The Other Woman |Charlie Barber x Reader|

~Planes, Trains, and Charlie Barber~

Three weeks in LA. Three weeks without the threat of Charlie Barber looming above you like a cloud blocking out the sun. Perhaps, even just for a little while, you would be free from any thoughts of the man you had grown unwittingly infatuated with.

You had already said your goodbyes to Ophelia in the morning--with promises that she would look over your cat--and now you were heading straight to the airport in the back of a little yellow taxi. The scenery that rushes by as the taxi merges through highway lanes is unable to draw your attention; you are too swept away in your own thoughts to notice the approaching airport signs flanking the busy road.

Since that fateful argument with Charlie, the two of you hadn't spoken. No calls, no texts, and no word about his counseling sessions. Part of you wondered if he was going to return at all, much less with Nicole at his side. There was no way he would want to see you again, especially not after you had practically told him to fuck off.

Your hand lifts, fingers gliding along your throat. A chill travels down your spine when you feel the cool chain brushing against your fingertips. In all honesty, you hadn't a clue as to why you were still wearing the necklace. Every time you went to take it off, his words echoed through your mind.

"This is just a reminder whenever you need it. You're mine."

No matter what you told him, Charlie Barber would always have a place in your mind. And frankly, you didn't know whether or not you liked that. You shiver at the memory of his hand around your throat. The feeling of his calloused palms and the icy metal of his wedding ring against your skin.

You were such a naive fool for thinking this could progress.

Truly, what else had you been expecting? That he'd leave his wife and family to be with you? No. This would only end one way and that was with you getting hurt. It was as if the only option was heartbreak. That was precisely why you had called it off before it got more serious than it already was. Though you had only known each other for so long, it felt like you had just broken up with a boyfriend of five years.

Charlie had that effect on people. He always drew people towards him like a magnet, but people were easy to repel if they had the wrong charge. You had to convince yourself that your charges were wrong; that you would only repel instead of attract. The part of you that was mourning this was probably the part that knew you were lying to yourself.

After failed relationships and being single for so long, he was like a breath of fresh air. Maybe in another life things could be different. Maybe you would be the ones happily married. Steady jobs, a home together, cooking meals side by side, going out on weekends.

You'd have to keep the age gap in mind, of course, you were sure Charlie wasn't the type of person who liked clubbing and rowdy bars. But you wouldn't mind it. You'd sacrifice that for him in a heartbeat. Besides, you would rather stay home with him. Watch a movie together and listen to him talking about it. Eat food together--he would do most of the cooking but you would be glad to help--and cry together.

Pictures of the two of you lining the hallways of your home. Going out with friends as a couple. Dinner dates, brunches, movie theater evenings, and supporting him on opening night. Retreating to your shared bed at the end of a long day. Curling up side by side.

Your brows furrow together. Upon realizing how tightly you were clutching the fabric of your pants, you quickly let go and shake your head. What were you doing? You were only digging a deeper hole for yourself. Letting yourself fall back into a false reality in which you were happy with him. Coming back to this reality would be devastating.