(Complete) Charlie's life is slowly spiraling out of control. Her mother is useless, her relationship with her boyfriend Gavin is a train wreck and the bruises she has to cover up are all becoming too much for her to bear.
Tanner has it all. He has...
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The day goes by without a hitch. There are no awkward silences and we all kind of just fall into rhythm after a while until we finish lugging the boxes up to her dorm room. About half way through the day I had suggested to Isaac that we go check out my new apartment. We both agreed that the girls would appreciate the alone time to say their goodbyes and spend some last minute time together.
By the time we head back to campus it's three o'clock. The day went by way too quick. When Isaac opens Charlie's dorm room door, I almost feel like we walk in on something private. Lydia is holding Charlie. Not in a romantic way, but one of comfort. Charlie's eyes are red and slightly puffy, and Lydia's also have a sheen to them. I bite the corner of my lip, shoving my hands in my pockets as I stand there awkwardly- feeling as if I'm not privy to the bond they share.
Isaac has to leave, so we're saying all of our goodbyes but it occurs to me that I don't really want to leave, yet. Spending time with them is just so easy, carefree. I wasn't babysitting Collin or getting into pissing contests with Jace- I love them both, but they will one day be the death of me. With Isaac, Lydia, and Charlie it was just easy and careless. The conversation flowed naturally, we didn't run out of things to talk about, and even with doing such a mundane task such as moving- we all had fun.
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Throughout the day I kept catching myself looking over at Charlie; noticing her mannerisms and the way she talks about the things that she enjoys, such as reading- when I commented on her extensive book collection she looked as if she was nearly going to explode with excitement. It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen.
I look over at her as we stand side by side on the curb facing the parking lot. She's waving off Lydia and Isaac as he peels out of the parking lot. I see a faint tear making it's way down her cheek and I'm so tempted to reach forward and brush it away, but I don't want to overstep any boundaries.
I admire the way her skin glows with the late afternoon sun, the copper highlights in her hair glistening. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling when she looks over at me and catches me staring. I don't want our time to end, but I also don't want to be overbearing. "So..." I rock back on my heels, my hands shoved into my front pockets. "I'm sure you're dying to get inside and get settled in, I know it's been a long day-" I look down at my feet then back over at her, meeting her eyes. "But I was wondering if you'd possibly want to grab a bite to eat? I'm starving." I chuckle nervously, almost under my breath because it feels like I can't fucking breath. She's so close to me, and the wind is blowing strands of hair across her face that I desperately just want to tuck behind her ear.
