crying silently. Gliding my hand up her back and around her neck, I gently lifted her chin up.

"Are you okay?" I said, using my thumb to wipe away a tear.

Charlie looked up at me with her warm brown eyes, and a small grin crept onto her face. "I am now," she replied softly.

Smiling down at her, I whispered back, "Good, because I don't think I'm ever going to let you go."

Charlie let out a sniffling chuckle before burrowing back into my arms. I rested my head atop of hers and with a grief ridden voice, I whispered, "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be."

"And about Cecillia-"

"I know."

"You do?" I pulled away a couple inches so I could see her face.

Nodding, she coiled her arms around my neck. "As soon as I saw you, I just knew it. I don't know why she answered your phone, but I know in my heart nothing happened between you two."

Smiling, I said, "I guess your heart and brain are equally intelligent."

"I won't argue that," she answered with a goofy grin.

"God, I've missed you." I gently squeezed her.

    She looked up at me with her blush tinted cheeks and large, vibrant eyes, and I found myself glancing down at her soft lips. Slowly, I lowered my head and she followed suit by tilting hers upwards.

    "So, Charlie," a girl's voice interrupted us, reminding me that we weren't alone. "Are you going to introduce us?"

    We both pulled away and looked over at the three girls, who at some point, approached us and were now standing just a few feet away. The girl with black hair seemed uninterested and instead was admiring my truck while the other two were staring at me with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

    "Oh ... uh, okay," Charlie murmured, taken aback. "Christian, this is Summer, Lizz and Brittney."

    "Christian?" Summer stepped toward us and grinned. "I've always loved that name – it's just so masculine."

    "Oh! You're Christian Steele, aren't you?" Lizz tried to covertly move in front of Summer and I almost rolled my eyes at their antics. "I've heard stories about you Steele boys but I didn't realize how true they were."

    Brittney, turning away from my truck, looked at the two girls and snorted before murmuring under her breath, "Pathetic."

    Although I agreed with her, I still found myself asking, "What stories?"