California, romance and poetry Tome 2 (DPS Fanfiction) Charlie Dalton x OC

When we were young

"It was just like a movie. It was just like a song. When we were young."

Adele - When We Were Young

It was indeed Charlie Dalton standing before Margaret Perry, history repeating itself, paths crossing, and hearts stopping. Margaret slowly climbed down from the tree, jumped to the ground, and noticed that Charlie was much taller than her, like everyone else. Being so small annoyed her. He looked at her, waiting for her to say the first words, but no sentence would come out. Years ago, she would have thrown herself into his arms, insulted him, then kissed him. But now, she listened to her head, and her head told her that she didn't know what to do.

"You're... different," said Margaret, trying to gather her thoughts.

"I hope so," he replied with a smile, his eyes searching her face for any sign of the girl he once knew.

They continued to look into each other's eyes, perhaps thinking they would find answers there, but there was nothing. Charlie tried to approach, but Margaret instinctively stepped back. She regretted it, but she couldn't let her emotions take over. She simply said, her voice barely above a whisper:

"I'm glad to see you again."

"Me too."

And they joined the rest of the group. Everyone welcomed Charlie warmly. Margaret could see in their eyes that they all wondered how the reunion of the former lovers had gone, but she made no comment and just smiled, albeit insincerely.

She would have liked Charlie to say a few words to her, but she knew it was selfish to expect anything from him when, in her own mind, nothing was right. She struggled with her conflicting emotions, unsure how to navigate the murky waters of their past.

The group grabbed some beers and lounged on the couches, and while everyone was talking, Margaret watched them with nostalgia. Looking at Charlie, she found him much more serious and stern, but she could see the soul of the joker he had been, the boy she had fallen in love with. He told them that his parents had forced him to join military school and that he had just finished his last year.

"And what are you going to do now?" Knox asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Enjoy this summer with you all first," he said, taking a sip of his drink, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Margaret now understood why he hadn't been able to come to see her, but she would have appreciated a letter or two. Regardless, she couldn't afford to hold it against him. She knew that their circumstances had been beyond their control.

"So Meeks, have you ever even had a beer?" Charlie joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Of course, Dalton! You know I'm always ready to try anything."

"Except girls?"

"You'd be surprised; Meeks is quite the ladies' man," Pitt laughed, nudging Meeks playfully.

Everyone continued to tease him and laughed while Meeks tried his best to explain that it wasn't true.

"No, but the truth is... I have a fiancée," Meeks announced.

There was silence. Everyone looked at each other to see if it was a joke, but the young man was serious. Suddenly, they raised their glasses and congratulated Meeks on his engagement. Charlie asked for champagne to be brought, and he continued to tease his friend while congratulating him. Margaret was genuinely happy for him. She would never have thought he would be the first in the group to get married.

"I always knew you'd be a real ladies' man!" Charlie joked.

"Just one!"

"That's better than none!"

"You can talk. How many girls have you courted these past few years?" Todd asked with humor.

Charlie slightly lost his smile. He looked at Margaret, and she carefully avoided his gaze. Everyone seemed to notice the awkwardness, but Charlie tried to respond humorously.

"Well, Todd, if you think courting soldiers in uniform is a good idea, go ahead, because that's all I was surrounded by!"

Everyone laughed, and it dispelled the awkwardness that had arisen. There was always a kind of tension between Margaret and Charlie. They both felt that they needed to clear the air, to finally address the unresolved feelings that lingered.

That's why, despite being drunk, they met up to smoke on the beach. They both lit their cigarettes and watched the sea for five long minutes before Charlie spoke.

"I'm sorry for... not getting back in touch," he began, his voice tinged with regret.

"It's okay, you had your reasons," she replied, her tone neutral but her heart aching.

He turned to her and noticed that she wasn't even looking at him. He found her much colder than before, but he couldn't blame her. He knew he had hurt her deeply.

"I loved you... like crazy, I swear. You drove me mad," he confessed, his eyes searching her face for any sign of forgiveness.

She furrowed her brows and met his gaze. She wondered why he was saying all this after so many years. Their love was long behind her.

"Charlie..."

"I'm not saying this in the hope that we can still love each other. I know that time has passed, but I just wanted to make it clear. I was so in love with you back then. I just want you to remember that. Now, I think we need to start over from scratch."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She regretted those years she had loved him, but he was right. They needed to turn the page, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

"At one time, I knew everything about you, every detail of your life, and you knew all the details of mine... now you're almost like a stranger... a stranger whose laugh still haunts my dreams," Margaret explained.

She smiled at him sadly, and he sighed with compassion.

"I agree to start over from scratch," she concluded.

They shook hands and couldn't help but laugh at the absurd seriousness of the situation. Then they went back inside. When they entered, they saw that all their friends had fallen asleep, completely drunk on the couch, and they had to make a great effort not to burst out laughing when they saw Meeks drooling on Pitt's sleeve.

They went up to their rooms and wished each other good night. An odd sense of peace filled Margaret. She had rarely felt so good. It was as if a weight she had been carrying for years had been lifted. She realized that this summer, with all its promises and uncertainties, might just be the beginning of something new and beautiful.