Do I just move on like nothing happened?
Charlotte’s Pov
Some nights feel too heavy to carry, and this was one of them. I opened the door to Kate’s house and felt like I was walking into a storm. The living room lights were dim, and soft music played from a speaker somewhere behind the couch. Kate sat on the carpet, knees tucked to her chest, holding a bottle of beer like it was the only thing keeping her together.
Her eyes met mine for a second. No words. Just pain. Instead of telling her off for drinking, I took the bottle from her hand and drank straight from it. It burned going down, but it was better than the burn in my chest. I gave it back when she reached out for it again, and then I dropped beside her like I had nothing left to hold myself up.
She took another swig, raised the bottle like she was making a toast, and said, “Men are the worst.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I muttered, my throat sore from holding back tears.
Kate set the bottle down. “Loveth left me. Just walked out with some girl like I was never even there.”
I did not need the details. I saw her getting dressed earlier, how she kept checking herself in the mirror, hoping he would notice her for once. He did not.
“I just want to forget he exists,” she said, scooting closer to me.
“Same here,” I said in a low tone.
We sat in silence for a while. She leaned her head on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, but that only made it worse. Luther’s face kept flashing in my head. His voice. His cold words from earlier tonight.
“He said no real man would ever want someone like me.” My chest tightened. “Like I was not enough.”
Kate sat up straighter, eyes watery. “Then he is a fool. You are more than enough.”
She sniffled. “You know what’s crazy? I’ve known Loveth forever. And I still feel like he sees right through me. Like I’m invisible.”
“You’re not,” I said quickly. “He just doesn’t see what’s in front of him.”
Kate laughed bitterly and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “So what now? Do I just move on like nothing happened?”
“No,” I said, turning to face her. “Go after him. Forget the rules. Forget what people might think. If you want him, show him.”
She looked up at me, her eyes tired but curious. “You’d really help me do that?”
I nodded. “Yes. Tomorrow. We’ll figure it out.”
Kate smiled a little, then collapsed back on the rug. “You’re the best, Charlotte,” she murmured. And just like that, she drifted off to sleep. I stood up and walked toward the kitchen. I needed coffee. Something warm to fight the cold feeling that had settled inside me.
Just as I reached for a mug, there was a knock on the door. I stopped. Who could it be this late? I checked the time, 12:07 a.m. Another knock. Slower this time. I walked to the door quietly, every step careful. I peeked through the peephole and my heart dropped. Luther was outside, standing on the porch with my purse in his hand. He looked nervous. He kept walking back and forth, like he could not decide if he wanted to stay or leave.
For a moment, I thought about locking the door and pretending I was not home. But my phone was in that bag. So I opened it and as soon as he looked up and our eyes met, I knew this night was far from over.
“You left this at the club,” he said, holding out my purse. “I thought I’d bring it to you.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed it from him without even looking at his face.
“Thanks,” I said shortly. His presence made my skin crawl. I needed to go back inside, away from him.
“Don’t go,” he said quickly.
“You really don’t know how to say ‘please,’ do you?” I asked, noticing how he shoved his hands into his pockets.
He still had on the same clothes from earlier. They were all wrinkled, and his hair was messy. Somehow, even looking like that, he still managed to look... tempting. That thought made my chest ache even more.
“You’re the one who made me act the way I did,” he said.
I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Did you seriously come here with my purse just so you could blame me for what you did? You told me no real man would want someone like me, yet here you are, acting like you do.” I kept my voice low, not wanting Kate’s neighbours to hear.
“Let me remind you of what you said.” I tucked the purse under my arm and crossed my arms, shivering slightly from the cold. I should’ve listened to Kate when she said the dress was perfect. Right now, it felt like a mistake.
“Come on, Charlotte,” he said softly. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let him walk all over me again, even if my heart still wanted him.
“You said I was too young. That I should be with guys my age. You told me I wasn’t your type and that I misunderstood everything between us. So, tell me, Luther, why is a ‘mature’ man like you standing outside my door at midnight, asking me to stay?”
Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t look away. I stared right into his eyes.
“I was wrong,” he said, his voice low. “I didn’t want to cause trouble for my brother. If anyone found out, it would be a mess. Your mum would never accept me, someone almost twice your age. And I’m going to be your step-uncle soon.”
He looked around nervously, like he was hoping for a different reaction from me.
“I begged you,” I said, my voice trembling. “I begged you not to leave me. And you did it anyway.”
It was crazy how a man I’d known for only a few days could leave me feeling this broken.
“I could lose a lot, Charlotte,” he said. “You think I’m being cruel, but our priorities are different.”
He paused, breathing out slowly.
“I came back to clear things up. We ended things badly.”
Another sharp pain hit me, another heartbreak waiting to happen.
“But the truth is, we shouldn’t even be having this talk,” he went on. “There was never anything real between us. Maybe some attraction. Maybe lust. But that’s it. And I get why a young girl like you could be drawn to someone older. I’m not blaming you, Charlotte. But we can’t let these feelings grow. I’m only going to hurt you in the end. I’m not right for you. And I hope you can forgive me for that.”
I looked at him like he’d grown another head.
“So let me get this straight, you beat up the DJ who, by the way, is my age, fired him, drove us back here, stormed off, and now you’re back, just to rip my heart out again?” I nodded slowly, feeling my throat tighten.
“You’re right. There was never anything between us. So next time you see me with a guy my age… stay away.”
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