The Two Of Us

Charlie (Chapter 16)

"Are you really pretending that you don't have feelings for her?" Cassie asked.

She was sitting on the end of my bed, staring at me intently. I knew she knew what I was thinking. She didn't want to admit it out loud. Attie was just my friend, nothing more and nothing less. I couldn't fall for her, not now or ever. She needed a friend; she wanted a friend. I wouldn't ruin a relationship with her because my feelings for her grew.

"I don't like her like that. Don't be stupid. She's just a friend," I said.

Cassie lay flat on my bed, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars I had on my ceiling. "Write a letter to her. You don't need to give it to her, but your words will clearly indicate what you truly feel."

I scoffed. There was no way I was going to write her a letter. That would be stupid.

"Here again?" Holden asked.

The cafe was somewhat busy. I was working an afternoon shift, and Attie was supposed to work with me, too. I approached Holden behind the bar, where he was tying his apron.

"I thought I was supposed to work with Attie?" I asked.

He shrugged, "She asked to switch shifts with me. Told me she had some dinner thing tonight with a guy named Griffin. So she took my morning shift."

I tensed up at the mention of her going out with a guy. Sure, we weren't dating, but it still stung to hear that. I can't stop her from seeing guys or dating someone else. I'll be her friend no matter what, but I still only wanted that guy to be me. Tate was sitting at one of the high-top tables, taping away on his computer. I peered over to see that he was working on a Spanish course. He was doing reasonably well, and maybe homeschooling was the best move for him.

Allie was in the back making drinks with Jessie. She smiled when she caught me looking. My cheeks instantly grew warm.

I tried to stay busy with customers, fighting the thought of Attie and Griffin out together. Hell, I don't even know what he looks like.

"Disapointed?"

Allie was behind me, counting the money in the register. We closed ten minutes ago. She was looking up at me with a curious expression. Her eyes didn't shine nearly as bright as Attie's did.

"What?" I asked dumbfoundedly.

She set the money down on the table and rolled her eyes. "I'm not clueless, and I can see how you act around her. Your eyes light up at the sound of her name, and you blush at nearly everything she says. So tell me, Charlie, what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

She frowned at my response. Maybe she was rooting for me after all.

"My sister rarely tells me anything. I had to snoop through her phone to see what was up with this Griffin guy. Let me tell you, Charlie, you may have a chance. Their relationship isn't all that it seems."

"Does she know you looked on her phone?" I asked.

She smiled, "Of course not. I like watching her keep it a secret. Of course, I would never tell Holden about what she's doing. I'm waiting until she finally decides to tell me herself."

"What is she doing?"

Allie shrugged, "That's not my information to share, but I'm just saying, Charlie, you may still have a chance."

It felt like my blood turned to ice. What was Attie hiding? It wasn't my place to ask or even know, but I couldn't help but feel worried for her. If she's keeping it a secret from everyone she knows, it must be something that could cause problems.

It was around 11 p.m. when Attie came back. I was sitting on the cafe steps, waiting for her. She seemed surprised to see me. She clutched her bag so close to her chest that she was still on guard.

She smiled as she sat next to me. God, her smile was beautiful.

"Charlie? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I wanted to talk to you," I said.

She stayed quiet and waited for my response.

I sighed, rubbing my hands together. They were starting to go numb. "I just wanted to say I finished our project. My dad took my phone away, so I figured I'd wait until you got back."

My heart was racing. I was almost sure she would be able to read through my lie. Her eyes studied mine, and she let out a slow breath after a moment. "Okay, thank you for finishing it. I feel bad. I would have helped you finish it if I knew that you were going to work on it today."

Her voice shot through me like a glass of cold water. I had no idea one person could make me feel this way.

I rubbed my legs with my hands before standing up. "Have a good night, Attie," I said.

Her eyes were filled with guilt and sorrow. I'm positive it had to do with the secret Allie briefly mentioned. How could one hold so much sadness and grief inside them at such a young age? I also learned that shit happens no matter what family you grow up in or where you're born. Trauma never leaves one person out. It comes after everyone and sometimes attacks one person harder than the next. I knew Attie Wild got an absurd amount of trauma, but it made her stronger than anyone else I knew. I admired her because of it.

She stood up and moved closer to me. It's like it happened in slow motion. Her hands wrapped around my waist and pressed her head into my chest. I stayed motionless, unsure of how I should respond. That's until I felt her shoulders begin to shake. She was crying. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. I wasn't sure why she was crying, but I knew I would do everything I could to help her feel better, even if that meant standing outside in the cold Boston winter hugging her.