this love • gracie abrams

017 euphoria

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
euphoria
•

ALL charlotte wanted was to lay on that bed until everyone left, but it was her house after all so she can't just abandon hosting. but the fact that she'd have to walk downstairs and act like she was okay after whatever the hell that was made her head ache. she rolled over and groaned into the pillow, about to give herself a minute countdown for getting up and going back down when she heard a laugh.

"fuck is your problem?" caleb said.

"me," charlotte muttered.

"huh," caleb replied and shut the door before sitting down on the bed. "sure it isn't the fact that marcus and olivia just finished the weed without you?"

charlotte shot her head right up, "what?!"

caleb laughed, "should've been down there before it was too late. what were you doing up here?"

charlotte sighed, "looking for gracie. then i found her. and then we almost kissed and i fucked things up again. nothing new, what's up with you?"

caleb laid down next to her, "yeah im gonna need more detail. i thought you two have been working things out, what happened?"

charlotte shrugged, "me and her ended up sitting in the bathroom together at the event earlier — long story — but she kinda just made my like fear of trusting her again mellow out? and i don't know i guess i just got excited to be so close and feel safe again that i leaned in to kiss her— might i add, she did too! anyways then she said i was drunk and just left."

caleb scoffed, "wow. see this is why you lack game, charlotte."

"fuck you mean, you can't be talking when you took years to man up and get with sadie—"

"okay well obviously she was gonna reject kissing you, she didn't want it to be just a drunken mistake you wouldn't be sure about in the morning. she cares about you, she doesn't wanna fuck it up, same as you."

"but i can't do this shit sober," charlotte complained, rubbing her eyes. "like doing this feels way less anxiety inducing when i've had some drinks, if i was sober in that moment i probably wouldn't have said a word about how i feel."

"if you were able to before why not now?"

"because i don't wanna fuck things up again. literally all i do is fuck shit up, exhibit a: my parents, which then affected me and gracie's relationship—"

"okay, but every time you guys have talked things through now you've been sober — i hope — and all those conversations is what helped fix things up. get what i mean?"

"but what if—"

"no, no 'what if's.' that shit just holds you and her back. you guys have something good right now, and if you keep running away it's all gonna go away," caleb said. "trust me, all those years i spent not telling sadie how i felt was so much time wasted, just take my advice."

charlotte stayed quiet for a moment, processing all he said. she then looked at him sternly, "i feel like im talking to a prophet right now."

"you are," caleb confidently said. "so listen to me and lock the fuck in."

charlotte chuckled, "okay. but can it wait, cause this bed is fucking comfy—"

caleb hopped to his feet and yanked charlotte off the bed, "no," he said and started pushing her towards the door. "hurry up and go work some charm, she's probably about to leave given your stupid stunt you pulled up here."