Summary: Chris heads to the cabin to talk to MC (Charlotte) about Nicole, but that isn’t the morning’s only surprise.
When Charlotte awoke the next morning, it took her a moment to remember why she was still wearing her shoes. Then the previous night came rushing back to her. The bar. Chris. Nicole. Charlotte sighed as the dark feeling in her stomach returned, pulling her down so far she felt like she’d fade into the mattress.
Finally, Charlotte rolled over and retrieved her phone from the night stand. There were several missed calls and multiple text messages from Chris, but she didn’t bother to open any of them. What was the point? She couldn’t get into anything with someone who was engaged. Another someone who was engaged.
It took Charlotte a minute before she realized the dull thumping she heard wasn’t actually the headache pounding within her own head. She sat up, confused. Was that the door? Charlotte pulled herself off the bed and headed towards the front door where the pounding grew louder and louder. She pulled open the door and immediately squinted in the early morning sun shining directly at her.
“Good, you’re not dead,” Chris said as she blinked, trying to force her eyes to adjust. His brow was furrowed with anger and frustration in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something else but changed his mind, whirling around before he started down the stairs towards his truck.
“What?” Charlotte asked, confused. Chris spun around at the sound of her voice.
“You just disappeared last night without saying goodbye! I thought something happened to you!” he exclaimed.
“I’m fine,” Charlotte retorted, annoyed.
“Yeah, I see that,” Chris said.
“I don’t owe you anything,” Charlotte snapped, frustration and years of anger at being someone’s secret bubbling up within her. “I don’t have to check in with you every time I change locations.”
“No, you don’t, but I thought we …” Chris exhaled loudly, composing himself. “We were starting something between us and I was worried about you.”
Charlotte laughed bitterly. “Right, you were worried about me.”
Chris narrowed his eyes. “Yes, I was. Why is that so weird?”
“Because shouldn’t you be a little more worried about your fiancee?” Charlotte spat.
“My fiancee?” Chris asked, confused. “I’m not … oh my god,” he said, understanding flooding his features. “Nicole was there last night.”
“Yeah, she was,” Charlotte snapped. “I told you I didn’t want to get in the middle of anything and all this time, you’ve been engaged.”
“No, wait,” Chris said, the anger gone from his voice as he walked back up the stairs to the porch. “It’s not like that.”
“Really? Because it seems pretty clear to me.”
“Look, I get why you’re mad, but can you at least give me a chance to explain?” Chris asked. Charlotte glared at him, studying his features. His eyes were earnest and pleading and although she hated herself for it, she softened a little.
“Fine,” Charlotte said, pointing to the porch swing.
“It’s kind of bright out here, do you mind if we go inside?” Chris asked.
“I’m fine out here,” she said petulantly even though she immediately regretted it. Still, she was determined not to let that show so she walked over and sat on the porch swing. Chris followed and sat beside her as he took a deep breath.
“Do you remember when we first met and I told you why I didn’t go to college?” Chris asked.
Charlotte nodded, feeling the anger drain from her. “Your mom had just passed away.”
“Right,” Chris said. “But … that wasn’t the only reason.” He hesitated before continuing. “Nicole and I dated in high school and right around the time my mom died, she came to me and told me she was pregnant.”
Chris paused again and Charlotte stayed still, not wanting to interrupt him.
“I stayed in Hull to help my dad, but also because I couldn’t just walk out on Nicole; I had to get a job and do the right thing. I proposed to Nicole and at the time I told myself I would’ve done that even without the pregnancy, but we tell ourselves all kinds of lies to justify our choices.” Chris swallowed. “We found a cheap apartment and moved in together and for a while, it seemed like maybe things would be okay. But then …” Chris sighed and shifted in his seat. “Nicole had a miscarriage and things got … messy. She kind of went off the deep end and I tried to be there for her, but she’d turned so far inward that I couldn’t reach her.”
Charlotte reached over and took Chris’s hand. He smiled at her briefly and wound his fingers between hers. She noticed a small tear skip down his cheek and she reached over to wipe it away with the fingertips of her free hand. Chris closed his eyes at her touch and took a breath. However, when he spoke again, his voice was steady.
“About a month after we lost the baby, I came home from work one night to find that she’d moved out. I had no idea where she was and I was frantic thinking that she’d hurt herself. After several hours of unanswered late night phone calls and driving around trying to find her, Nicole’s mom called and told me Nicole was at their house. She was okay, but she didn’t want to talk to me.”
“Chris …” Charlotte finally said, her voice soft. “I’m so sorry.”
He nodded. “Eventually, Nicole and I got back together. A few times, actually, but we were never able to get past what happened. Finally, I ended it for good last year. Nicole didn’t take it well.”
Charlotte waited for him to elaborate but he didn’t.
“She comes into the bar every once in a while and things have been friendly lately. I’d like to be friends with her, but realistically, I don’t know if that’s actually possible.” He took another deep breath and turned his head to look at her. “And I’m guessing you met her last night.”
“I did,” Charlotte said. She felt terrible for ignoring Chris’s calls, for not just talking to him. “I ran into her in the bathroom and she told me you were engaged. I know I should’ve just talked to you about it, but I came out of the bathroom and saw her at the bar with you and I just … left.”
“I’m sorry, I should’ve told you about Nicole sooner,” Chris apologized, but Charlotte stopped him.
“No, stop, there’s nothing for you to apologize for,” Charlotte said. “I feel like by shutting you out last night, I forced you to tell that story.”
“No, Charlotte, I wanted to tell you,” Chris said, taking her other hand in his. In the still morning air, Charlotte heard the faint sound of what sounded like tires on the dirt road up to the cabin, but she saw nothing behind Chris. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while, but it’s not an easy subject to bring up out of the blue. And, actually, I really wanted to talk to you about something else last night, something much happier. Well, I think it’s happier anyway.”
“Yeah?” Charlotte asked, letting a small smile flutter across her face. The sound seemed to be getting a little louder. “What’s that?”
“Well, you know how I told you my brother is getting married in Germany?” Chris asked.
“Yes.” Charlotte bit her lip, hoping against hope that he was going to say what she thought he was going to say.
“I was wondering if you would … I mean, I know we haven’t known each other for very long, so if this is weird, then I totally get it … but–”
Just then, a silver Lexus rounded the final turn in the dirt road and pulled up in front of the cabin. Chris turned around and followed Charlotte’s gaze as the car parked beside her own. She didn’t recognize the car, but as soon as the driver stepped out, a broad smile across his face, Charlotte knew him immediately.
James.
