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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Four Months Ago
Neither of us knows what to say to each other after the deep conversation we just had.
"How are you doing, Charlie?" I wince, scrubbing my hands over my face. "Fuck. Sorry. That's a stupid question."
Warm, gentle fingers wrap around my wrists, guiding my hands away from my face. Instead of pulling away as expected, she surprises me when she slides them from my wrist to wrap around my palms.
Charlie squeezes and smiles at me. "Not a stupid question. Despite the conversation we just had, I'm surprisingly doing great. This place is doing amazing. I've been going to therapy. I don't know if you know that or not."
"I didn't. Is it helping?"
She tears her gaze away from me and her eyes go a bit distant, like they do when someone's thinking about something.
Charlie blinks before turning her beautiful eyes back to me. "It really is. I'm healing. It's slow, but I'm finding peace, Keaton. What about you? You're still doing therapy?"
"Absolutely. I think it's something I'm always going to do, you know. It's helping me uncover a lot of shit I didn't even know needed uncovering."
She drags her hand out of mine after giving them another light squeeze. "That's really great, Keaton. I'm proud you're trying to be a better person."
I pick up my coffee and drain it. "How are your parents?"
After Charlie let them know she wasn't comfortable that they still continued so much contact with me, they cut back as much as they could. They couldn't end all interaction considering they're best friends with my parents. So, I try to do what I can if I know they're going to be around and make sure I'm scarce.
I don't blame them. There's no way I ever could. I only respect the hell out of their decision.
Charlie laughs softly. "Still the same. Ridiculously in love and not afraid to show it to the world."
"They're still acting like horny teenagers then?" I ask, chuckling.
"And I doubt they'll ever stop."
We smile at each other and for the first time since I fucked everything up, it's easy, and not tainted with bitterness or bad choices from the past.
It feels right.
It feels fucking perfect.
Before we can say anything else, my phone rings and Kayla's name flashes over the screen.
Charlie doesn't have to say anything. The expression on her face and the tight way she's holding her body betray her thoughts and the anxiety surrounding an unknown woman's name on my phone.
I give her a gentle smile, pushing the phone across the table to her. "Answer it." Reaching over to hit the green phone icon and placing it on speaker.
