Chapter 43: Chapter 43
If there were any rhyme or reason to the days Hector showed up to the chess lab, Charlee could prepare herself accordingly. Monday she was fairly confident he wouldn’t be there because the last two weeks he’d been consistent and only showed up toward the end of the week. She’d been right and thankfully so because she still hadn’t felt up to facing him yet.
It was Tuesday now, and as Charlee walked to the chess lab, her heart sped up. As unlikely as it was that he’d be there this early in the week, the rattled nerves she felt from the possibility of seeing him again were out of control.
Since Friday, more and more had come to her about their conversation that night. She hadn’t just cried on her way home. She cried when she spoke with him. She just couldn’t remember why—or rather what explanation she’d given him for her tears.
Glancing up, she quickly lost her train of thought. Ross stood by the stairway she needed to take to get to the chess lab. He was leaning against the rail with both hands in his pockets, smiling—waiting for her. This was the first time she’d seen him since Hector had blown up at her for talking to him last.
“You promised you wouldn’t be talking to him anymore.” Completely startled by Hector’s voice, Charlee nearly jumped.
With her hand on her chest, she glanced up at Hector, who was now walking alongside her, staring Ross down, and she gathered her thoughts. Was this something she’d promised Friday night? “I did?”
“Something like that.” He took a step in front of her and stopped. “Last week you said you wouldn’t be talking to him anymore. Is he waiting for you?”
Charlee looked up behind Hector. Ross wasn’t leaning against the rail anymore, but he was still there, only the smile was gone, and he seemed to be contemplating whether he should still wait or leave. “I don’t know.”
“He’s a bad guy, Charlee.” his words urged. “Trust me on this. Like the guy Friday night, you don’t want to associate with him. I can get rid of him for you. Just say the word and I will.”
She shook her head. “No.” His already hardened eyes seemed to almost darken with that, so she touched his tense arm and added, “I won’t associate with him anymore, but I don’t need you to say anything or do anything to him.”
“How ’bout I do it to you?”
“What?”
Before she could try to figure out what he meant, he leaned in and kissed her softly. As expected, her lips gave into him without even the slightest resistance. When he pulled away, he smiled, licking his lips. “In case he didn’t see that,” Hector said with a smirk then brought his arm around her waist, pulling her against his hard body, and kissed her again this time deeper.
Push him away. Tell him he can’t do this. It’s not fair!
But her brain was no match for her heart. It pounded soundly and happily in her chest as Hector’s delicious mouth continued to devour hers. Even after Hector pulled away, she stood there breathless and feeling completely enchanted. This was the last thing she expected to happen the very next time she saw him.
Hector turned around then brought his smiling face back to face her. She glanced back in Ross’s direction too. He was gone.
“You see,” Hector smiled even bigger. “That was a much more pleasant way to handle that. I didn’t even have to touch the douche.”
The second she could manage to move her wobbly legs, Charlee began walking. She wasn’t sure what she should be feeling, but at the moment she was feeling it all: excited, confused, a little angry, but not sure if she should be angry with herself or Hector. Mostly though, she felt embarrassed—embarrassed about how easily she’d given into his amazing kisses. Frustration was also peaking in her lineup of emotions. She’d been having a hard enough time getting over something that never was, and now she had more to add to it.
Hector stopped her again just as they reached the stairs, placing his hand on her arm. “Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t help myself. It was either that, or I might’ve done something to him. No,” he stopped and thought about it for a second, “I would’ve definitely done something to him.”
“You can’t do that again, Hector.” It almost hurt to say the words, but she had to. “It’s not fair,” she added with a whisper and began up the stairs.
“I know,” he agreed with a regretful frown. Then his eyes brightened a bit. “But if he even thinks of still trying to talk to you after that, you have to admit I’ll have good reason to react any way I see fit.”
This time she stopped and looked at him. “No, you don’t.”
His face went all serious again. “What do you mean? The guy thinks you and I are—”
“But I know we’re not. And if he decides to talk to me again and you happen to see it, you will not react any way you see fit. I’ll handle it.”
Hector shook his head. “Charlee, if I see that scumbag anywhere near—”
“Let me ask you something,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her and tilting her head. “Who were those girls you sat in the front row with Friday night?”
