Between Us

Chapter 7 : Lines of Defense

I watched Charlotte stalk off into the night, feeling a surge of panic. I couldn't let her walk away with the wrong impression. Summoning my courage, I hurried after her.

"Charlotte, wait!" I called out, my voice tinged with desperation. She paused but didn't turn around, her back rigid with anger. "It's not what you think."

She turned slowly, her arms still crossed, her eyes narrowed with skepticism. "Oh, really?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Then what were you doing skulking around in the dark, dressed like that?"

I swallowed hard, taking a step closer. "I was... I was just trying to help a friend," The words sounded weak even to my own ears, but I pressed on. "We didn't mean any harm. We-"

Charlotte crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering. "Helping a friend by breaking into someone's house? That's a pretty twisted definition of help, don't you think?"

I could feel my frustration mounting. "You don't understand, Charlotte. It's not like that. We didn't plan to steal anything. We just thought-"

She interrupted me with a bitter laugh. "You just thought what? That you could waltz into someone's home and have a look around? Do you even hear yourself?"

Suddenly, the ominous blue lights of a police car illuminated the street. I locked eyes with Charlotte, both of us frozen in place as the vehicle approached. Charlotte glanced back at me, her brows furrowed in confusion and frustration.

"Why aren't you running?" she demanded, her voice a harsh whisper. Panic flickered in her eyes, a stark contrast to the steely determination I'd seen moments before.

I sighed, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. "There's no point," I said, trying to infuse some humor into my voice. "Maybe a night in jail will knock some sense into me."

Charlotte's eyes widened in disbelief, her panic intensifying as the police car drew nearer. "You're joking, right?" she asked, her tone a mix of incredulity and fear.

I shook my head, offering a faint, resigned smile. "You should go, Charlotte. Get out of here before you get involved in this mess."

She hesitated, running a hand through her hair, the conflict evident on her face. "Damn it, Engfa!" she spat, her frustration boiling over. She glanced from the approaching police car back to me, torn between fleeing and staying.

"Seriously, Charlotte," I urged, my voice low but insistent. "Go. Now."

For a moment, it seemed like she might bolt, but then she turned back to me, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and something else-something almost like concern. She muttered another curse under her breath, glancing back at the police car one last time before finally, reluctantly, taking a step back.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she snapped, her voice shaking slightly. "An absolute idiot."

I managed a weak laugh. "Yeah, I've heard that before."

As the police car approached, I turned my back and started walking, trying to appear casual despite my racing heart. The car pulled up beside me, and an officer rolled down the window.

"Excuse me, miss," the officer called out. "Can we ask you a few questions?"

I stopped and turned to face them, the bright beam of a flashlight shining directly in my eyes, making me squint. Two officers stepped out of the car, both eyeing me suspiciously.

"Can we see some ID?" one of them asked, his tone firm. "What are you doing out here at this hour?"

I hesitated, fumbling in my pocket. Just as I was about to pull out my wallet, I felt a warm hand slip into mine, intertwining our fingers. I turned my head sharply and saw Charlotte standing beside me, smiling at the officers.