for granted again. You’re it for me. Search over.”
Looking deep into my eyes, he says, “Search over indeed.”
Then he claims my mouth, and we both silently vow to make up for the lost time.
50
TROY – Three Months Later
Today is Robbie’s birthday, a date that always leaves me unbearably sad and consumed with guilt. But it’s also the first day of a LARP weekend, and after postponing coming to one of those for a month, I couldn’t say no to Charlie anymore. I mean, what’s a better way to distract myself from the torment of my past than by pretending to be someone else for two days?
The past three months with Charlie have been incredible, but with my looming graduation on the horizon, I have a decision to make. The offer to be an ambassador for a digital media company and travel the world is still on the table. I haven’t accepted it yet because I don’t want to leave Charlie. I want all my adventures to be with her.
I eye the brochure I picked up from the school administration on my desk. Charlie mentioned once that she considered applying to an exchange program but didn’t because of Ben. I could hear the wistful tone in her voice when she told me that story. Ben is thriving now, and their parents are doing okay, so there isn’t really a reason for her not to follow her dreams.
My thinking is also self-serving. We could go to Europe together, using our place there as a home base for our travels. I don’t know if she’s going to see it that way, but fuck it, I won’t know the answer if I don’t ask.
I grab the brochure and put it in my backpack with my character sheet. Then I glance around my room to make sure I didn’t forget to pack anything. When I make it downstairs, Charlie has breakfast ready—coffee, pancakes, and bacon.
“Good morning, babe,” she greets me with a big smile.
“Morning. Wow. Is that all for me?” I set the duffel bag down and circle around the kitchen counter to pull her into a hug.
“Yep. You need your energy for this weekend’s quest, my dear Gunther.”
I chuckle. Gunther Crook is the name we came up with for my character. We must have been drunk when it happened.
I kiss her deeply and would keep it going, but my stomach has other ideas.
“I guess I am hungry after that morning workout.” I bite her lower lip and then turn around to grab a piece of bacon.
“Don’t talk like you were the only one who had to work.” She smacks my ass and then saunters out of my reach.
Charlie’s phone breaks our silly moment, and I’m glad. I was close to attacking her mouth again, which would have led to more sex. Not a bad thing, of course, but I want to get on the road early to avoid traffic.
She answers, “Hi, Blake.”
I try to suppress a groan and fail. Blake and I have agreed on a truce. We’ll never become best friends, but we can now be in the same room without arguing… much. It’s hard for me to accept their friendship, but he’s important to her, and I have to understand that.
Charlie glances pointedly at me, her silent plea for me to be nice. I shove a piece of pancake in my mouth, then smile.
She listens to what he’s saying, furrowing her eyebrows a little. “Hold on,” she tells Blake.
She covers her phone’s mouthpiece and whispers, “Blake’s car broke down, and he needs a ride. Fred and Sylvana already left. Do you mind if he comes with us?”
I sigh in resignation. She knows I’d never say no to that, but I appreciate that she asked. “Fine. But you owe me.” I point at her.
She rolls her eyes and tells Blake the good news. To be fair, it must pain him just as much to ride with me, so that’s something.
It takes just thirty minutes on the road for Blake to complain about something. I’ve been listening to Iron Maiden, and he has a problem with that.
“Can you please change the music?” he moans from the back seat.
“I guess we can listen to pop for a while.” Charlie reaches for the radio control, but I bat her hand away.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask her.
“Come on, Troy. It’s two against one.”
I laugh. “Where did you get the impression this was a democracy? I’m driving, and what did we learn from watching your