pushes my buttons like no other, but she also makes me feel alive. She’s a high I never want to come down from.
“She’s what?” Brooke asks.
“She’s endgame,” I say, not knowing it to be true until the words come out of my mouth.
Brooke’s eyes turn rounder. “Oh my God. You are in love with her.”
Maybe she’s right, but I don’t want to admit that out loud.
Like saying Charlie is endgame wasn’t a big enough declaration of love, Troy.
I pass a hand over my face, giving my back to Brooke. “I have to find her. Do you need me to call you an Uber?”
“No, Troy. I can find my own way home. I’m not as hopeless as you think I am.” She walks around me and out of the bedroom with her chin raised high.
Fuck. This conversation could have gone a million times better.
I pull my cell phone out of my pocket, and seeing Charlie hasn’t texted me back, I call her. A second later, I hear her ringtone coming from nearby.
I whirl on the spot, noticing then that the light in the bathroom is on. When Charlie pushes the door open, holding her phone in her hand, I’m slammed by a wave of anger and disappointment.
“You’ve been there the whole time?” My question is rhetorical. Obviously, she didn’t fly into the bathroom through the window.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“Really? Could have fooled me. You had plenty of time to make yourself known. Why didn’t you, Charlie?” I raise my voice, expecting her to get riled up immediately. She’s a firecracker, after all. But instead, she winces and stares at me with guilt-ridden eyes.
“I don’t know. As soon as I heard you, I panicked and froze. Then she started spilling her guts out, and I had to see where it was going.”
“You mean, you had to find out what I would do,” I retort, still angry as hell, but at least I didn’t shout.
She nods, crossing her arms over her chest. I’ve never seen her so subdued and small. I’m filled with the impulse to engulf her into a hug and tell her everything will be fine, but I’m still riding on the anger. I don’t know what I resent the most, the fact that she felt the need to spy on me or that she overheard my heartfelt confession.
Fuck!
“I don’t expect you to forgive me. What I did was pretty shitty.”
“Yeah, it was.”
I catch a quiver of her lips, but she clamps her jaw tight, then lowers her gaze to her phone and begins to type.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Ordering an Uber. I don’t expect you to come home with me. You should stay and party with your friends.”
“The hell I’m going to let you go home alone,” I shout again, but this time, I’m frustrated with myself and I don’t know why.
“It’s fine, Troy.” She won’t meet my gaze.
Ah hell. I walk over and cave, bringing her close. “It’s not fine. We came together, and we’ll go home together.” I kiss her forehead before I step back, lacing my hand with hers. “Come on. We have to brave a sea of drunk people to get to the front door.”
CHARLIE
I’ve never felt more wretched in my entire life, not even when I accidentally set Blake’s five-hundred-dollar costume on fire two years ago. I knew eavesdropping on Troy’s conversation was wrong, but jealousy and insecurity clouded my judgment for a moment. I had to know what he would do upon hearing his ex’s confession. I had no idea he would say what he did in the end. And now I don’t know what I’m going to do with that information.
He said I’m endgame. How does he know? It hasn’t been that long since we were at each other’s throats. It’s too soon for him to be making those types of declarations—at least that’s what my mind is telling me. My heart, on the other hand, skipped a beat when he said that.
The ride back home is quiet. Troy is sitting as far away from me as possible. The distance feels like a chasm. We both thank the driver when he drops us off, but no words are exchanged between us as we walk side by side to the front door.
The urge to cry returns. I messed up royally, and my heart is now twisted in agony. I don’t want him to see me like this. I’m too full of pride for that, so as soon as he