Heartless Page 15

  "Good news?" She smiled and raised her brows in question.

  "Honestly, I'm not sure," Charlie admitted without catching the slip.

  "Boyfriend?"

  "I'm not really sure what we are."

  "Well at least someone is interested in you. I can't even get anyone to willingly sit with me at lunch. When I sit down at a table, they all get up and move like I have the plague." Sarah looked sad at the revelation.

  "Screw 'em Sarah. For most of these kids, high school is going to be the peak of their lives. You however, will go somewhere and be somebody."

  Where the hell did that come from? Charlie wondered if she was going soft all of a sudden. She may actually like this girl.

  "Thanks, I appreciate you being nice to me. You're not the kind of girl I would think would want to be seen with someone like me." Sarah fidgeted with her shirt.

  "What kind of girl am I?"

  Charlie wasn't sure if that should be taken as a compliment or insult.

  "Oh I didn't mean it like that. I just meant you it's like you could care less what anyone thinks of you and you just do your own thing. You seem like you don't need anyone else's validation and I envy that. I'm a geeky goody goody that gets ignored or walked all over."

  "I just do my own thing. Never saw the point in trying to impress others. My dad has always told me — someone can only make you feel inferior if you let them, so don't. Theres more to his pep talk speech but that's the part thats always stuck with me."

  "I never thought about it that way before. Your dad sounds pretty cool."

  "Yeah I guess I'll keep him around." They both laughed. It was easy to talk to Sarah and it didn't feel forced.

  "I really liked the quote you picked today. Where did you find it? I picked the first one I saw. I was really nervous."

  Oh thank God. Charlie had a bit more respect for Sarah once she knew it was nerves and it wasn't because she actually believed that crap.

  "It's in a book I have at home. I have a lot of poetry books and I like to read a lot. It just came to mind."

  "I'll have to go to the library and find something for this assignment. I really enjoy writing, that's why I signed up for this class. But I'm more into short stories than I am poetry. I don't feel like I have enough life experience to write poetry to understand where it's coming from."

  Charlie had no idea what came over her. The sudden urge to want to help Sarah was overwhelming. It looked like Sarah needed a friend and she wanted to be the one to fit the bill. She wondered what the hell happened to her usual antisocial ways.

  "I'll tell you what, come to my house tonight. I have plenty of books you can go through and I can help you find something you'll like. My dad works late so we can order pizza or something?"

  Charlie was in shock at the words that had just flowed out of her mouth.

  "Sure! Really?" Sarah's smile beamed and she knew she couldn't take it back. Charlie reached into her backpack and pulled out a tablet. She scribbled her address and phone number down and handed it to Sarah as the bell rang.

  "Here."

  "Thank you so much, Charlotte."

  "Call me Charlie, I'll catch up with you later okay?"

  "Okay."

  They headed to opposite ends of the courtyard toward their next classes. She heard Sarah yell at her.

  "Charlie?"

  She turned to face Sarah.

  "What time?" she shouted. Charlie thought about it for a moment. She was supposed to be at Sam's at four and it would probably take a few hours for them to yell at one another.

  "Seven," she yelled back and disappeared into the hall.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  For the rest of the day, Charlie just went through the motions. She'd changed her mind a million times if she was going to show up at Sam's or not. Part of her wanted it to be resolved one way or the other. But the other part didn't want to accept things could never go back to how they were before.

  While driving to his house, she decided she was going to tell him where to stick it. She was over dealing with the emotional roller coaster he had her on and she was getting off the ride.

  She pulled into his driveway, parked her truck and made a beeline for his door. Knocking, she stood back with her arms crossed over her chest. Ready for a fight.

  Sam opened the door and ran his fingers through his sexy, dark, disheveled hair. With his muscular frame filling the doorway, Charlie shook her head to stay focused on what she came to do.

  "Hey," he said, as he moved aside letting her in.

  "Let's just get this over with." She walked in the door and turned to face him.

  "Seriously? I thought we were going to try to talk this out."

  "What is there to talk out, Sam? You think I'm a liar, and I'm pretty sure there's some rule that a teacher can't date his student." She scowled.

  "Well, since we're just diving right in, you weren't exactly forthcoming with that information." He leaned back against his dining table with his arms crossed over his chest.

  "Oh my God, really? You never asked!"

  "Excuse me, I just assumed you were in college. You don't look and you certainly don't act like a high school girl, well until now."

  She ground her teeth, "Are you fucking kidding me? You never seemed to have an issue with my maturity before I called you out. The only thing I'm guilty of, was not wanting the guy I was falling for to think I was still a kid. Because of a situation I had no control over." Shaking her head she made her way to the door.

  With her fingers on the handle, she pulled the door open slightly and stopped to face him. "You know, I should have known better than this. Letting my guard down was a huge mistake."

  He moved fast, shoving the door closed, spinning her around and pinning her back to the door. His eyes were smoldering, full of desire. "Do you really believe that?"

  "What else do I have to believe?" Her breath hitched before he closed the small gap and his mouth was on hers.