Oh, yeah, if he was going to act as if a kiss somehow gave him any liberties to do and say what he pleased, then she’d be taking a few liberties of her own. She almost smiled at the way he so desperately tried to hide how her question stunned him.
He recovered quickly and answered. “They were friends. One was actually. She’s someone I knew from high school, and she brought her friend along to watch the fight.”
She lifted her eyebrow. Was he trying to insinuate that, because he’d only met her friend that night, it had to be completely innocent? “Did you have fun with them too in the parking lot like you did with the two other girls you met the night of the tournament?”
The fact that she knew about that didn’t stagger him quite as much as she would’ve thought. Still he pressed his lips together before responding. “No. We were supposed to grab a burger after, but when I overheard someone talking about inviting you to that keg party, I cancelled so I could go look for you instead.” This time she was the one stunned and obviously he noticed. He took a step closer to her. “The decision was a no-brainer, Charlee. You were my priority.”
She gulped, feeling something strange happening, but she dared not even think it. It was hard not to the way he stared at her now. His eyes looked deep into hers like they had on the dance floor that night and then later that same night when he’d kissed her so profoundly. That same stare made her insides feel all kinds so of craziness.
Still, she reminded herself that while his eyes and kisses may be saying one thing, he’d made it clear more than once now that anything deeper with him was out of the question. And as much as she’d love to give into having the pleasure of being in his arms, experiencing those amazing kisses of his, even if it was only temporarily, she knew she couldn’t. She didn’t have it in her to do that. Inevitably, she’d be in tears and drowning in despair, knowing someone else was enjoying those arms and amazing kisses too. There was no way she could do that. But what was fair was fair.
“Well, thank you for making me your priority that night. And given the circumstances Friday, I’m glad you reacted the way you did with that jerk at the party. Even today, I know you meant well, but this needs to stop.” She hated to admit the next part, but she’d since decided she had to be honest from here on. No more games of any kind. No more wondering what he might be thinking nor making it unclear what she was thinking or feeling. He already knew anyway. She’d use her big drunken declaration in some way to her advantage. “You said it yourself, Hector. I’m not like those girls you hang out with so casually.”
He nodded, still staring at her in that way that was going to be the end of her. “I can’t do this and pretend it doesn’t affect me, and I won’t anymore.” She glanced away, unable to take his penetrating eyes anymore.
“I agree,” he said. “And just so you know,” his fingers grazed her arm. That alone was enough to send shivers swarming through every part of her body, and just like that he had her locked in his hypnotic stare again. “I can’t do it either without feeling more. And while I’ll do my best to let you handle this guy, I can’t make any promises. I’m just being honest. I don’t think he deserves so much as a nod from you, but I will promise that if I do decide to do something it won’t be what I did today.”
Smiling at him as if that were a good thing, Charlee took a deep breath. Maybe the fact that Hector had just promised never to kiss her again was the last thing she thought she’d ever ask him to do, but deep inside, she knew it was the smart thing. The tingly feeling she got just from being around him and knowing that he felt something for her too made it feel all the more impossible that she’d ever give up hope for more. Any more kisses from him would certainly have her clinging to something that he already said wasn’t happening.
Hector’s own forced smile suddenly disappeared, and he looked at her suspiciously. “Since we’re in agreement now that this guy’s a douche you shouldn’t be associating with, can you tell me now what question he was gonna answer for you later? Maybe that’s why his dumb ass is still creeping around trying to run into you so he can answer it for you.”
Charlee had to think about it. She wasn’t sure what he was talking about and then it came to her. “He mentioned wanting me to give him another chance.”
Hector’s entire face went rigid and his brows pinched. “A chance for what?”
Shrugging, she responded. “That’s exactly what my question was just before you got there. He never got a chance to tell me.”
“And he never will,” Hector said very seriously.
She stared at him for a moment but decided not to argue. Clearly after seeing the way Hector kissed her today and judging from his reaction to Ross around her in the past, there was no way Ross could still think there was any chance of anything with her. Charlee didn’t think she’d have to worry about Ross still wanting to answer that question.
Finally able to tear herself away from his those eyes, Charlee made her way up the stairs, feeling drained. Going back home for a few days—weeks maybe—to regain a little of the willpower she now felt completely devoid of, was beginning to sound like a really good idea because even after her little speech to him, if he so much as asked to kiss her one last time, she’d be in his arms in a heartbeat.