Chapter 40: Chapter 40

“It is true," Hector said. "But it’s better if nothing like that ever happens again.”

Her wounded expression made him want to take her face in his hands and kiss her despite what he’d just said. “Because you’re afraid I’ll want more?”

Staring into those beautiful eyes—eyes that could own him with one single request—he frowned. “Something like that.”

It was partly true. If she did want more, as much as he’d be willing to give it her, he couldn’t, but it wasn’t for the reasons she was thinking. She stared at him for a moment before sitting back in her seat and sighing. “You’re right. I would want more.”

He wanted nothing more than to tell her that if she wanted it then she had it. It’s all he could think about now anyway.

“Okay delete, delete, delete!” Drew said as she reached them. Hector stood up, still lost in Charlee’s last statement. “Remember,” Drew continued, “whatever she said tonight doesn’t count. This is probably the drunkest I’ve ever seen her. In fact,” as soon as Hector had moved away, Drew closed the passenger door, “let me just make sure she doesn’t say anything else that she’ll be killing me tomorrow for letting her say.” Drew turned to him and smiled. “Thank you for, once again, coming to her rescue. It’s like you’re becoming her personal guardian angel.”

Hector managed a smile. “You two are going straight home, right?”

“Yes. Well I’ll probably go through a drive-thru and get her something to eat before taking her home and putting her in bed.”

For the first time since the night he won the tournament, he really looked at Drew. She was a little on the spunky side, and he liked that, but she obviously had a good heart and really cared about Charlee. That made him like her even more. He was glad now he’d told Nestor to stay away from her too. “You’re a good friend, Drew. Charlee’s lucky to have you.”

Strangely that made her smile nearly flatline. “Thanks,” she said simply before walking around the car and got in.

Hector waited until the car was out of sight before making his way back to his truck.

~*~

Charlee

Bits and pieces were all Charlee remembered of what happened last night after she started drinking the Jack and Coke. Some parts were clearer than others, like chunks of her conversation with Hector, while she sat in Drew’s car. Though parts were still choppy, and she couldn’t remember when he got there exactly or how she got to Drew’s car.

Drew assured her she’d walked on her own and no one had to carry her. She didn’t even remember Hector grabbing what’s his face by the neck until Drew jarred her memory. Another thing she sat there thinking about now was what Hector said last night. Thankfully she’d told Drew last night what he said; otherwise, she wouldn’t actually remember him saying it.

“You were right, but you were also wrong. He is feeling for me what I’m feeling for him. He told me so. But you’re wrong about him finding his match in me. He’s afraid if we ever do what we did before I’ll want more, and apparently, he’s not willing to give any more than that to even me.”

Drew said after that Charlee had cried most of the way home until she passed out. Her best friend set the cup of chamomile tea in front of Charlee a little too loudly. Even though Charlee knew her head was just sensitive to any noises right now, she caught the added force in which she set the cup down. “You seem angry.”

“I am angry,” Drew said, pouring the pancake batter onto the skillet.

“I’m sorry, Drew.” She laid her head against her arm on the table. “I swear to you I will never get that drunk again. I doubt I’ll ever drink again period.”

Drew flipped the pancake and then turned to Charlee. “Not at you, silly. The whole point of last night was for you to get a little juiced and hang loose, just not as juiced as you did, and even that wasn’t your fault.”

Ah. Charlee closed her eyes. She should’ve known Drew would never be mad at her for trying to have a good time at a party. She was mad at Raul for getting her that drunk.

“I still can’t believe what a jerk Hector really is.”

Charlee lifted her head a little too fast and paid the price. “Ouch!” She held her fingers at her throbbing temples. “Hector? But he saved me from getting in the van with that guy.”

“Yes, and that’s exactly my point. Charlee, he went above and beyond last night to go there and find you because he was worried about you. You should’ve seen the look on his face when he realized I didn’t know where you were. I swear to you he seemed almost as freaked out as I was.”

That almost made Charlee smile, but her head was still pounding too much.

“You don’t remember,” Drew continued. “But, God, I wish you did, because that rage in his eyes, when he wanted to strangle Raul to death for simply insisting you were leaving with him, was like none I’d ever seen.” Drew flipped her pancake again and then turned to Charlee. “No, I take that back. I have seen it. It was the same look on his face the day he saw you with Ross and he called him your fucking little boyfriend. Remember that look?”

Charlee closed her eyes, pretending to be trying to remember, but how could she forget? She’d played that scene in her head over and over. But she just nodded without saying a word.

“Okay, picture that only ten times worse. He looked ready to kill Raul. There is no denying he’s got it bad for you. Then he actually admits he does have feelings for you?” Drew shook her head, looking back at the skillet. “The concern was written all over his face when I reached the car and saw your teary eyes, Charlee. I knew whatever it was you two had been talking about was something that weighed heavily on him. And he’s still going to fight everything he’s feeling because he can’t commit to just one girl?” She flipped her final pancake onto her plate and shook her head again. “I’m sorry, but that just makes him such a pig. Someone outta call him on it.”

“Don’t you dare,” Charlee said as her friend took a seat in front of her. “At least he admits it and doesn’t do what some guys do—promise to be true and then not follow through. We at least have to give him credit for that.”

Charlee hated to admit it, but it was actually noble of him to do be doing this. She was sure no matter how many times he tried to kiss her without the promise of anything more she’d probably let him and he probably sensed that she would. He could take advantage of that and he hadn’t. It just hurt that she obviously wasn’t enough for him.

Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at Drew, who looked a little too pensive for Charlee’s comfort. She knew that look. Drew was up to something again.

“Drew?”

“Hmm?”

“We’re dropping this now, okay? No more games. No more trying to prove your theories. No more of anything. There’s nothing to prove anymore. He’s admitted it now. It is what it is. We can’t change who he is, and I’m done getting emotionally beat up over this. In fact, I’m considering going back home for a week or so. Maybe that would help me stop thinking about this so much and move on already.”

“Go home? You can’t go home in the middle of the semester.”

“I can if I’m way ahead and make sure I do it on a week like next week when I know I have no tests or anything important do.”

Making the most pathetic begging face, Drew placed her hands in front of her as if she were praying. “No, Charlee. Please! I don’t want you to go.”

“Then promise me we’re done with all this.”

The pathetic expression was gone, and Drew chewed her food now with a little smile but didn’t say anything.

“You haven’t promised.”

Reaching for a napkin, Drew was able to cover her nose and mouth just before sneezing. “Bless you,” Charlee waited through three more sneezes, and still Drew promised nothing. “Drew?”

“Yes, yes,” Drew finally conceded. “No more games. No more theories.”

“No more anything.” Charlee repeated. “I’m done with all this.” She stood up from the table, taking her cup with her. “Say it, Drew.”

“You’re done with all of this.”

Charlee turned to look at her too-smug-sounding friend and peered at her. If her head weren’t pounding so much, she might put more effort into trying to figure out what that grin on her face was about. Instead she gave in to the pain. “Good. I’m going back to bed now.”

Charlee was glad that the pain was all she could think of right that minute, so she headed for her bed and would worry about having to face Hector again after last night’s disaster later.