'ᴀᴅᴀᴍ ᴅʀɪᴠᴇʀ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇꜱ' -ᴀᴅ

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙚𝙧

Nicole was the woman I despised since Charlie and her started dating, and ever since I watched her walk down the aisle at their wedding I really can't stand her.

But that doesn't even come close to how she made Charlie feel after she served him in L.A. That night, Charlie showed up to my apartment, completely confused about how he even got there.

His eyes were swollen red and puffy, fearing that everything would go to hell and he'd never see Henry again. Now, he's passed out in my bed while I'm making breakfast.

Charlie and I have known each other since childhood, inseparable. We grew up together, side by side and I moved to New York with him after college.

Not only did we move to New York together but we also directed plays together, and I'd sometimes pop up in one of them.

But then Nicole showed up, and it was like I didn't even exist anymore. Charlie has still yet told me why he showed up crying. He just sobbed into my chest for hours on the couch and then I helped him get situated into my bed.

I, of course, didn't sleep because I was worried about my best friend so I sat on the couch all night, working up some sort of nerve to tell him how I've felt all these years.

Either I just straight up say I've had feelings for him ever since we were kids, or I keep it inside and continue to hate myself.

I fixed pancakes and bacon. I found a spot to put the few things Charlie had with him last night, and I cleaned up my apartment.

I also managed to make myself look not undead with some light foundation, chapstick, and mascara. I threw on leggings and a loose t-shirt with some spray and went to sit on the couch.

Ten minutes or so later, Charlie stumbled out of my bedroom, eyes fraught with fatigue. He situated himself on the couch beside me, head falling into my lap.

I brought my hands to his hair, softly combing through it as I saw his eyes shut. "Charlie, I made breakfast if you're hungry." I continued soothing his head with my hands.

He just mumbled something back along the lines of "keep doing that." A small smile formed on my lips and I did what he asked for awhile.

I eventually was tired of the silence so I tapped his shoulder, trying to get his attention back. Charlie sat up, eyes shut as he yawned before looking at me. "What Emma?"

"Char, I don't want to push you okay, but what happened?" I turned to face his slouched body, and he turned to face mine.

The thing is, he came in babbling sobs out about the thought of losing Henry but he didn't tell me why he was saying those things.

"Nicole she um, she served me when I went to visit Henry. We're getting divorced, Emma."

His face fell into sadness, my heart sunk right along with it. I took his hand, holding it rigorously in mine.

"Charlie, I am so sorry. I thought everything was okay between you two."

"I did too, but then I was talking with Cassie and saw the papers on the counter. She handed them to me and that was that. I'm scared Em." his eyes watered back up.

I pulled his weeping body flush against my chest, his head resting on my sternum close to my aching heartbeat. "I'm so scared." his tears sunk through the fabric of my shirt, dampening the cloth and my skin.

Words wouldn't form on my tongue, only soft shhs to calm his racked nerves. I threaded my fingers through his hair, kneading the silky strands to soothe him.

We sat like this until he calmed his sobs and rested his head on my shoulder, taking deep breaths to recollect his stolen air. Charlie sat up, facing towards my small entertainment center, I led my hand to his back, running up and down the warm flesh of his arched posture.

His eyes eventually found mine, and they were once again irritated and swollen. "Char- " And that's when I felt it, the softness of his pinkish, swollen lips smooth against my own lips.

My body reacted with shock, almost wanting to pull away but I've waited for this moment my entire life. Charlie Barber is kissing me right now, and I couldn't be happier.

Charlie's tongue licked over the skin of my bottom lip, hinting for me to let him roam around my mouth, and I did. My mouth opened along with a soft moan as Charlie tugged my body into his lap, leaning against the couch as he helped situate my lap into his.

My nails bit at his scalp, massaging the skin, leading groans from him to me. Charlie needs me right now, more than anything. He's broken and I've got the missing pieces lying in the palm of my hand, slowly piecing him back together with every kiss.

I pulled back, letting my forehead rest against his, our noses inches away from one another. Charlie tugged his arms around my body, letting them lay there in fear of me leaving. "I'm not going anywhere, Charlie." I pressed my lips to his, feeling him smile against them.

He let his head collapse between the valley of my breasts, arms constricted around me and breathing heavily as he rested his eyes. I just held him close, one hand holding the back of his head while I combed through his curly locks with the other.

Charlie mumbled into my chest, barely audible so I asked for him to speak up, his grip tightened around my waist keeping me closer than ever. "I love you, Emma," he mumbled out to me, kissing my wrist.

"I love you too Charlie," I replied, smiling above him with love.

Wc/991