𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

one hundred two.

─☼☼☼─

"SO, WHO IS HE?" Carson's voice was clipped as he spoke, his eyes focused on the calm water instead of his girlfriend.

Charlotte shivered, despite the fact that it wasn't even remotely cold out. But to her, it's like she'd settled in an ice bath, terrified of what was to come.

The two of them had broken away from the group, Charlotte pleading for Carson to let her explain everything away from the prying eyes and ears of her friends. Although, she could almost guarantee they were all doing their best to listen from inside.

There was no point in lying. Charlotte knew that.

"He's my ex-boyfriend," She finally answered, turning her head to catch the pained expression that settled on Caron's face. "Sarah's older brother."

Carson nodded, jaw clenched. "Your ex-boyfriend," he repeated, as if mulling over the word.

"Yeah." Charlotte's voice was quiet, teetering between emotions.

"How long were you together?" Carson questioned.

Forever, she wanted to say, because truthfully that's what it felt like. She could almost no longer recall a life before Rafe.

"Six years."

Hurt flashed across Carson's face as he closed his eyes, running a hand over his face. "High school sweethearts," he muttered, the words like venom on his tongue. "That's cute."

Charlotte winced slightly at the tone of his voice, words sitting on her tongue, but unable to be spoken. She didn't know what to say. She knew Carson wanted her to tell him that Rafe didn't mean anything to her anymore, that their entire relationship was in the past. But that was the biggest lie she could have ever told. Nothing about her relationship with Rafe was in the past. Hell, there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think about him...think about how things ended between them.

Everyday she woke up and feared that she'd have a message telling her that he was in jail, or that he was dead. Everyday she feared that she had done the wrong thing by walking out on him again.

"Why'd you break up?" Carson couldn't even look over at Charlotte as he spoke, his eyes focused on the sign for JJ's Charters that hung on the structure above them.

None of your business, Charlotte thought initially ...but maybe it was his business, maybe he had at least some of a right to know. She owed him that much.

Pushing down the lump in her throat, Charlotte thought back to that night one year ago, and all the nights that led up to it. "He was...sick," she explained, voice catching. "He lost his father and he struggled."

Carson shook his head, "Struggled?"

"Drugs, alcohol...you name it." Charlotte said quietly, the guilt from a year ago resurfacing. "We'd been there before, and I─I didn't know how to help him. So I ran."

"Ran all the way to Duke." Carson muttered, eyes dark. "And then you met me."

Charlotte knew she should feel sad about what was happening between the two of them, but the only emotions she felt were residual from a year ago. "I wasn't trying to hide him from you...it just never came up."