Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67813 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67813 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“Come in, Charlotte,” my mother said, and I pushed the door open.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, not crying as I’d thought, but still looking upset.
“Come and sit next to me, sweetheart.” She spoke so softly, motherly, that I was the one that wanted to cry now.
I moved toward her and sat on the bed, staring at my hands in my lap. The silence stretched on for longer than was comfortable, but then she exhaled and turned to face me.
“Charlotte…”
“I know,” I said when she’d stopped talking, as if she hadn’t known what to say.
“Honey, what is going on?”
I shook my head and closed my eyes. “A lot of stuff, Mom.” My feelings for Derek had changed, completely turned around.
“I thought you really disliked Derek. You two are always bickering; I just assumed—”
“I thought I hated him, Mom,” I said and looked at her. “But I care for him; I’ve just kept it hidden.” I swallowed, seeing the love in my mom’s eyes as she looked at me. “I’m so embarrassed that you saw that, but it’s my own fault for allowing it to happen with you guys just downstairs.” I covered my face with my hands and let a ragged breath out. Then I felt my mom touch my shoulder, and I lowered my hands to my lap.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
The look I gave her has her laughing.
“Okay, there is, but I’m not so close-minded that I don’t know what you’re going through.”
That surprised me a little. My mother always seemed so reserved, so proper, even with Greg.
“I did my fair share of things back in the day, and I even got caught once by my mother.”
“Really?” I asked.
She nodded and pushed a piece of my hair away. “Yeah. It wasn’t with my stepbrother, but…” she started laughing. “Listen, you’re eighteen and young. But you’re also an adult, know what you want out of life, and excel at school. Is walking in on my daughter with her stepbrother shocking?”
I winced at hearing that, because it sounded so wrong.
My mom started laughing again. “Yes, I’m shocked, but the initial surprise has faded.” She pushed more hair off my face and smiled. “I don’t know if this is a serious thing, or just a momentary thing, but I want you happy.”
God, this wasn’t how I thought this conversation would go, and I certainly hadn’t thought my mother would be okay with this. She accepted what I wanted, as long as I was happy. I didn’t feel so bad about it anymore. No, the humiliation was still there, but that was temporary and I could live with that.
Derek
My dad was sitting on the porch, a beer in his hand despite it being early as fuck, and I could feel the tension around him. I stepped up beside him, not sure what to say. Getting caught didn’t embarrass me, but I was worried about Charlotte and didn’t want her feeling weird around my dad.
“Is this just a one time thing?” my dad asked, before tipping his beer back and taking a long pull from it. When he set it back on the porch banister, I stared off at the yard.
“What difference does it make?” I wasn’t trying to be an asshole.
He looked at me, this hard expression on his face. “It matters, Derek.”
I rested my forearms on the banister. “I know; it matters to me, too.” I looked at him again, saw him nod, but we stayed silent for several long seconds. “I care about Charlotte, and she isn’t just a one time deal for me.”
My dad didn’t respond right away, but I didn’t feel that thick tension anymore.
“I don’t know what the hell is going to happen between you two and all of this, but I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I stood up straight and nodded. “She cares about me, too, but I know she’s worried about what you guys will think.” My dad looked at the ground for a second.
He looked me right in the eyes. “I’m your old man, and I love you; I would protect you with my life.”
I felt a “but” coming on here.
“If you break her heart, Derek, you and I will have problems.”
“There aren’t any worries about that. I have no plans to hurt Charlotte. I’d rather tear off my own arm first.” My dad clapped me on the shoulder.
“Good, because she’s a good girl.”
She was, but she was my girl, and I’d make sure to treat her right.
Epilogue
Charlotte
“What are you thinking?” Derek asked, taking a seat beside me on our back porch. It has been five years since we were caught having sex, and a lot has happened since then. First, Derek and I, we’re married, but not one part of our life has been easy. No, not one single part of it.