  Sliding his hands down her thighs, he grabbed her under her ass and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and poured all of her hurt into their kiss. He carried her to his bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them.

  ♥♥♥♥♥

  Setting her down against the wall, he slid his hands down her arms and pushed her shirt over her head. She didn't stop him. Instead, she silently watched him while it fell to the floor. Her hair spilled onto her chest and he brushed it back, exposing her breasts. Grabbing her hands, he pinned them over her head to the wall. Charlie pushed all of her doubt to the back of her mind and allowed herself to be in the moment. She sighed and closed her eyes while he traced his tongue across her chest. Letting go of her hands just long enough to rip his shirt off over his head, he tossed it on the floor and pulled her against him.

  Gripping his shoulders, Charlie buried her face into his neck and traced her tongue up behind his ear. Sam popped the button of her jeans and ran his hands on the inside of her waistband, shoving them down.

  Her need for him grew with every passing second. She was thankful he wasted no time with sweet pleasantries. In one swift motion, his pants were off and he was kicking them to the side. She reached down, and grasped him in her hand as he grew hard against her.

  Dropping to his knees in front of her, Sam wrapped his arms around the small of her back and traced his tongue below her panty line. He placed one kiss right above her pubic bone before he turned, lifting her onto his mattress. Breathing heavily, he pressed himself against her.

  While Arching her back, she raised her hips into him and dug her fingers into his back as his erection pushed into her panties. "These need to go," he groaned, into her ear as he yanked them off.

  Grabbing a condom out of his drawer, he slid it on and drove into her hard. Her eyes shot open as a groan escaped her lips. With his mouth hard against hers, all she could think about was how good he felt as he filled her. Nothing else mattered.

  He reached down and rubbed her clit, matching his fur
ious pace. As soon as he touched her there, all of her nerve endings came alive. She threw her head back against the mattress but kept her eyes open to watch him. Sam's eyes were closed but she could hear him moan with each thrust.

  Charlie pulled him down close to her and dragged her lips along his neck and shoulders. She dug her fingers into the flesh of his back meeting him with her hips thrust for thrust.

  Losing herself in him was easy, and she had the feeling he was doing the same. All the pain and heartbreak was in each breath, each kiss, and each time he filled her. Panting fast, her body quivered as she found her release. His body tensed, then shook before he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily.

  Rolling to the side, Sam leaned in and kissed her forehead before he buried his face in her shoulder. It was such a simple gesture but meant so much. Too much. Charlie climbed off the bed and walked into the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the sink.

  Sam appeared in the doorway and wrapped his arms around her. "You okay?"

  Nodding, she didn't know if she was trying to convince him or herself. "Do you care if I take a quick shower?"

  "Not at all."

  She pulled away from him and turned on the shower. Getting in, she let the hot water cascade down her body. Her eyes were closed but she knew he was watching her. She opened her eyes and saw him as he leaned against the outside wall of the shower with the curtain pulled back just enough he could watch her.

  ♥♥♥♥♥

  "You do realize that's creepy standing there like that right?" she said.

  "You look really pale right now. I just want to make sure you're okay." He could tell something was wrong and he knew she wouldn't tell him if it was.

  "I'm fine." She reached for the shampoo and washed her hair.

  Knowing she wasn't going to tell him anything else, he cleaned himself up at the sink and pulled some shorts on. While he waited for her to finish her shower, he sat on his bed and leaned back against the headboard. The water shut off a few minutes later and she walked out rubbing her hair with the towel. She still didn't have much color in her face and it really worried him. "Are you feeling okay? You look really pale."

  She picked his shirt up off the floor and pulled it over her head. "I'm okay. Just tired." She slid into the bed next to him wearing only his t-shirt.

  He rolled on his side to look at her, "Are you sure."

  "Sam, I'm fine. Drop it okay?"

  "Okay." He didn't know if her sudden change in mood was because she regretted what they'd just done or if something was going on with her physically.

  They laid there in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.

  "I want you to know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. I know you didn't keep it from me on purpose."

  "So what now?" She turned her head toward him.

  "Right now, it doesn't matter. We'll worry about the rest tomorrow."

  They laid there in silence with the weight of their goodbye looming and he just listened to her breathe. She snuggled against his chest and the sound of her heart thrummed in his ears. He knew they couldn't be together but he didn't want to say it aloud. As he ran his fingers up and down her back, she closed her eyes.

  She jumped up and looked at the clock. "Shit, shit, shit."

  "You okay?" Worry creased his brow.

  "Yeah, but I gotta go. I'm going to be late... fuck."

  "For what?"

  Charlie scrambled to her feet and pulled on her panties and pants. She searched for her bra and slid it on under his shirt.

  "Sarah is coming over."

  "Sarah?" he crinkled his brow, confused.

  "Sarah from class?"

  "Okayyy? You do realize you still have my shirt on right?" He asked as he stood from the bed.

  "Yup and I'm keeping it." She looked up at him with a small grin and he pulled her into his arms.

