Nothing In This World (BWWM) ✅

Chapter Thirteen

"You gotta start sitting up when you bathe. The steam from the water is what's got your kitchen looking the way it does." The hot comb brought sweat to Charlene's forehead as her mother tried to smooth out all of her edges. Charlene's hair was down her back due to all the times she kept it braided up during school. She hated when her mom straightened it. The smell lingered on her scalp for a while. "That dress Janis got you. I hope it doesn't come out of the pay for the end of this week."

Charlene shrugged. "She said Cecil gave the money to her. I guess to play with. It wasn't my idea. It was hers. She wanted Lance to have something nice to wear."

Her mother shook her head in disapproval. "I hope when you find your true love that you don't go stir crazy over him. A man always takes that leap and not the other way around."

She rolled up the last of Charlene's hair before turning the burner off to let the comb cool. Charlene looked at her reflection in the kitchen window and was pleased with what she saw. She wasn't fond of the hot comb but she loved it better than having her hair nappy.

"Thanks, mom. Anything else for us to do now that the day is ending?"

"I already changed the linen so you can go out back and soak the dirty ones. Come on back inside before that sun sets."

Charlene nodded quickly and ran past Janis on the porch who was trying to get in on a book she found. "Where you running off too?" She called out to find any reason to set the book down.

"Soak the linen before the sun sets. I think I got plenty of time though."

Janis started to get up and help but chose to read the boring book instead. "Alright well you have fun, I guess!"

Charlene ran around to the water well and turned the tap. The water poured into the big barrel as she added soap and fabric washer. The whole time she kept her eyes peeled since this is not too far from the road Johnny caught her near. She kind of hoped Lance would come just so she could have a bit more of protection but she knew she shouldn't be looking to him for any sort of help. Not after telling him to buy a ring when he told her he didn't want anything with Janis.

She didn't know why she was pushing this on him. A part of her didn't want to let down Janis and another part didn't want to fall too deep into Lance's alluring personality. She knew she would be wrong to choose one or the other and this wasn't a situation she wanted to put herself in.

Charlene never thought she'd be making a choice like this. Not after everything she's sought after. Then again, Charlene has never been in love until she met Lance.

"In love..." she said to herself as she turned the tap off.

"With who?" The sound of Lance's voice caused her to jump away from the barrel. The only thing she could see was him peeking around the corner from behind the house. "Come here," he motioned.

She figured he was stalking her at this point and not a tiny amount of her cared that he was. "How do you know when I'm around here?"

"My mama thinks I'm with Johnny. I don't know if you noticed it but there is a tree right across the field over there. It's the perfect view of the yard. I go there sometimes when I want to get away from the farm. Saw you out from it and I couldn't stop myself from heading this way."

"You're strange, Lance." She adjusted the roller in her hair and grew a bit embarrassed because she forgot she had it in there. "I'm not looking my best right now for outside eyes."

Lance chuckled before reaching his hand to touch the parts of her hair that were curled and down. "I love what you did new to it. Either way you always look good." Charlene blushed as he smiled down at her. "I thought about what you're doing. You know I like you but you know that me liking you isn't a good thing. I know it too. But the world doesn't have to know that I want you."

"They kill people for things like this. And you want to go off to the city and find another black girl to put in harms way. I just don't see how you're using your brain anymore, Lance."

"There won't be another black girl. There won't even be another girl. If I can't spend every moment that my heart beats with you then I'll be just as miserable as I am when I'm not around you. Janis can't have everything. She can't have me and I'm gone tell her at that party. I'm not proposing."

Charlene looked away as the words she's been dreading to hear has escaped his mouth. "I didn't do nothing but be here. You was the one giving me those eyes and making my heart confused! Why me! You knew Janis before anything. You didn't know me."

"Would you keep it down," he put his hand over her mouth. "I don't have the answers for the questions your heart wants to know. I just know that when I close my eyes the only person I see is you. It's been about time I told you that and mean it. This week has been hard knowing you are right there and I can't even..."

She slowly looked up at him at the same time he looked away from her. Charlene decided it was time to stop asking questions and follow her heart for once. Even if her heart was wrong. "Lance?" She said softly while grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "I was dumb for saying the things I said at the dress shop. I like you too. I think about you too. And I know it's wrong but... I feel right when I'm with you."

"Charlene," he smiled. "I agree with you."

Scribbled in her gaze was the desperation to get as close to him as possible. Lance felt it too and him being the dominant guy he is didn't waste another second to wrap his arms around her waist and hoist her up off her feet. Charlene, now in the air, looked down at him and smiled. She's never kissed a guy before but it felt like this was the perfect time to do it. Neither one of them wanted to go another day missing the opportunity.

His lips were pink and visibly soft even as he delicately licked them just as Charlene slid her thumb across his tan cheek. Before he could do the honors, she was already leaning down to collide right into his charming aura. Their lips locked intensely to the point that Charlene couldn't do anything more but grip on to his hair for dear life.

A spark locked their bodies together as the kiss deepened and the seconds that passed felt like an eternity. Lance grazed his hands past her bottom before releasing the kiss and setting her back down to earth. The only thing they could do was smile at each other as they steadied their breathing.

Charlene flattened out her dress hastily as she noticed the sun setting. "I got to go now. But you asked me who I was in love with. In love... I'm in love with you, Lance."

"I've been wanting to tell you I love you first. I figured I have to show it though. Can we meet again this time tomorrow? Do what you have to meet me here. I've been wanting to show you something."

"I'd have to wait until everyone is resting but I think I can do it." Lance grabbed both sides of her face and gave her one last kiss on the lips. "You're so happy," she giggled.

Lance tipped his straw hat. "Because I got you."

She waved him off as he skipped past the field and over the fence until he dispersed behind the trees. Charlene quickly put the linen in the bucket and ran back inside before anyone could ask what took her so long.