When I got home I noticed that the girls were back too because all the cars were back. I entered the house and Nick went into the staff house. Which is a house with enough rooms for the staff. There's no kitchen because they eat inside the main house. I wanted to give them privacy so they have a bedroom with a bathroom. They all seem happy about it too.
I entered the house and the girls were in the living room, Waverly was working while Jasmine and Ale watched a movie.
"Hey, you weren't at the company for long?" Jasmine said and I nodded. "Yeah, after the meeting at LCC I went to the company for like an hour and a half then I picked up Steph and took her for some ice cream" I said and they smiled at me. "Did you tell her she's going on the retreat" Waverly asked and I smiled and nodded. "God she must be so excited" Ale said while I sat down on the couch and took off my heels. "You should have seen her, she was so excited," I said, smiling.
"How was the meeting at LCC?" Jasmine asked and my mood changed. I was overwhelmed with what had happened. "We solved any problems... and after the meeting... Ivan kissed me" I said and they all looked at me wide eyed. Waverly shut her computer and turned her whole body towards me and Jasmine paused the movie. "What!" Alexandra said surprised and I nodded.
"He explained what happened, he said Camilla drugged him and that he's sure he didn't sleep with her because he loves me" I said sighing, resting my head back on the couch. "Then why don't you let yourself be happy? It's obvious you still love him" Jasmine said and I gave her a sad smile. "He lied-" I started and Ale interrupted me. "Charlotte listen, I was so mad at him for what he did but at the ball I noticed how defensive he got when he saw Jackson near you... and I realized that he was a victim of Camilla's game too" she said and I didn't know how to respond.
"I feel safe, the way I am... makes me feel like if I don't show feelings then no one can hurt me. Before I was so emotional and people took advantage of that" I said and they looked at me sad. "Char, you don't have to change if it makes you happy and secure, but life is too short for you to live hiding from love" Jasmine said and I scooted over to her and put my head on her lap. Lately Jasmine has been the person I vent to the most. I don't know if it's because we spend so much time together but I just feel like she gets me.
"I know... honestly for so long I lived feeling like I wanted to make him hurt the way I did or do. But now I find myself trying to look for him all the time." I said while Jasmine just played with my hair. "Be happy" Waverly said and I looked at her sadly. "It's scary to let someone in again, and it's even scarier knowing it's Ivan" I finally admitted, closing my eyes. "I held it in for so long that I thought I stopped loving him but I didn't" I said with a tear slipping down my cheek.
"When I'm around him my heart feels like it can be regular and I feel the butterflies again" I said chuckling at the last part. "Then be with him," Ale said and I nodded. "I want to, but first I need to make sure it's what I want" I said. We stayed quiet for a little and my phone started to ring. I looked at it and it said an unknown number. I wiped my tears away and cleared my throat before answering.
"Hello?" I said in a cautious and confused tone. "Charlotte," a husky man's voice said. I know who it is and my heart started to quicken. "Ivan?" I asked, knowing my answer. "I needed to hear your voice and talk to you" he said and I looked at the girls who looked at me excitedly and were paying attention to me. "How did you get my number?" I asked, confused, because I don't remember giving him my new number. "I basically threatened Tony to give it to me" he said and I sighed. "I'm going to murder him" I whispered and I hear him chuckle. "What can I do for you?" I said composing myself, and the girls just smirked at my stubbornness. "I want to talk," he said and I sighed. "About?" I asked. "Us" he said and I closed my eyes and the butterflies returned. "Can I take you to dinner tonight" he said and I smiled and felt my cheeks blushing but composed quickly. "Sure, it's just dinner right?" I said, smirking. "No, it's a date" he said and my heart fluttered. "A date really" I scoffed , rolling my eyes and I heard him chuckle. "I'll pick you up" he said and I shook my head. "No, I'll meet you there because I don't really want you to know where I live," I said and before he could answer I added something else. "And don't threaten Tony to give you my address" I said and he chuckled. "Where?" I asked and he responded. "The nice fancy restaurant near 3 C's " he said, "the one with the nice candles on the tables?" I was confused. "Yes" he said and I nodded. "Does 7 sound good to you Mr. Lombardo" I said and he responded. "Sounds perfect" he said and I hung up.
"He's taking me out to dinner to talk about us" I said, sounding more sad than happy. "You were happy 2 seconds ago what happened." Waverly said, "I don't want to get hurt but... I love him" I said smiling. "I want to go slow this time and I don't think he wants that. I think he wants to pick up where we left off and... I can't" I said and they all came near me holding my hands. "Take it at your pace and if he doesn't want to then he isn't the right one for you." Alexandra said and I nodded, "I need to look for something to wear, fancy but not too much" I said and they all looked at each other giggling and pulled me upstairs to help me look for something.
Published 07/14/2022
YOU ARE READING
You and Me
Romance- Charlotte Carter is a 23 year old young woman who is a Landscape Architect. She has been looking for a job lately and her best friend Waverly's friend Liam works at Lombardo Construction Company which is one of the best Construction Companies in t...