  "So I mean there isn't much to figure out. This isn't goodbye forever, just goodbye for now?" she asked and looked into his eyes.

  His heart ached not wanting that to have to be their only option. "Yeah, I think that's best."

  He took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his broad chest. He could tell from her posture and the tortured look that mirrored his, it was going to kill them both.

  "Well, until next time," she said, with a small shrug. His heart sank as she walked out of his room, his front door and out of his personal life.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  "Your house is awesome," Sarah said, looking around.

  "Thanks, come on in." Charlie stepped back and pulled the door open further so Sarah could step inside. She walked in and waited for Charlie to close the door. She headed toward the kitchen and Sarah followed behind her.

  "Do you want anything to drink before we head upstairs?"

  "Sure, what do you have?"

  "I have pop, water, milk, coffee or tea."

  Charlie decided to have a cup of tea and it made her think of Sam.

  "Is that Zen green tea?" Sarah puckered her lips into an O.

  "One in the same."

  "That is my favorite thing to drink," she squealed with delight.

  "I knew I liked you for a reason." Charlie pulled another mug down and was surprised they had something in common right away.

  "Sorry not trying to geek out on you. My mom only buys the cheap shit and it's not very good. So I usually only get it when I go to the Coffee Shop on Main St."

  Charlie turned on her Keurig and set the tea bags in the cups. She pulled the sugar and honey down out of the pantry and turned to face Sarah.

  "Funny you say that. My dad was the same way once he saw the price difference and then I force fed him a cup of the good stuff. After that he left me alone." Charlie caught Sarah looking around her gourmet kitchen but she didn't say a word about it.

  When the lights flashed blue, she hit the button and the steaming water filled the awaiting cups. They headed upstairs to Charlie's room without saying much. Charlie sat her tea down on the coffee table and flopped onto one of the couches in her sitting area. Sarah set her bag down by the other couch and wandered over to the book shelves with her hands wrapped around her cup.

  "Wow, you weren't kidding about having a ton of books were you?"

  "I enjoy them. They transport me to a new place when I need it."

  "I get that, my life is so boring. This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a long time."

  Charlie laid back and put her hands behind her head and laughed.

  "Damn, it must be pretty bad if I'm the highlight. I've been called a social leper."

  "That's harsh."

  "Yeah but pretty accurate."

  Sarah pulled a few books off of the shelf and brought them over to the couch opposite Charlie and sat down.

  "Do you have any ideas about what poem you're going to use?" Sarah asked.

  "No, not yet, I need to find something that I feel like I connect with. I work best on a full stomach. I can order pizza if you want? Have you eaten?"

  "Pizza would be great. Do you want me to pull you a few books down too?"

  "Sure."

  Charlie pulled out her phone and Googled pizza places close to her house. She still hadn't seen or heard from Jules so she wasn't sure if she should order enough for him. Then again as far as Charlie was concerned there was no such thing as too much pizza, and it was her favorite thing to eat cold for breakfast. She ordered their food while Sarah continued to browse her shelves. They flipped through pages and jotted down passages they both liked. The next thing Charlie knew Jules walked into her room in nothing but a towel.

  ♥♥♥♥♥

  Charlie wasn't surprised to see Jules in only a towel but the look of utter shock on Sarah's face was priceless. Sarah could have caught flies with her mouth hanging that far open and it made her chuckle.

  "I would ask why you're naked, dripping wet and only wearing a towel," she paused and shook her head before she continued "but I rea
lly don't want to know, because if you were skinny dipping in my pool I will be forced to cut you."

  "Well, for your information I was naked in your hot tub, so how do you like them apples?" Jules gave her a smug look and walked toward her bathroom.

  "Them apples are about to be speared and roasted."

  Sarah burst out giggling and it was contagious. Charlie tried to suppress her laugh but couldn't contain it.

  "Hey do you still have my underwear here?"

  "Why in the hell would I have your underwear here? Do I look like your mother?"

  "No, she has an angelic face, you ... you're more like the spawn of Satan."

  "Get out of my bathroom, you have your own, go use it."

  "Yours has the fancy smancy water features that I fully intend on playing with. Do you have my underwear or not?"

  "I really don't want to hear or know if you play with yourself or my shower. Look in my drawer? Did you leave some here?"

  Jules strutted across her room to her dresser and rummaged through her drawer until she saw him pull out his boxer briefs. Sarah was still staring at him in shock. She looked confused about the entire situation. Charlie returned her attention to Jules when Sarah gasped and covered her mouth with both of her hands. He dropped his towel on the floor, baring his naked ass at them with a broad smile looking at them over his shoulder.

  "Seriously, dude? No one wants to see that and pick your wet towel off my floor."

  "Speak for yourself," Sarah muttered.

  He picked up the towel and threw it over his shoulder as he disappeared into her bathroom. Charlie shook her head and went back to flipping through her book as if nothing had happened.

  "Um... what the hell was that?" Sarah asked, wide eyed.